Ramirez takes early exit in M’s loss

SEATTLE – Auditions for next year’s starting rotation began in earnest for the Mariners on Saturday, whether Seattle wanted it that way or not.

Left-hander Horacio Ramirez, given a reprieve on his season after going 1 2/3 innings last Monday against the A’s, did nothing with the second chance on Saturday.

And we mean nothing.

Ramirez was pulled without getting an out in the first inning, having allowed the first four hitters to reach base in what quickly turned into an ugly 6-2 victory by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Safeco Field.

Put it this way: If reliever Jorge Campillo had stood up any earlier to warm up, he’d have been throwing alongside Ramirez in the bullpen before the game.

Manager John McLaren pulled one of the quickest hooks in Mariners history, taking Ramirez out of the game after he allowed singles to Akinori Iwamura and Carl Crawford, a walk to Carlos Pena and another single to B.J. Upton. Six other starting pitchers in team history haven’t recorded an out.

McLaren wouldn’t indicate whether Ramirez will remain in the rotation for his scheduled turn Thursday at Anaheim. His move in the first inning, when he pulled Ramirez after 20 pitches, may have provided that answer anyway.

“We try to give our guys a chance to work their way out of it, but we don’t have that luxury anymore,” McLaren said. “We’re fighting an uphill battle here.”

Ramirez said he was surprised to turn around and see Campillo warming up after only two hitters.

“He’s the boss,” Ramirez said of McLaren. “The moves he makes are the moves he thinks are best for the team and give us the best chance to win.

“It’s hard to get a read on how you pitch when you face four guys. I’ve never been through anything like this, but I’ve been through some tough times and I’ll persevere.”

In a week where McLaren stuck by his starters, the decision to keep Ramirez in the rotation backfired.

Ramirez, now 8-7 with a 7.16 earned run average, lasted 1 2/3 innings Monday, allowing four hits, two walks and five runs in what became an 8-6 loss to the Oakland A’s. Left-hander Ryan Feierabend followed with 5 1/3 scoreless innings to plant himself firmly in the pool of starters who could replace Ramirez when his turn in the rotation came up again Saturday.

McLaren decided to give Ramirez another start, just as he has for Jeff Weaver after he lasted 1 1/3 innings on Thursday against the Devil Rays. Weaver will start Tuesday at Oakland.

At a time when the Mariners can’t afford to waste chances to gain ground in the standings, they did Saturday.

The Red Sox thrashed the wild-card-leading Yankees earlier in the day and the Mariners took the field with a chance to pull within 4 ½ games. The American League West-leading Angels beat the White Sox and extended their division lead over the Mariners to 8 ½.

Fifteen games remain, and Ramirez’s spot in the rotation will come up two more times.

“All I can do is prepare and when I go out there, go out there with a positive attitude,” he said.

Devil Rays 6, Mariners 2

a-grounded out for Bloomquist in the 7th. E – CPena (8). LOB – Tampa Bay 8, Seattle 6. 2B – DYoung (35), Gomes 2 (17). HR – Ibanez (18), off Salas; BHarris (12), off Feierabend. RBIs – Upton (81), DYoung 2 (83), BHarris (58), Gomes 2 (44), Ibanez (95), AJones (4). SB – Crawford (50), Gomes (11). CS – Crawford (10), Gomes (3), ISuzuki (5). GIDP – Upton, BHarris. RLISP – Tampa Bay 3 (Iwamura, Upton, JoWilson); Seattle 3 (Johjima, AJones, Bloomquist). RMU – CPena, AJones. DP – Tampa Bay 1 (Navarro and BHarris); Seattle 3 (Campillo, YBetancourt and Vidro), (Johjima and YBetancourt), (Bloomquist, YBetancourt and Vidro).

HoRamirez pitched to 4 batters in the 1st. IR-S – Reyes 1-0, Campillo 3-3, Green 1-0. WP – Feierabend. T – 3:07. A – 33,793 (47,447).