Aprils not good to M’s

SEATTLE – This April was supposed to be different for the Seattle Mariners, more like earlier this decade when they used a strong opening month and rolled their way to four consecutive seasons of 90 or more victories.

The Mariners left spring training without doubts about their starting pitching, backed by a capable, solid bullpen, and facing a favorable early season schedule that would give a notoriously slow-starting offense a chance to heat up quickly.

So much for those plans.

Following a lackluster 2-4 homestand, the Mariners (12-14) headed out this week for a difficult six-game road trip to Cleveland and New York, already four games back of Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels in the A.L. West.

Yes, those A’s – with an offense even more anemic than Seattle’s – and Angels, who were expected to be the class of the division, but have built themselves an advantage without their top two starting pitchers.

Time to panic aboard the M’s ship?

“I think we’re getting our feet on the ground, getting healthy and if the guys start hitting the way they’re capable of hitting, with the pitching we have, we should be able to start putting some streaks together in the left-hand (win) column,” Mariners manager John McLaren said.

“That’s what we’re looking for.”

Seattle has not finished April above .500 since 2003 when it went 17-10 on its way to a 93-69 season. Last year, the Mariners were 10-10 in April.

Seattle could throw out a list of excuses for its slow start and provide legitimate reasoning for some of it.

Closer J.J. Putz injured his ribcage in the second game of the season and missed 18 games, completely throwing the roles of everyone in the bullpen into flux. Staff ace Erik Bedard was sidelined for nearly three weeks with inflammation in his left hip. Fellow starters Carlos Silva and Miguel Batista had to leave games last week with various leg injuries.

But issues at the plate are becoming egregious, especially for an offense that has scored five runs or more only three times in the last 11 games, and just 10 times in 26 games.

Richie Sexson continues to struggle, especially at home. He’s hitting .207 overall, but just .160 at Safeco Field. Kenji Johjima, with a newly minted $24 million, three-year contract extension, Jose Vidro and new right fielder Brad Wilkerson are all hitting below .200.

Even Ichiro Suzuki, who has started slowly throughout his career, is hitting just .257. Only Jose Lopez and Raul Ibanez, among the starters, are hitting .300 or better. Seattle is tied for ninth in the A.L. with Kansas City, hitting .253 as a team.

But McLaren said he doesn’t want the players dwelling on what’s past, or looking too far ahead.

“I want the team to focus on today, and today only,” he said.