Goal: Take mad out of Madritsch

When Bobby Madritsch makes his first start of the season today, he’ll need to control his emotions as much as his pitches.

The 29-year-old left-hander has a fire in his belly that helped fuel his six victories last year, but it also has been an obstacle to his effectiveness. In his final exhibition start in Las Vegas last weekend, Madritsch became visibly upset and let his temper affect his pitches.

Pitching coach Bryan Price talked with Madritsch about it after the Vegas trip.

“Sometimes my emotions get the best of me, but I’m learning to control it now,” Madritsch said. “I can almost sense it when I feel it’s going to happen and I lose focus.”

The result, as it was in Vegas against the Chicago Cubs, is that Madritsch tends to leave his fastball up in the strike zone.

“You can’t throw 87, 88 (mph) up here without getting hurt,” manager Mike Hargrove said. “He needs to stay within himself and keep the ball down. He’s like any pitcher. When you keep the ball down, you have a chance to be successful.”

Pineiro continues comeback

Pitcher Joel Pineiro, working his way back from a sore right shoulder, threw 81 pitches in a minor league game at the Mariners’ training facility in Peoria, Ariz.

He may make one more start in the minors and if that goes well, Pineiro would join the Mariners next weekend in Chicago and be available to pitch against the White Sox on April 15.

Hargrove reacts to steroids

Hargrove echoed general manager Bill Bavasi’s feelings from a day earlier after eight M’s minor leaguers tested positive for steroids, saying there’s no place for it in baseball.

“I’m disappointed and angry,” Hargrove said. “It’s something that needs to be cleaned up and we’re going about trying to get it done.”

Reese receives good report

M’s shortstop Pokey Reese, on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right shoulder, had a magnetic resonance imaging exam that revealed he doesn’t have any serious damage.

Reese, signed in the off-season, played only one game the final week of spring training.

Reese is eligible to come off the DL on April 17.

Mister 1,000

Hargrove needs three victories to reach 1,000 in his managerial career. What would it mean?

“It just means I’m getting older,” he said. “I think Connie Mack’s safe.”

Mack is the all-time leader with 3,731.

No more doubts

Hargrove said closer Eddie Guardado answered a lot of questions with his 13-pitch ninth inning in Monday’s opener, when he retired all three Twins hitters.

Guardado had not faced major league hitters throughout spring training because of a strained right hamstring.

“It was important for Eddie and it was important for the rest of us to see him in that situation in a big-league game.” Hargrove said. “You can say he’s ready until you’re blue in the face, but until he actually goes out and proves that he’s ready, there’s still a little doubt. I think Eddie erased all that doubt in his mind and ours both.”

Notes

Former Mariner Edgar Martinez, will be in Olympia today to meet with the governor and be honored by the Legislature. … The Minnesota Twins are one of three American League teams against whom the Mariners have a winning record. The others are the Tampa Bay Devils Rays and Texas Rangers.