Yup, still no Mariners pop

After hearing about their Seattle Mariners for seven days, 45,876 fans came to Safeco Field to see for themselves Monday.

And yes, it’s still true. The Mariners can’t score.

Shut down on two hits, Seattle was shut out by division-rival Oakland, 4-0, dropping the Mariners’ early record to 2-6 – and their team batting average to .216.

“No one is more disappointed in what happened on opening day here today that the 25 guys on this club,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “It’s disappointing to go through a stretch like this early in the season. For the first time today, I saw a few guys with their heads down.

“We’ll address it.”

Hours earlier, batting coach Alan Cockrell had emerged from a meeting with his hitters and was energized, pleased with the game plan they’d all discussed, more certain that the Mariners were going to improve their situational hitting.

“Against Justin Duchscherer last week, too many at-bats were given away trying to pull his pitches, which is what he wants you to try to do with them,” Cockrell said. “We talked about going the other way, being patient. And we’ve had good conversations about situational hitting.”

Then came the home opener, a sold-out Safeco Field – and a pumped up Duchscherer.

The Mariners’ first test came in the fourth inning when, down 1-0, they got a leadoff double from their hottest hitter, Franklin Gutierrrez. Jose Lopez grounded to the right side of the infield, getting Gutierrrez to third base with one out.

Then?

As was so often the case in the first seven games, the Mariners couldn’t get him home. This time, Ken Griffey Jr. struck out chasing a nasty Duchscherer off-speed breaking ball. Milton Bradley grounded out.

“You go back into the video room and go from there,” Griffey said.

“We had a game plan, to take Duchscherer the other way, we just didn’t do it,” Wakamatsu said. “We pulled too many balls. We didn’t execute.”

On the mound, lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith nearly matched Duchscherer through six innings, despite a major blip in his control. Three consecutive walks to open the fourth inning put Oakland in position to throw out a big number, but Rowland-Smith got out of it with a sacrifice fly and double-play ground ball.

Through five innings, Rowland-Smith trailed 1-0 – but hadn’t allowed a hit.

What happened in that fourth inning?

“Oakland is a patient team, but after facing them once through the order I thought they might come out more aggressive, and I started to nibble,” Rowland-Smith said.

“That was frustrating, because I never nibble. It was stupid.”

Like every struggling team, this one is frustrated. Like every frustrated team, it’s pressing.

“We haven’t done what we’re supposed to do,” Rowland-Smith said. “Everyone is trying, everyone is pressing. We have to relax, play our game. You’re not going to see too many two-hit shutouts thrown against us this season.”

Mike Sweeney, who knows the pulse of his team as well as anyone, said he hasn’t sensed panic – just frustration.

“Our guys care, they want to win every game,” Sweeney said. “It’s a slow start, period. Don’t read more into than that.”

Asked about slow starts, Chone Figgins shrugged.

“It happens. It happened last year. One big hit, one defensive play turns the season around. We need one good thing to happen,” Figgins said. “The good thing is everyone is trying to stay positive. It is part of baseball. You have to tip your hat. That’s not a bad team over there. They are playing good ball right now.”

Ahead 1-0 through five, Oakland doubled that when No. 9 hitter Cliff Pennington homered on an 0-2 pitch leading off the sixth.

“I tried to throw one in, shift his feet a little, and it just stayed on the inner half of the plate,” Rowland-Smith said. “It was a very hittable pitch.”

The Athletics added two more in the seventh and the big crowd tried to will a late rally out of the Mariners – and almost got one going. Jose Lopez singled in the seventh inning, was forced out by Griffey. Bradley drew a walk – putting runners on first and second base with one out.

Casey Kotchman grounded out. Rob Johnson did the same.

“We’re playing like a bunch of individuals, we’re not relying on the one another to get things done,” Wakamatsu said.

“We’re not flat, we’re not hitting. A lot of guys are trying to do it all.”

Consequently, nothing is getting done.

This morning, the Mariners awaken four games behind the Athletics, who have already won four of the five games the two teams have played. And Seattle is 2 12 games behind second-place Texas – which has won two of the three games the two have played.

Trouble?

“I would rather have it happen this week than late September,” Griffey said.

“It’s better to do it early and get it out of the way and have some fun from here on out.”

For Mariners fans, that can’t happen soon enough.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

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