Mariners notebook: Scooby snack and Puppy Power edition

PEORIA, Ariz. – Nelson Cruz can hit the ball hard. And far. As can Mike Zunino, who I am convinced might hit one out of Safeco some day. We have learned in recent weeks that Rickie Weeks has similar power. It hit me yesterday that the Mariners very well could have the all-distance team this year in home runs.

Lloyd McClendon might be thinking the same thing. When asked by a national reporter today if the perception that Safeco Field is a hard place to hit is accurate, he made it clear that it was time to put those claims to rest.

“It’s false,” he said. “Go to (Detroit’s) Comerica if you want to see a big ballpark. It’s 430 straightway center. Safeco is not a big place. It used to be big. It’s not big anymore with the fences in.”

He continued: “Washington came in and made Safeco look real small. Cruz hit the ball out and made it look real small. It looks big when you got guys who have their puppy muscles. They get their man muscles, it becomes small. It will be small for us now. Trust me.”

Your guys got man muscles, Skip?

“Oh yeah,” McClendon said. “Go out there and stand next to them. You will see. Pretty big. Pretty impressive.”

McClendon did concede that the ballpark does play big when it is cold but that is no different than any other park on the Pacific Coast. His point is, with the fences in, big ballpark should no longer be part of the conversation or in the back (or front) of the mind for the hitters now that the fences are in.

“Safeco is not a big ballpark,” he reiterated. “Very fair ballpark. It doesn’t kill hitters either.”

Perhaps we will see a few fly away tonight as the Mariners play their first night game of the spring.

Lineup!

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

Walker

Cleveland is bringing their A team so this should be a good test for Walker.

Bourn 8
Murphy DH
Brantley 7
Santana 3
Moss 9
Gomes 2
Chisenhall 5
Ramirez 6
Gonzalez 4

Carrasco

Jason Kipnis was a late scratch with back spasms.

Tonight’s game can be heard on 710ESPN Seattle and will be televised on ROOT Sports at 7 p.m. Walker is scheduled to go five innings.

Notes

• Going by the numbers, Taijuan Walker would appear to have the edge in the battle for the fifth starter spot, but McClendon is not ready to call a winner.

“He’s doing a nice job,” he answered when asked what more he needs to see from Walker. “He’s showed a lot of poise in camp. From a pitching standpoint he is throwing more strikes. I’ve been very pleased. But for that matter so has (Roenis) Elias. We will see what happens.”

• Alex Jackson is listed as one of the minor league extras for tonight’s game.

• Mariners starters have compiled a 1.77 ERA so far in Cactus League play, good for the best in all of spring training. Walker, Hisashi Iwakuma, David Rollins and Tyler Olson have all yet to allow a run.

• Iwakuma will not throw a sim game on Sunday, as we were originally told. Rather he will throw a sim game Monday. That would slot him in at No. 3 with Paxton splitting the two righties at the top of the rotation.

• Upcoming pitching probables:

Fri. at Texas, Roenis Elias vs. Derek Holland
Sat. at Chicago Cubs, Felix Hernandez vs Jon Lester
Sun. vs. Texas, James Paxton vs Yovani Gallardo
Mon. at Los Angeles Angels, Erasmo Ramirez vs Matt Shoemaker
Tue. at San Diego, J.A. Happ vs TBA

• Charlie Furbush has joined the Taylor Hooton Foundation’s advisory board of Major League players to help educate young people about the dangers of PEDs.

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