Mariners notebook: Franklin Gutierrez’s comeback gets its signature moment

When Franklin Gutierrez stepped to the plate in the eighth inning Tuesday night with the Mariners trailing the Tigers by a run, Felix Hernandez stepped up to the dugout railing and had a good feeling.

BY SHANNON DRAYER

Jul 22, 2015, 4:19 PM Updated: 4:23 pm

Follow on Google News

Franklin Gutierrez's second home run back with the Mariners was a go-ahead, pinch-hit grand slam. (AP)

(AP)

DETROIT – When Franklin Gutierrez stepped to the plate in the eighth inning Tuesday night with the Mariners trailing the Tigers by a run, Felix Hernandez stepped up to the dugout railing and had a good feeling.

“Yoshi, right here, double,” he told trainer Yoshihiro Nakazawa next to him.

“Guti?” Yoshi asked.

“Yeah, maybe,” Felix responded.

The result was even better – a pinch-hit grand slam that lifted the Mariners to an 11-9 win.

“I get up and boom, homer,” Felix said. “I’m happy for him.”

Most likely happier for Gutierrez than anyone else at Comerica Park Tuesday night. Felix and Gutierrez have been close friends, and Felix says he considers him a brother. Felix has seen Gutierrez at his best as a ballplayer and also seen him struggle through illness and injury. He knows what it means for Gutierrez to be back in a big league uniform, and what it has taken for him to get here.

“I know he has been through a lot of stuff,” he said. “We talked during the offseason. When he decided not to come last year, he was sad. He was a little down. We talked a lot.”

Gutierrez took last year off to try and gain a handle on his condition, ankylosing spondylitis. He tried different medications and diets. He learned that rest was critical and found routines that best helped him move. It wasn’t easy and at times he wondered if he would ever play baseball again. He would call Felix and tell him that he was probably done. Felix did his best to encourage him to keep trying.

“He would call and say, ‘No, man, I can’t do it, I can’t do it,” Felix remembered. “I was, ‘You can do it. You can do it. Come on. You know you can do it, you are a good player.’ Look what he did this year. He came back. I know he’s been through a lot of stuff, some days he’s hurt, but he goes through it. I’m really happy to see him here.”

Gutierrez still has good days and bad days as Felix pointed out, but the good days far outnumber the bad ones and he has been available for nearly every game since his call-up. Tuesday’s game was special for Gutierrez as he was able to contribute in a big way.

“I think it is a blessing,” Gutierrez told me on the field following the win. “I’m back in the game again, in a different role, but I’m really happy to be here. I think I have a little bit more experience and I just try to relax at home plate and let good things happen.”

Being back is special for Gutierrez. Being back with what he considers to be his team makes it even more so.

“To be back with Seattle again,” he answered when asked what his favorite part of being able to play after his long road back. “I really love this team. To be back with my friends, and all the fans in Seattle, I really appreciate all of this.”

Lineup!

Austin Jackson, CF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, RF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Seth Smith, DH
Mark Trumbo, 1B
Dustin Ackley, LF
Brad Miller, SS
Mike Zunino, C

Mike Montgomery, LHP

Notes

• Manager Lloyd McClendon is going somewhat by numbers, and the fact is that Anibal Sanchez has reverse splits this year. With lefties hitting just .206 off Sanchez, Mark Trumbo is at first base instead of Logan Morrison. Gutierrez is not in the lineup partly because he has not had a ton of success against Sanchez and partly because McClendon would like him available for Thursday’s day game with lefty David Price on the hill.

• Mike Zunino will get the day off tomorrow. Not only is it a day game after a night game, but he is 1×10 against him with nine strikeouts. Yikes!