Mariners
M's aim to clean up with Ibanez

By Bob Finnigan
Seattle Times staff reporter

	Raul Ibanez
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PEORIA, Ariz. — The top of the lineup Bob Melvin used yesterday for the first time this spring training could be seen a lot this season at Safeco Field.

As Seattle won its fifth consecutive Cactus League game, 7-4 against Colorado, the first five in the order were Ichiro, Randy Winn, Bret Boone, Raul Ibanez and Edgar Martinez.

Melvin called Ibanez in the offseason and told him he'd be in the four hole, but not to press for the extra power usually associated with cleanup hitters.

Melvin said Ibanez should stick to his forte, hitting line drives all over the park, "and not do anything different," Melvin said. "I told him, 'Just play your game.' "

Ibanez, a left-handed hitter, in the fourth spot splits up the right-handed bats of Boone and Martinez.

"Going lefty-righty makes the lineup more functional," said Melvin, who has been trying out a number of combinations.

"But using Ibanez fourth gives us four guys swifter than Edgar in front of him. It means our cleanup hitter will be fifth instead of fourth."

Rich Aurilia batted sixth yesterday. But the plan is for Aurilia to hit second against left-handed starting pitchers, with Winn deep in the order, possibly ninth to put some speed in front of Ichiro.

"I'm not set on what we'll do with Winn yet, it depends on the opposing pitcher," Melvin said. "And if Randy is not swinging well he has a tendency to be less patient."

That patience is needed in the two hole with Ichiro on base.
 
Beyond the fifth spot, Melvin has said he would like to have switch-hitting Scott Spiezio sixth, splitting up Martinez and John Olerud.

While this would break up the lefty-righty pattern, Melvin could pick it up again with Aurilia hitting eighth behind Olerud.

"It lines up as a pretty good order when you have two guys who have produced runs like Olerud and Aurilia hitting that far down," Melvin said.

Bob Finnigan: 206-464-8276 or bfinnigan@seattletimes.com.

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