Eric Wedge and the Seattle Mariners limped home with a 1-5 record – 59-83 overall – and the manager was grilled on why he’d left rookie Charlie Furbush in Wednesday’s game after seven shutout innings.
The result? Furbush and the Mariners lost to the Angels.
“Of course we want to win every night, but part of my job with playing these kids is to challenge them and find out how they respond,” Wedge said. “That means asking for one more inning, giving a struggling hitter one more at-bat, one more game.
“That’s the discipline we’ve got to have. You want to see what they can do, keep them moving forward.”
Wedge obviously knew the risks of staying with Furbush.
“A lot of these guys will be out there for us next year,” Wedge said. “What we learn – and what they experience – will help them be more consistent in 2012. Kids come up and struggle, whether it’s right away or a month into it. They have to learn what that’s like, how to get through it.
“When I was in Cleveland, I said at one point our team needed name recognition – our fans didn’t know Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Franklin Gutierrez, Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia. They found out. I could probably say the same thing about this team now.”
For Wedge, the toughest part of September is finding time for all his players. The Mariners have three third basemen – Kyle Seager, Alex Liddi and Chone Figgins – and two other infielders capable of playing the position in Luis Rodriguez and Adam Kennedy.
“I’ll get everyone time,” Wedge said. “We want to see them all.”
Seeing them may cost the Mariners a game or two. This season, that’s not a factor. Next year, it will be.
SHORT HOPS
Reliever Dan Cortes came off the 15-day disabled list Thursday and was added to a bullpen that now includes nine right-handed pitchers. Finding innings for them over the last 19 games is going to be a chore. Cortes went on the DL Aug. 23 with an ankle sprain. … Felix Hernandez and his 1,253 career strikeouts rank sixth in the modern era among pitchers 25 years old or younger. He trails No 5 – Fernando Valenzuela – by 21 strikeouts. No one else is within reach. The most Ks for a 25-year-old in the majors? Bert Blyleven (1,546). … Mr. Consistency: Dustin Ackley is batting .302 at home, .299 on the road; .296 in day games, .302 at night. … Rookie Liddi may not play much – not with Seager hitting .362 over his past 19 games – but Wedge said having him with the team is educational. “If we hadn’t called him up, he’d have spent all winter wondering what the big-leagues were like,” Wedge said. “Now, he’ll know. He’ll be more relaxed next spring because he’s here now.”
ON TAP
Seattle hosts Kansas City in a 7:10 p.m. game today that will be televised on Root Sports. Probable starting pitchers: The Royals’ Jeff Francis (5-15, 4.72 ERA) vs. Blake Beavan (3-5, 4.33).
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners
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