Snell’s pace sets tone for M’s defeat
Angels win in a walk; Fister out
SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners cruised through the first three days of June feeling great about their pitching. Three straight dominant outings, all victories, will do that.
And then Friday happened.
It began with Doug Fister, the scheduled starter in today’s game, scratched because of right shoulder fatigue.
And it ended with struggling right-hander Ian Snell and three relievers pitching as much to preserve the bullpen as anything else in Friday night’s series opener against the L.A. Angels.
The Angels won 7-1, and afterward manager Don Wakamatsu and Snell didn’t exactly agree on their assessment of the game.
“With 69 pitches through three innings, I thought Snell was being a little bit fine out there,” Wakamatsu said. “It sets the tone for the game. The walks are something that are always going to come back to haunt you. Two of the first three scored.”
Snell’s response may not endear himself with the skipper.
“I have no comment on what he says,” Snell said. “He can say whatever he wants because he’s the manager, but I am going to leave it at that. I have pretty much nothing else to say about my tempo. Whatever. I am working on it, trying my best. That’s all I can do. I am not superman.”
Not in this game.
Snell gave up two runs in the second inning and two in the third, flirting with being blown out of the game before the fourth inning.
Then he retired eight straight hitters and lasted one out into the sixth inning before needing relief.
That allowed Wakamatsu to ease the workload on his bullpen and save most of his relievers for today, when chances are good they’ll see plenty of work again.
Ryan Rowland-Smith, who lost his place in the rotation last month after eight poor starts, is Fister’s replacement today and may not throw much more than 75 pitches, Wakamatsu said.
The Angels scored in the second inning on Hideki Matsui’s two-run homer and needled their way to two more runs in the third on a bunt single, a sacrifice, a walk, Torii Hunter’s sacrifice fly and Matsui’s hard one-hopper off first baseman Matt Tuiasosopo.