Notes: Prospects struggle to get ahead

03/09/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- After giving up another 10 runs in another Spring Training loss, manager Mike Hargrove said it might be time to get his young pitchers together for a little talk when the team returns to Peoria.
The Mariners are excited about the futures of hard-throwing prospects such as Marcos Carvajal, Emiliano Fruto, Renee Cortez and Yorman Bazardo, but all four have been struggling this spring, unable to stick with the organization's philosophy of getting ahead in the count.
Carvajal gave up seven earned runs on three hits and three walks in one-third of an inning in his only Cactus League appearance.
Fruto pitched in one Spring Training game and gave up four earned runs on three hits and three walks.
In Thursday's 10-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Cortez gave up four runs on two homers in 1 1/3 innings, walking one batter.
And also on Thursday, Bazardo gave up two hits in two-thirds of an inning. His spring ERA is 13.50 and he's walked one batter.
"One thing we've been stressing is the value of strike one," Hargrove said. "We've still got time to hammer that home."
Hargrove said he was happy with the job his starting pitchers have been doing, particularly Jamie Moyer and Jarrod Washburn, who are throwing strikes and getting their work in.
But the later innings, when the team takes a look at up-and-coming pitchers, have been troublesome.
"A lot of that has to do with young guys coming in, being excited, overthrowing and trying to be nasty," Hargrove said.
"It's disappointing. It's frustrating. But as long as you see these arms -- guys with lightning in their arms -- as they settle down, they'll throw more strikes."
Foppert loses control: It was a strange second spring start for right-hander Jesse Foppert, who pitched two innings against the White Sox on Thursday, allowing a run, but not giving up a hit.
And how, exactly, is that possible?
Here's how: Foppert began the game by walking a batter, allowing a stolen base, throwing a wild pitch and inducing an RBI fielder's choice groundout. In the second inning, he walked the bases loaded before getting his third flyout of the frame and escaping unscathed.
And oh yeah, his scheduled three-inning stint was shortened to two because of a blister on his middle finger that he didn't tell anyone about.
"I felt fine," said Foppert, who spent last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. "My arm felt great. But everything was just moving out of the zone."
Foppert has a chance to make the team as a long man in the bullpen or a "sixth starter" of sorts. Before blowing out his elbow in 2003 as a San Francisco Giants farmhand, he was considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
He said Thursday that he's confident he'll improve in his next outing.
"It was just one of those days," he said. "Balls were just cutting off to the other side of the plate and running to my arm's side. I couldn't find the zone."
He said it wasn't a case of nerves because he's fighting for a job, and it wasn't a case of trying to show the Mariners that he's finally all the way back physically.
"I'm healthy," Foppert said. "I'm not trying to prove that to anybody. Next time, it'll be better."
Bucky not bitter: As recently as September 2004, Bucky Jacobsen was a burgeoning cult hero in Seattle, a huge, hulking and lovable Mariners first baseman and designated hitter with a bald head, a bright orange beard and a vicious right-handed power swing.
The 30-year-old native of Hermiston, Ore., latched on to a team in the midst of a 99-loss season and gave the Safeco Field faithful something to cheer about, hitting nine home runs and driving in 22 runs in 42 games and cultivating a following of Bucky backers that still clamor for information about the whereabouts of their departed hero.
Jacobsen's stay with the Mariners became a fleeting one when he injured his knee in the 2004 offseason, had two surgeries and rehabbed slowly in 2005. The Mariners designated him for assignment after the season and didn't re-sign him.
Jacobsen, now in White Sox Minor League camp and cleanly shaven per team regulations, said Thursday he's not bitter about how things turned out.
"It's part of the game," Jacobsen said. "Injuries happen and teams move on. You can't necessarily rely on a guy with half a season of experience and a knee injury.
"It was sad to go because I loved Seattle. At the same time, it fuels my fire. I know a lot of fans saw what I did. It's just disappointing that I couldn't show them what I can do now that I'm healthy again."
Classic cuts: Joel Pineiro pitched four innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits while striking out two in Puerto Rico's 8-3 win over the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic late Wednesday. He threw 56 pitches, 40 of them strikes, and seemed very confident about how he's throwing the ball.
"It starts from here, taking it back to Spring Training and go toward April," Pineiro said. "I like to have a strong start and go out there and continue it. Hopefully we can get these two games out of the way and go on to the next round for us and for the people of Puerto Rico."
Meanwhile, Adrian Beltre continues to mash. The third baseman hit two homers and drove in five runs in the Dominican Republic's first Classic game, and he hit another homer, this one a three-run shot, in the Dominican's 8-3 win over Italy on Thursday. He's batting .500 in the tournament, with three homers and eight RBIs.
Mariners log: Second baseman Fernando Vina (strained hip flexor) continues to hit and field before games, and he could be ready for a game Sunday or Monday. ... Left-hander Bobby Livingston (stiff neck) continues to improve. ... Outfielder Wladimir Balentien (strained right hamstring) is still not available for games.
Coming up: The Mariners stay in Tucson on Friday, where they'll take on the Colorado Rockies at Hi Corbett Field at 12:05 p.m. PT. Washburn gets the start, and he'll be followed by Francisco Cruceta, Carvajal and George Sherrill. The lineup will include Willie Bloomquist, Yuniesky Betancourt, Matt Lawton and Mike Morse.

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