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Seattle Mariners

Mariners notes: Seattle reliever Tony Zych earns first for being last

Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

OAKLAND, Calif. – It’s a little piece of history that belongs to Mariners reliever Tony Zych.

“It’s pretty cool,” Zych said. “Breaking a record is pretty cool. I really didn’t have to do much for that one.”

All Zych had to do was throw a pitch Friday when he made his major league debut in an 11-8 win over Oakland. Once he did, he claimed the final spot in baseball’s all-time alphabetical list.

Zych (pronounced Zick) displaced outfielder Dutch Zwilling, who held the distinction for the last 105 years. It’s not a new feeling. Zych, 25, is used to being last in line.

“Always,” he said. “I always knew right where my stuff was. Like in baseball, if we’re getting our plane tickets, I just reach to the bottom. I know where mine’s at.”

A former Mariner, reliever David Aardsma, holds the distinction of ranking first in baseball’s all-time alphabetical listing. The M’s also had the first player with a hyphenated last name in pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Two of the Mariners’ top right-handed bats, outfielders Nelson Cruz and Franklin Gutierrez, remain sidelined by injuries. Neither took part in batting practice prior to Saturday’s game in Oakland.

Cruz is nursing a strained right quadriceps muscle that occurred Wednesday in Houston as he ran the bases. Gutierrez left Friday’s game against the Athletics because of a strained right groin muscle.

Seager reaches 20-30 landmark

Kyle Seager collected his 30th double (and his 22nd homer) in Friday’s 11-8 victory over the A’s, which enabled him to reach the 20-30 club for the third straight year.