Mariners: Talented young pitchers steal intrasquad limelight

PEORIA, Ariz. – The first intrasquad game of the spring saw 46 players take the field for the Seattle Mariners on Friday, though for many fans on hand, the day came down to three men.

Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton – the three-headed pitching phenomenon.

They were nervous, their command wasn’t quite there yet and they were still very good. In three innings, one apiece, that trio allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out four.

“Now we’re all going out to dinner together to talk about it,” Paxton said afterward. “I didn’t have control of my curve and my fastball wasn’t like I’d want it. I’m probably happy with six, seven pitches.”

Hultzen, who started the game, had a 10-pitch duel with leadoff hitter Chone Figgins in which Figgins fell behind in the count, fouled off five pitches and eventually worked a walk.

“That was the most important at-bat of the inning, it set up everything that followed,” Hultzen said. “He spoiled some good pitches. I got a little taste of how good major league hitters can be.

“The best thing about my inning? I got it out of the way and now I can go on to the next one and do better.”

In the end, Team A and Team B played to a 3-all tie, and no hitter on either side had more than one hit.

Brendan Ryan homered, Carlos Peguero tripled – on a pitch that shattered his bat – and Michael Saunders and Johermyn Chavez each doubled.

“It was just good to get them out there and let them play baseball again,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It was important to get our young pitchers and young position players on the field for the first time.”

Of those three young pitchers, Walker – the youngest at 19 – was the most impressive. He faced three hitters, retired each and struck out two of them.

“He was just nasty,” Hultzen said.

HUMBLE RYAN

Ryan, the designated hitter to protect his ailing arm and shoulder, hit a solo home run against left-hander Oliver Perez, rounded first and then peeled off back to the dugout.

No trot?

“I didn’t want to embarrass anybody,” Ryan said.

He took some good-natured abuse for the action.

“Dude! You’re not going to hit any when it counts, so you might as well enjoy them when you get one and trot,” Justin Smoak said.

MR. UTILITY

Figgins shows up every spring prepared to play anywhere, and his camp locker shows it.

He has different gloves for second base, third base and shortstop, a fourth glove for playing the outfield. In Seattle, he hasn’t needed them all. That could change this season.

“I played shortstop last in 2007, I think,” Figgins said. Actually, it was in 2006.

No catcher’s glove? Figgins, at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, draws the line there.

“No way would I catch,” Figgins said. “No way.”

SHORT HOPS

Mike Carp batted fourth, behind Ichiro Suzuki on Friday, and said it wasn’t the first time. “When I first came up, he was leading off and I was batting second,” Carp said. … Veteran infielder Luis Rodriguez, battling for a spot on the Seattle bench, broke the little finger of his throwing hand in winter ball. Now he tapes it each morning to protect against bad hops, and it hasn’t affected his throwing. … Rookie Erasmo Ramirez pitched around a hit in his one inning of work, striking out two. … Left-hander Jason Vargas was the only pitcher to go two innings, and because the second inning went too quickly he worked to another batter – so technically he went 2 innings. Vargas was perfect, striking out four. … The Mariners will have a short workout today, then play their second intrasquad game Sunday. Starters for that game will be Felix Hernandez and Kevin Millwood.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners