Mariners notebook: Nelson Cruz approaching another career best

On Saturday, Nelson Cruz set a new career mark for home runs when he hit his 41st ball over the fence this year. Soon we will see him best another personal mark as he is just three hits away from the most he has accumulated in a season.

From early in the season when the realization sunk in that he was much more than just a slugger, to the thrill of watching him improve as an all-around hitter at age 35, Cruz has been a season-long highlight.

His 40th home run came in his first game back after missing a week with a strained quad. In that game he had two hits – a single up the middle in his first at-bat and the home run in his last. Two big hits after not seeing live pitching for a week. In the clubhouse after the game he was asked about getting the hits in his return and his answer I think illustrated what separates him from most.

“I was pretty sure I could hit a fastball,” he told reporters. “When you get the time off you probably are rested well so your bat speed should be there.”

While most players would have talked about the importance or difficulty of getting their timing back, Cruz focused on what he could do. He focused on the edge he might have and sure enough, he hit a 96 MPH fastball out to right.

Teammates marvel at what he has been able to do this year. Mark Trumbo has studied him closely and believes there is much to be learned from his teammate.

“I watch him intently, what he does and what makes him so good,” Trumbo said in a pregame interview Monday on 710 ESPN Seattle. “Other than being extremely strong and powerful, obviously, his timing at the plate has been exceptional this year. At times you see them sneak a fastball by him, but you are probably not going to do it twice, and any time there is a mistake he seems to make ’em pay.”

“He’s very simple,” said Kyle Seager. “The approach is very simple, it’s tailored to exactly what he is trying to do. It’s something that didn’t just happen. He put thought into it and it’s repeatable.”

Repeatable to 163 hits this year, and counting.

Lineup!

Ketel Marte, SS
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Seth Smith, RF
Mark Trumbo, LF
Logan Morrison, 1B
Shawn O’Malley, CF
John Hicks, C

Taijuan Walker, RHP

Notes

• Walker enters the game having thrown 162 2/3 innings this year. Last year he threw a combined total of 146 innings. His next start has yet to be set but there is a good chance he could be skipped or pushed back following the off-day Thursday.

• We could see some long games the next three days. The Angels enter the series three games out of a wild card spot and Mike Scioscia has never been shy about making pitching changes, be it in regular season or spring training, in or out of the race. With the expanded rosters the Angels come to town with 37 players in uniform, which includes a 12-man bench and 15-man pitching staff. The Mariners are going with 33 players with a seven-man bench and 16-man pitching staff.

• The Mariners’ second-half hot hitting continues. They currently lead the AL in second-half slugging percentage thanks to 195 extra-base hits

• The Mariners have chosen Charlie Furbush as their Roberto Clemente Award nominee, and Robinson Cano is one of the seven fan-selected nominees for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, which will be voted on as part of the 2015 Players Choice Awards. Fans can vote on the Clemente Award at ChevyBaseball.com. Voting ends Oct. 9.

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