Seattle Mariners news out of Spring Training on Sunday (March 17) included a brilliant pitching performance from Blake Beavan. Beavan went six solid innings, giving up just one run on three hits against the Texas Rangers. The Mariners ended up winning the game 4-3, spurred on by an eighth-inning home run by Kendrys Morales.
Michael Morse Leads MLB In Spring Home Runs
It's important to note that many of the regular starters for the Rangers were not on the field against the Mariners Sunday, so the results from Beavan had to be registered with an asterisk. He still looked ready for the regular season, though, and could be one step closer to having earned a spot in the starting rotation by Opening Day.
Morales hit his fourth homer of the Spring to put the Mariners in front for good in the eighth inning and Raul Ibanez hit his third home run of the spring in the fourth inning off Rangers pitcher Joe Nathan. Jason Bay went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .321 and again the Mariners struggled from the leadoff spot. This time it was Franklin Gutierrez getting the shot, but he went 0-for-2 with a walk before being replaced by Casper Wells.
The Mariners improved to 15-7 with this win, but it might not be considered all that impressive with the group of hitters that the Texas Rangers were playing with. Beavan dropped his ERA to 3.86 over 14 innings this spring, which goes very nicely with his 0.93 WHIP and having allowed only 13 hits in that span. He will likely get at least one more start before the front office has to make a final decision on the starting rotation.
The next game for the Mariners is on Monday (March 18), when Hisashi Iwakuma will go up against A.J. Griffin and the Oakland Athletics. Game time is set for 1:05 p.m. PT.
Interested in reading Mariners news as it happens? Subscribe to this column (right under article title at the top) and receive instant e-mail updates of Mariners breaking news.
More Seattle Mariners News:
Erasmo Ramirez Continues To Look Good In Spring
Jon Garland, Jeremy Bonderman Have Shot at Seattle Mariners Starting Rotation?
Michael Saunders Wins MVP At 2013 WBC
Comments