Mariners Rocked By Padres San Diego Gets Off To Fast Start And Runs Away With 13-2 Win
Kevin Brown pitched two shutout innings in his Padres debut and Archi Cianfrocco had three hits as the San Diego Padres routed the Seattle Mariners 13-2 Saturday.
Brown, acquired in a trade with the Florida Marlins, allowed two singles and struck out two, leaving with an 8-0 lead. Carlos Rayes also tossed two shutout innings for San Diego.
San Diego, which had 16 hits, scored six times in the first inning, taking advantage of two errors and three other misplays. Ken Cloude was the Seattle starter.
Aaron Holbert and Glenallen Hill each had two hits for Seattle, including a solo homer by Hill.
Mariners notes
Though much has been made this spring over Ken Griffey Jr. and his “war” with photographers - he frequently yells at them around the batting cages - it has usually been a case of teasing more than legitimate anger. In fact, when one photographer shrank from Griffey’s verbal abuse in camp, Junior got his telephone number and called him to explain he’d been joking. The photographer was back in camp Friday, snapping away. And Griffey was abusing him again, while smiling.
Veteran Pat Listach, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1992, is now a 30-year-old utility player fighting for a job. “Most springs I’ve been relaxed, this spring I’m a little more tense,” he said. “But Jesse Barfield worked with me today and I think I found something. I’m just trying to make a good impression.” Said Piniella: “He made one today - that’s the best he’s looked this spring.”
Right-hander Bill Swift spent so much time in the off-season getting in shape to try out for major league teams that he’s far ahead of his usual spring schedule. “I’m stronger, I’m closer to being ready,” said Swift. “The thing now is to build and not overdo anything. I’d thrown a lot before I got here - I was trying to show teams I could pitch.”
Rookie utility player Charles Gipson, who took a throw off the tip of his right middle finger that split it open and cost him a fingernail, doesn’t like his chances of making the big club now that he’s hurt.
“The last thing I wanted this spring was for something like this to happen. My chances of making this team went from this (and he held his fingers a quarter-inch apart) to this (he squeezed them together).”
Griffey, who hit 56 homers last year, appears to have added some bulk to his biceps in anticipation of another chance to feast on the expansion-depleted pitching pool. He increased his home run output from 27 to 45 when Florida and Colorado joined the majors in 1993.
“I think what you have is a great athlete in his prime who won the MVP award last season and wanted to come back and take care of unfinished business,” Piniella said. “You’d be crazy to say in spring that a player could repeat a year like he had in 1997 - hit .304, hit 56 home runs, drive in 147 runs, win a Gold Glove. But when you’re talking about Junior, you have to throw expectations out.”