Mariners notebook: No break for hitters against power pitchers

No break for the Mariners hitters as they face yet another top 10 strikeout pitcher today at Safeco Field. In the last four days they have faced the No. 1, 2, and 10 strikeout pitchers in the AL.

Today they get number 6 in Cleveland’s Danny Salazar, and tomorrow is the Yankees’ Michael Pineda, who started slow but has the fifth most strikeouts in May. It doesn’t get much tougher than this.

“It ain’t easier,” said Lloyd McClendon with a chuckle when asked if there was any advantage to having a string of this caliber of pitchers together. “No. (Chris) Archer, (Corey) Kluber, (Trevor) Bauer and now Salazar, it’s not easy. We’ve done OK though. We’re 2-3 against them. Hopefully we will be (3-3) after today.”

The Mariners will take the same approach into today’s game that they have against the other power pitchers – pick and choose their spots and try to get the pitch count up. McClendon has been going with mostly the same lineup through this stretch, while giving one young player a break. Shortstop Chris Taylor is sitting for his third straight game.

“Offensively he’s been really, really struggling quite a bit,” McClendon said. “I’m just trying to give him a breather. You are struggling, you don’t want to have to face Archer, Kluber, and Bauer. Today is the same thing. I don’t want to get to the point where he feels like he is sinking. Just give him a breather.”

The flip side of sitting Taylor is Brad Miller has shown no problem moving back to short after playing multiple positions the last two weeks.

“The one thing I said (to Miller) through all of this, ‘You’re still going to play shortstop,'” McClendon said. “I think that got lost in all of this. He was never going to play shortstop again? That was not the case.”

Interestingly enough, since he has been moved around Miller seems to have settled down at shortstop. We haven’t seen him struggle with any of the routine plays and his throws to first have been better.

“I think it (moving around) has helped him,” McClendon said. “I think the outfield has helped him slow down, relax a little bit out there. I think the outfield can help you on throws. I think it stretches your arm out a little, even when you come back to short.”

For a guy who has never played anywhere else, it has been impressive to see how Miller has handled position hopping the last few weeks.

Lineup!

Jackson 8
Smith 9
Cano 4
Cruz DH
Seager 5
Castillo 2
Morrison 3
Miller 6
Ackley 7

Happ

Notes

• The Mariners still have not announced a starter for Tuesday.

“We’re still working on things. I spoke with Jack (Zduriencik) this morning, We’re just not definite yet,” McClendon said in his Sunday morning media session.

That said, Mike Montgomery, who is on the 40-man roster, did not make his start today for the Rainiers.

• Hisashi Iwkauma continues to make progress coming back from the strained lat. If all continues to go well McClendon said we should see him throw a bullpen before the end of the homestand.

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