Mariners notebook: McClendon not worried about offense

PEORIA, Ariz. – Dog days, groundhog day. Call it what you will, but the Mariners have absolutely hit the point of camp where it feels like it is time to get this thing going. Yes, despite the fact that the Mariners have had just seven hits in their last three games, manager Lloyd McClendon is not worried.

“It’s a grind,” he said after pointing out that the hot weather expected today should be good for the hitters. “Guys are going at it pretty good. The games are tough right now but we will get through it. That’s why we have to be careful how we play them, how much we use them early on, but you have got to build to get out of here. I’m not concerned about our offense.”

The grind he is referring to is mostly mental.

“Coming in here, doing the same things over and over, I think they are all ready for the season to start,” he said. “So am I. I think we’re ready, I think we’re prepared. We just got to get through it.”

I am very confident I have never heard a ballplayer say that spring training isn’t long enough. The starters have built up to the point where they could start tomorrow if they needed to. The hitters are seeing the ball and making adjustments they would make in-season. They are physically ready and now it is important that they stay mentally sharp through Mondays that look like Fridays and the two off days between now and April 6.

“The final week is the toughest week but it’s my job to make sure the intensity level increases. That’s why it’s important at some point you need to get your team together and let them bond and work together. We are in the process of trying to do that as well,” McClendon said.

The team is certainly together today with a near regular lineup to face the Giants.

Lineup!

Austin Jackson, CF
Seth Smith, RF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Kyle Seager, 3B
Logan Morrison, 1B
Mike Zunino, C
Dustin Ackley, LF
Willie Bloomquist, SS

Hisashi Iwakuma, SP

Notes

• Brad Miller is out of the lineup for the second straight day. He missed yesterday with what was thought to be the flu. According to McClendon, he was a bit dehydrated and they don’t want to take any chances with him. The hope is he can play tomorrow.

• Austin Jackson has a little streak going. He has hit safely in his last seven games, batting .410. Overall he has reached base safely in 13 of 15 games, including 10 of his last 11.

• Just like regular season, almost. Mike Zunino has caught the most innings of any catcher in spring training play this year. Zunino is making his 15th start today and has caught 78 innings. Milwaukee’s Martin Maldonado has the second most innings caught at 74.1.

• I had a thought about the David Rollins situation and what could be a silver lining for the Mariners. While he put up impressive numbers in camp, McClendon wanted to see improvement with his slider. He has plenty of time to work on that now.

As for what is left in camp, McClendon said that he was satisfied with the candidates he has for the second lefty job in the pen and that there is no need to go out and look for someone else.

“If we take a second lefty it will come from within,” he said.

• And the rest of the pen? It was one of the only bright spots in yesterday’s game for the skipper.

“Very encouraged,” he said of what he saw from his relievers. “I slept good last night.”

• Erasmo Ramirez is listed as available in the pen today. This is an attempt to get him innings that are becoming very scarce.

• Time to erase any doubt about who will start Opening Day. McClendon upgraded Felix Hernandez from the 99.99999 percent sure as the guy to 100 percent.

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