Montgomery having success that eluded him early in career
HOUSTON – Mike Montgomery’s first career victory Saturday came in his eighth professional season and after a winding road through three organizations for a pitcher once viewed as one of the game’s top prospects.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I spent a while in the minor leagues. Everything happens for a reason. There’s a lot of good baseball (in me). I’ve been through a lot and thrown a lot of innings. I found some different things.
“So I feel better off because of it.”
Montgomery, 25, limited Houston to one run in six innings Saturday and got the victory when the bullpen closed out an 8-1 victory. He pitched well in two previous starts but got a no-decision and a loss.
“I always believed in myself,” he said, “and I’m really grateful to Seattle for believing in me and giving me the opportunity. You just make the most of it. I believe in what I do.
“Now, it’s just a matter of going out there and proving it every fifth game.”
Montgomery is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA and is just the second pitcher in franchise history to work at least six innings in his first three career starts while allowing two or fewer runs.
The other was Bob Stoddard in 1981.
The Mariners acquired Montgomery from Tampa Bay in a March 31 trade for right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. Montgomery was sent to Triple-A Tacoma but got promoted June 2 due to an injury to James Paxton.
Montgomery was the 35th overall selection in the 2008 draft by Kansas City and was ranked by Baseball America among the game’s top 40 prospects from 2010-12.
Often, though, his development lagged behind his performance. He was 10-23 with a 5.69 ERA in 2011-12 at Double-A and Triple-A before the Royals included him in a December 2012 trade to Tampa Bay.
Montgomery was 17-13 with a 4.49 ERA in 2013-14 at Triple-A Durham and couldn’t crack the big league rotation. The Rays shifted him this spring to the bullpen but, after the trade, the Mariners returned him to starting.
At Tacoma, Montgomery was 4-3 with a 3.74 ERA in nine starts before getting his big league chance.
“I feel I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I developed different pitches and different arm angles. It’s just shaping your game to figure out what kind of pitcher you are. I think that’s important.
“When you understand it, you can just trust what you do.”
Farquhar sent down
The team optioned reliever Danny Farquhar to Tacoma after Sunday’s 13-0 loss to Houston and will fill the roster vacancy through a corresponding move prior to tonight’s game in San Francisco.
Manager Lloyd McClendon said “in all likelihood” the club will add a position player. The top promotion candidates are Tacoma outfielders James Jones and Franklin Gutierrez.
Jones, 26, is batting .264 in 48 games at Tacoma with a .338 on-base percentage and a .362 slugging percentage. But he’s been hot lately: .333/.446/.500 in his last 15 games.
Gutierrez, 32, is a nine-year veteran attempting a comeback after missing all of last season because of gastrointestinal issues. He is batting .331 in 41 games for the Rainiers with six homers and 25 RBIs.