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Seattle Mariners

Mariners notes: Hisashi Iwakuma reaches nine wins before All-Star break for first time

Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Wednesday, June 22, 2016. (Associated Press)
By Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Six weeks into the season, Hisashi Iwakuma had one victory through eight starts and it was easy to wonder whether the Dodgers knew something last winter when they backed away from a tentative free-agent deal.

Fast forward to Friday, when Iwakuma won for the eighth time in 10 starts as the Mariners held on for a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. He has nine victories prior to the All-Star break for the first time in his career.

“Staying consistent with my routine helped me a lot,” he said. “You can’t control the win or loss. All you can control is giving your team a chance to win. That’s all I’ve been trying to do.”

In some ways, his performance has been similar. Iwakuma has a 4.15 ERA through his 10-game run after posting a 4.38 mark prior to his surge. But he provided a major boost by pitching at least six innings in nine of his last 10 starts.

That sort of consistency offers a sharp contrast to other member of the Mariners’ rotation since a strained right calf muscle forced Felix Hernandez to the disabled list after a May 27 start against Minnesota.

In 40 games since Hernandez’s last start, the Mariners’ rotation produced only 19 starts of at least six innings: seven by Iwakuma; 12 by everyone else.

“He’s been huge for us,” manager Scott Servais said. “You look at it, you see it and you’re watching it and you think, ‘How is he doing it?’ But he pitches. He really pitches.

“If you look at any one of his four pitches in a vacuum, they’re probably average. But when you put them all together, with his deception and his ability to make pitches, it plays up.”

Iwakuma, 35, was a free agent after last season and, when the Mariners failed to guarantee a third year in a new deal, he looked elsewhere and eventually reached agreement with the Dodgers for $45 million over three years.

That deal fell apart after the Dodgers examined the results of Iwakuma’s medical examination. The decision baffled Iwakuma, who then reopened discussions with the Mariners – but with diminished negotiating leverage.

Iwakuma ultimately agreed to a deal that includes only one guaranteed year, for $12 million, but includes two vesting options, based on innings pitched, that can boost the three-year value to $44 million.

At this point, he needs to pitch another 47 2/3 innings over the rest of the season to guarantee a $14 million deal for 2017. Barring an injury or some other reversal, he should reach the threshold before the calendar hits September.

“Overall, my command has been better,” he said. “My stuff has been working a lot better as well. I’m able to make pitches, and I’m able to go with my style – making guys chase and making guys put the ball in play.”

Spokane against Hernandez

Felix Hernandez is scheduled to pitch for four innings on Sunday when he begins a minor-league rehabilitation assignment at Everett in a 4:05 p.m. Northwest League game against the Spokane Indians.

The AquaSox have already declared a sellout at 3,682-seat Everett Memorial Stadium.

Plans call for Hernandez to pitch on July 15 at Triple-A Tacoma before rejoining the big-league rotation for a July 20 start against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field.

Hernandez was 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 10 starts before a strained right calf muscle forced him to the disabled list after a May 27 start against Minnesota.

On the mend

Lefty reliever Charlie Furbush gave up two homers and three runs in two-thirds of an inning Friday when he began a rehab assignment at Everett in his ongoing recovery from tendinitis in his left shoulder biceps.

It was Furbush’s first game action since July 7, 2015.

  • Right-hander Taijuan Walker is scheduled to undergo an examination Sunday by Dr. Bob Anderson, a foot-and-ankle specialist, in Charlotte, N.C. Walker is battling tendinitis in his right foot.
  • Right-hander reliever Nick Vincent is tentatively scheduled to start a rehab assignment over the All-Star break in his recovery from a strained muscle in his middle back.Vincent hasn’t pitched since June 26 but, barring setbacks, could return to active duty shortly after the break.
  • Right-hander Ryan Cook, who hasn’t pitched this season, is scheduled to start his rehab assignment Sunday at Peoria in the Arizona Rookie League. He was diagnosed in spring training with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle.
  • Right-handed reliever Tony Zych is making slow progress in his recovery from tendinitis in his rotator cuff. Club officials now say Zych isn’t likely to return prior to September. He last pitched on May 1.

Odds on Cano

Second baseman Robinson Cano is the seeded favorite Monday night in his upcoming match-up against Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in the Home Run Derby – but he’s far from the betting favorite.

Stanton is a 13/4 favorite to win the tournament in odds posted by www.Bovada.lv, an online gaming service. Former Mariners first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo, now with Baltimore, is the second betting choice at 15/4.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, the brother of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, carries the longest odds at 9/1.

Trumbo is the top seed in the eight-player field for the showcase event, which takes place 5 p.m. at Petco Park in San Diego as part of the annual All-Star Week festivities. The All-Star Game is Tuesday.

Cano is a 7/1 pick to win a second Derby crown. He previously competed from 2011-13 as a member of the New York Yankees and won the 2011 title at Chase Field in Arizona.

But while Cano is the No. 4 seed in this year’s tournament, he is a 27/20 first-round underdog to fifth-seeded Stanton’s 4/7 odds. (Additionally, Cano is a plus-135 bet, while Stanton is a minus-175.)

The Cano/Stanton winner will face the Trumbo/Seager winner in the semifinals.

Other first-round match-ups: Cincinnati left fielder Adam Duvall vs. San Diego first baseman Wil Myers; and Chicago White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, the defending champion, vs. Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

Bovada’s odds for all players: Stanton 13/4, Trumbo 15/4, Myers 6/1, Frazier 6/1, Cano 7/1, Duvall 7/1, Gonzalez 15/2 and Seager 9/1.