Martinez not big fan of interleague play

SEATTLE – Mariners manager Bob Melvin enjoys interleague play on the road because it gives him a chance to play by National League rules.

Designated hitter Edgar Martinez hates interleague play on the road because, well, he must play by National League rules.

“I’ve never been OK with it, but I have no control of it,” Martinez said. “All I can do is sit for six games.”

That will happen this week when the Mariners play at Milwaukee and Pittsburgh and the DH rule won’t be used. Martinez knows he can’t abolish interleague play, but he wouldn’t mind a few tweaks to the format.

His idea?

“I think there should be one game in every series when it would be fun to see the National League rules at our ballpark and for the fans there to have a chance to see the American League rules for one game,” Martinez said.

Over the course of an entire interleague schedule, that wouldn’t give Martinez any more at-bats than he’s getting under the current format. It would, however, allow him to play two full games on a six-game road trip, which might help him maintain a feel for his swing.

Despite his fondness for National League rules and the strategy involved when pitchers must hit, Melvin doesn’t like losing the DH on the road, either.

“I think the American League teams are at a disadvantage,” he said. “We’re used to running Edgar Martinez out there every day and all of a sudden he’s not in the lineup. A National League team that doesn’t use somebody like that all of a sudden gets to put another hitter in the lineup.”

The days of using Martinez in the field are long gone. That ended the last time Lou Piniella tried to play him at first base, when pickoffs and popups became insurmountable challenges.

Melvin hopes to use Martinez as a pinch hitter once per game this week but knows the opportunity won’t always be there.

“Pinch-hitting is not his strength,” Melvin said. “He’s used to getting four at-bats every day, but you have to get him up there. You don’t want to go a whole series without him getting an at-bat.”

Like any hitter who needs repetition to stay sharp, Martinez says one at-bat per day is hardly enough to keep his swing in sync.

“I’m not used to sitting for that long unless I’m hurt,” he said. “When you don’t play, it’s a different feeling. You don’t feel comfortable.”

Melvin likes Martinez’s idea to play one game per series by the other league’s rules, but he imagines the National League teams would balk.

“I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to having it flipped and having the pitchers hit here in the American League,” Melvin said. “I’d try to make it a fair playing field.”

Davis rebounds at Tacoma

Amid the numerous success stories on the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers this season, catcher Ben Davis finally is joining the crowd.

Davis, sent down by the Mariners in May to work on his hitting, didn’t exactly tear up the Pacific Coast League right away. His average hovered around .100 early, but he has surged in the last two weeks. Entering Friday’s game at Tucson, Davis was hitting .261, having raised his average 22 points in a week’s time.

Center fielder Jamal Strong continued to lead the Rainiers offensively with a .338 average.