Mariners trio stepping it up

01/13/2006
The Winter League playoffs are under way, and the three most recognizable names on the Mariners who are playing in the Caribbean have picked up their performances in the higher-stakes games.
In the Dominican League playoffs, relievers Rafael Soriano and Julio Mateo have rebounded from rough early seasons with the Escogido Lions in the capital city of Santo Domingo.
Through the postseason games of Jan. 10, Soriano had a 1.69 ERA through four games and had given up one earned run in 5 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Mateo, who logged a 7.88 ERA in Escogido's regular season, had pitched two scoreless innings over three games in the playoffs.
In the Puerto Rican League playoffs, probable Mariners backup catcher Rene Rivera got off to a much better start than in the regular season, when he hit .189. Through the first two games of Carolina's playoff season, Rivera was 2-for-3 (.667) with two runs scored.
The rest of the Mariners prospects playing winter ball were doing it in Venezuela.
Yorman Bazardo, one of the players the Mariners got from the Florida Marlins last July in the Ron Villone trade, had a 3.38 ERA in three postseason games for the Aragua Tigers.
New Mariners righty Marcos Carvajal, acquired in the Yorvit Torrealba trade with Colorado in December, went 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 21 regular-season innings for Oriente of the Venezuelan League, but he was nicked up for two runs in one inning in his only playoff appearance.
Several Mariners prospects played for Lara of the Venezuelan League during that club's regular season, but only reliever Emiliano Fruto remains on the postseason roster.
Twenty-one-year-old reliever Fruto was lights-out as Lara's closer this winter, with a 3-1 record, a 1.69 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. So far in the playoffs, he's struggled a bit, going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/