Quite a catch

PEORIA – The Seattle Mariners’ off-season trade for center fielder Franklin Gutierrez was meant to solidify their defense. So far this spring, though, Gutierrez has been more impressive at the plate.

Not that he’s making much of it.

Not even a three-run home run against Australia’s World Baseball Classic team was enough to get the 26-year-old Gutierrez to brag.

“I’m just trying to get relaxed at the plate and not trying to think too much and that’s working for me,” Gutierrez said earlier this week. “I think I’m seeing the ball well.”

Through Seattle’s first six games, Gutierrez was batting .500, tops among the Mariners’ regulars.

Gutierrez is getting plenty of chances to impress his new team. Ichiro Suzuki is with Japan’s WBC team. Seattle lost outfielder Endy Chavez to the WBC this week. And left fielder Ken Griffey Jr. is taking a slow, cautious road back from knee surgery in October. That leaves Gutierrez as the lone starter in the outfield right now.

After batting a career-low .248 in 2008, Gutierrez’s start this spring is a welcome sight, both for him and the Mariners.

“It’s been going well,” Gutierrez said. “I’m relaxed here with my new team. I’ve been working on little things to help me get comfortable at the plate and with the team, too.”

Seattle targeted its outfield for a makeover in the off-season after losing 101 games in 2008.

While Ichiro had another All-Star season and left fielder Raul Ibanez, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies this winter, led the team in RBIs, the Mariners had a revolving door in center field.

Ichiro was the opening-day starter there but moved to right field early in the season after Brad Wilkerson failed there. A trio of players rotated in and out of the lineup, with Jeremy Reed getting the majority of work in center field.

But Reed, along with closer J.J. Putz and right-handed reliever Sean Green, were shipped to the New York Mets in December in a three-team trade that brought Gutierrez from Cleveland.

While Gutierrez’s batting average dipped last year, he put up career-highs for hits (99), doubles (26), RBIs (41) and extra-base hits (46). He also shook off a midseason slump and hit .317 over the final six weeks of the season.

M’s manager Don Wakamatsu’s challenge is finding a spot in the batting order for Gutierrez. Gutierrez batted leadoff in back-to-back games this week but will give way to Ichiro when the eight-time All-Star returns from playing in the WBC later this month.

“We had him hitting ninth the other day and he hit a home run,” Wakamatsu said Friday. “We’re just playing around with it. The big thing right now is just getting guys at-bats. When we get everybody back we’ll start playing around with that more.”

Ichiro frustrated

Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki is frustrated by his poor start with Japan at the World Baseball Classic.

Ichiro took batting practice on Friday with Team Japan in Tokyo after going 0 for 5 in his team’s 4-0 win over China on Thursday in the opening game of the 16-nation tournament.

Ichiro, who batted 3 for 23 in exhibition games leading up to the WBC, returned to the leadoff spot after batting third but still couldn’t get a hit against China.

“Of course it’s frustrating,” Ichiro told reporters. “If it wasn’t frustrating to me, I’d give up baseball.”

A’s thump Mariners

Jason Giambi was hit by a pitch three times, prompting the plate umpire to issue a warning, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Mariners 12-1 in Phoenix.

Giambi was twice plunked by Jarrod Washburn and brushed it off both times.

When Giambi was hit by David Aardsma in the fifth inning, umpire Ed Montague warned the teams.

Giambi said he was sure the Mariners weren’t trying to hit him on purpose.

Washburn said he gets along fine with the Oakland slugger.