PEORIA, Ariz. — Richie Sexson swore he wasn't sweating his 0-for-18 start to the Cactus League season — but he did ask for the ball when he finally got his first knock of the year in the first inning on Monday.
Sexson didn't get the ball after his line-drive single to right, but at least he got an end to the razzing that his teammates had been good-naturedly subjecting him to during his slump.
And, later in the Mariners' 6-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics, Sexson also got his first home run of the spring, which like the single, was to the opposite field.
"The worst part is the guys giving me so much flak for not having a hit yet," Sexson said. "We're having fun with it. That's what spring training is for."
It's also for working out the kinks in your stroke, which is an annual challenge for the 6-foot-8 Sexson.
"Being a taller guy, I have a tendency to have a lot more holes than other people, a lot more things I have to tinker with to get my swing right," he said. "This is nothing new."
In 2005, his first spring with the Mariners, Sexson endured an 0-for-17 slump early in camp, then hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats on opening day.
"By the time the last week rolls around, you want to be feeling good," he said.
In the meantime, Sexson is working on tuning out all the people wondering where the hits are.
"I'm not worrying about what people think," he said. "I've always been guilty of that, but I'm trying to get away from that. I'm trying to get rid of all the negative thoughts."
Can M's overcome A's 2006 dominance?
Don't think the Mariners didn't notice their opponent Monday was the A's, who made life miserable for Seattle last season.
After winning their first game against Oakland, the M's dropped the next 15 and finished 2-17 against the eventual AL West champions.
Asked if this game, the first of just two in the spring against Oakland, was significant, manager Mike Hargrove replied, "Yes and no. It is spring training, but if you can get your bluff in early, that's good."
Felix shines again
The game had several pleasing aspects for the Mariners beyond Sexson's hitting.
Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez was outstanding, blanking the A's on three hits over four innings. M's starters now have a 2.91 earned-run average this spring, including a 1.08 mark for the projected starting five over the past eight games (three earned runs in 25 innings).
Hernandez said "everything was working pretty good" and felt he could have gone another inning.
"Four's enough. Next start, five," he said.
Hargrove said it wasn't one of Hernandez's better outings.
"That's the beauty of having the kind of stuff Felix has. He can get away with not commanding your pitches real well, but still pitch real effectively, and that's certainly what we saw with him today. He was better his last time out."
Ryan Feierabend was also impressive, giving up just an unearned run in three innings. But Hargrove reiterated that the left-hander's chances of making the team are "real slim." He is projected for Tacoma's rotation.
Chris Reitsma worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save after the Mariners scored an unearned run in the eighth for the lead. The A's had tied it with four runs in the eighth off struggling left-hander George Sherrill, who gave up two homers, including a three-run shot by lefty Erubiel Durazo.
Sherrill has given up nine hits and six runs in three spring innings.
"George was just up with everything," Hargrove said. "That's just George. He's got to get the adrenalin not flowing nearly as hard and learn to control it better. He'll be OK."
Notes
• The most encouraging injury news came in the morning when closer J.J. Putz, whose tight right elbow has kept him out of games since March 5, played catch from 90 feet and felt good.
It was his second straight day of playing catch without pain, and Putz said he's "not at all" worried about being ready for opening day.
"I don't think it's going to be a problem," he said.
Putz will play long toss today and probably throw a bullpen session on Thursday.
Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com
Monday's box score
|
| Oakland |
|
Seattle |
|
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
|
|
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
| Kendall c |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ichiro cf |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| JBrown c |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
AJones cf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Bradley cf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Beltre 3b |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Thomas pr-cf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tuiasosopo 3b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Piazza dh |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Vidro dh |
4 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| Barton ph-dh |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Sexson 1b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Chavez 3b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
LaHair 1b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Murphy 3b |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Guillen rf |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| DJohnson 1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Morse ph-rf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Durazo 1b |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Johjima c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Buck rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Burke c |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Bocachica lf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Garciaparra pr |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Furmaniak ss |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
RRivera c |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Melillo 2b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Reed lf |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Torcato pr-lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balentien ph-lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Betancourt ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dawkins ss |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bloomquist 2b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Navarro pr-2b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
34 |
5 |
9 |
5 |
|
Totals |
34 |
6 |
11 |
5 |
|
|
| Oakland |
000 001 040 |
— |
5 |
| Seattle |
220 010 01x |
— |
6 |
|
E — Furmaniak, Betancourt. DP — Oakland 2, Seattle 2. LOB — Oakland 4, Seattle 7. 2B — Piazza, Guillen. HR — JBrown, Durazo, Sexson.
|
|
| Athletics |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
|
Kennedy |
|
3 2/3 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
| Mariners |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
|
Hernandez |
|
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
HBP — by Hernandez (Bradley). T — 2:25. A.
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