Double-A check in: Diamond Jaxx beat Clayton Kerhsaw on way to 2-3 record

In preparation for tonight’s home opener at Pringles Park, the Mariners’ Double-A affiliate the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx look to improve on their 2-3 record.  One of their wins included a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers’ Jacksonville Suns affiliate and their top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw.  Against West Tenn, Kershaw pitched well enough to win, allowing two runs- one earned- while striking out four in three innings.  However, the four base runners allowed by Kershaw through two hits and two walks proved to be too much as  right hander Rich Dorman held the Suns to just one hit- and one unearned run- over six innings.

Hitting stars for the Jaxx so far in this young season include first baseman Thomas Hubbard- who has three of his four hits going for extra bases- and up-and-coming catching prospect Adam Moore who has a home run for one of his three hits.  Besides Dorman, starter Chris Jakubauskas also tossed five innings without allowing an unearned run, and striking out six while walking none.  Plus, for the Brandon Morrow watch, the 23 year old right hander has so far kept hitters against him scoreless as he seeks to work his way back to the big club, tossing 3/2 scoreless innings, although questions of control are raised as Morrow has allowed four walks.  Still, the six strikeouts he’s tallied to the two hits allowed showcase an overpowering presence by Morrow, making you feel sorry for any batters opposing him in the Southern League.

Tonight’s game kicks off a five-game series at home against the Huntsville Stars.  Go Jaxx!

Clutch two out base hit by…. Richie Sexson????

There is no denying that Richie Sexson’s 2007 season was perhaps the most putrid full-season by a Mariner batter.  Especially one signed to provide power as opposed to a no-hit, all-glove infielder.  And Richie’s numbers with runners on last year were infuriating, to say the least, as any Mariner fan who made himself hoarse by cursing Sexson’s name can attest to.  Richie’s numbers with runners on last year speak for themselves: a .187 average in 144 plate appearances with runners on, picking up 41 RBIs.  Numbers that are mirrored in situations with runners on and two outs: in 72 plate appearances, Richie hit .188 and knocked in 23 runs.

Richie’s 2007 season was so profoundly horrible, that it’s easy to forget the fact that Sexson hit .261 with 76 RBIs when runners were in scoring position a year before, and hit .264 with 35 RBIs with runners on and two outs.  Or the fact that he slugged five grand slams in 2006.  Luckily, the Tampa Bay Rays ignored that throughout his career Richie is a capable hitter with runners on, and his 14 grand slams to his name.  Twice in yesterday’s game, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon opted to walk Raul Ibanez to load the bases for Richie and Sexson obliged by taking a bases-loaded walk in the first at-bat, and dunking a soft line drive- not what we expect from one who can hit the ball a country mile, but so much preferable than a strikeout- for a two-run single that gave the M’s their final lead in the 6-5 victory, stopping their four-game skid.  With this single, Richie has now chalked up six RBIs in the ten at-bats he’s had with runners on so far this season, and gave the M’s their first one-run lead of the year.

Bedard pitched well enough to win, allowing five hits, four walks, and five runs- three earned- in six innings.  And you have to be impressed by the 1.2 scoreless innings tossed by Ryan Rowland-Smith for his first career save.  Nice to see a lefthanded reliever not getting lit up like a Christmas tree.  Toss in that dynamite block by Beltre, and a heads up play by Lopez who tagged an advanced on a pop-up to the Rays’ catcher- setting the stage for Raul’s second IBB- and it was a nice solid game by the M’s.  I was beginning to forget what those were like.

Today’s match-up pits two flyball pitchers against each other in Jarrod Washburn and Andy Sonnastine in what could be a hard-fought pitcher’s duel.  Washburn enters the game with an identical 10-3 record against the Rays that Bedard entered yesterday’s game with, a record that includes a 1.99 ERA at Tropicana Field and little trouble given him by any Rays batters, save a couple home runs hit by Carlos Pena.  Sonnastine, meanwhile, has won his only start against the M’s, allowing one run- a homer by Adrian Beltre- in seven innings.  This game is too close to find an edge, but the Rays just might pull this one out.