M’s notebook: Lowe handles pressure

Seattle manager John McLaren had hoped to ease reliever Mark Lowe into his first appearance of the season, but had to throw the right-hander into a pressure situation against Oakland Saturday.

With one out in the eighth and the potential tying run on first, Lowe came into the game and retired Marco Scutaro on a fly ball, but walked Donnie Murphy, prompting McLaren to go to closer J.J. Putz.

“That was the landing I wanted,” Lowe said. “I didn’t really want a soft landing. I live for coming into a situation like that.”

Praising Beltre’s glove

McLaren may not have a “Beltre for Gold Glove” poster hanging in his office, but the Mariners manager is certainly happy to campaign for his third baseman.

“(Eric) Chavez has been a great third baseman for Oakland,” McLaren said of the Athletics’ six-time Gold Glove winner. “But I think it’s about that time that maybe he’s going to have to pass the torch to Adrian because Adrian has just been so stellar over there.”

A hug for Ichiro

A fan came onto the field during a pitching change in the bottom of the eighth, and had enough time to have a brief chat with Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez in center field before security guards raced onto the field to remove him.

Just before security reached him, the fan gave Ichiro a hug.