Fleming Flames Out In Defeat

Dave Fleming knows who he is and who he was and saw both on the mound Tuesday.

Unfortunately, who he was - an effective left-handed pitcher - turned out to be Royals starter Chris Haney. And the man Fleming is now is probably out of a job.

In a rain-shortened, 4-2 loss to Kansas City, Fleming gave up another pair of home runs and pitched himself out of the Seattle Mariners starting rotation.

“On Sunday in the bullpen, Dave dropped down and threw more from the side, about a three-quarters angle, and there was bite to his curve ball, movement to his fastball,” pitching coach Bobby Cuellar said. “It was real progress.”

Two days later, that breakthrough became just another breakdown. Fleming, handed a 2-0 second-inning lead, gave it back after facing just two Kansas City hitters in the bottom of the same inning.

“I’m reaching the point where no matter what I do the results are the same, and it’s hard to stay positive,” Fleming said. “My patience is wearing thin, and their patience has got to be thinner than mine.”

One day after acquiring a starting pitcher - veteran Tim Belcher - may not have been the perfect time for Fleming to give up a pair of homers and four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Not even the irony that his earned run average actually dropped, from 7.56 to 7.45, is likely to save Fleming’s spot in the rotation.

“We’ve had three off days in the last 10 and we’re skipping pitchers who are pitching better to keep Dave in there,” manager Lou Piniella said. “My job is to give this team the best chance to win that I can, every day, and I’ll do what I have to do.”

Does that mean putting Fleming in the bullpen?

“I’m going to sleep on it,” he said.

Could the 25-year-old left-hander get another start?

“I didn’t say that,” Piniella said.