What’s gotten into the Seattle Mariners since the All-Star break?
No, they haven’t caught anyone in the American League West, and they’re still well below .500, but after Wednesday’s game they were 50-57 – and 14-6 since the All-Star break. What does manager Eric Wedge think his players are doing differently?
“They’re not putting as much heat on themselves individually; I think they’re collectively counting on each other,” Wedge said. “You look at different areas of our club, everybody’s contributing. With that, you win baseball games in different fashions, which is what you want.
“The canvas for me is just knowing where we are today and why, and where we want to be tomorrow.”
Wedge said an influx of new players – from Trayvon Robinson and Eric Thames to Blake Beavan and Carter Capps – has had an impact.
“I think that they come to the ballpark each day, and I like the way they carry themselves,” Wedge said. “I just want them to come to the ballpark looking to win every game. They’re in a good place and I want them to stay there.”
JULY CELEBRATION
July was good to the Mariners – they went 15-11 – but three men had an even better run.
Jason Vargas (5-0), Felix Hernandez (3-0) and Beavan (3-0) combined to go 11-0 in 15 July starts.
How good was that?
It was the first time three Mariners combined for at least 10 wins with no losses in a month since April, 2001, when Jamie Moyer (4-0), Aaron Sele (4-0) and Freddy Garcia (3-0) did it.
RAINIERS REHAB
When the Mariners fly to New York today, two players – left-handed pitcher Charlie Furbush and center fielder Franklin Gutierrez – will join the Tacoma Rainiers.
Furbush has been on the disabled list since July 18 with a strained triceps but has thrown bullpen sessions and is ready to begin a rehab assignment that may not last long.
Gutierrez has missed more than a month since his June 29 concussion after being hit behind the right ear with a pickoff throw to first base.
In that time he has taken batting practice and shagged fly balls. What he hasn’t done is face live pitching, so he’ll likely have a longer rehab assignment in Tacoma.
SHORT HOPS
Kyle Seager leads the major leagues in two-out RBI with 37, and the reason is simple. With two outs and men in scoring position, Seager is batting .382. … After putting up a solid earned-run average as a staff in June (3.57), Mariners pitchers went low in July – when they combined to lead the majors with a 2.73 ERA. … Before the game began Wednesday, the Mariners had a season run differential of plus-1. They had scored 423 runs, allowed 422. It was the first time since June 4 the team had scored more than it had allowed. … Wedge continues to use all three of his catchers, and he has them each playing well. Miguel Olivo went 5-for-15 on the homestand, used mostly against left-handed pitching.
ON TAP
Seattle has the day off before beginning a nine-game trip through New York, Baltimore and Los Angeles.
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners @LarryLaRue
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