Notebook | M's looking to swing early, often

Doing more on the first pitch of at-bats is one way the Mariners figure they can overcome some of their early season hitting woes.

The Mariners were among the league leaders in drawing walks the first couple of weeks of the season, with 66 in their first 17 games. But since embarking on a road trip to Anaheim a week ago, they had been held to just six walks in five contests going into Thursday.

One reason is that a slew of opposing pitchers have been attacking the strike zone aggressively and landing first-pitch strikes. Advance scouting being what it is, it's highly probable that trend will continue if opposing teams see the Mariners unwilling, or unable, to make them pay for throwing balls over the plate.

"I think the key is patience through aggression," said left fielder Raul Ibanez, who led the team with a .318 average and 18 runs batted in heading into Thursday. "I think at some point, if it's your pitch, you've got to put a good swing on it."

Ibanez added that the ability to hit some of those early pitches will dissuade pitchers from trying to jump ahead in the count so brazenly.

"I think sometimes, when you hit the ball hard early in the count, it forces them to be more fine," he said.

Seattle entered the day with six of nine regulars posting an on-base-plus-slugging percentage below .700 — generally considered the bare minimum a hitter needs. Only Ibanez, Adrian Beltre — who homered in the second inning Thursday — and Richie Sexson were above that number.

Three regulars, Brad Wilkerson, Kenji Johjima and Jose Vidro, had an OPS below .600.

Mariners manager John McLaren agreed his players can't simply stand at the plate with the bat on their shoulders trying to get ahead in the count.

"The one pitch you might get might be the first pitch," he said. "If you take that pitch and fall behind 0-1, it might be the best pitch you get."

McLaren said he doesn't care how his players get on base. He just needs more of them to start doing it — and soon.

"Bottom line is, I don't care who's pitching," he said. "We need to start picking it up."

Silva, Bedard update

Carlos Silva insists he won't be the latest Seattle pitcher to join the ranks of the walking wounded. Silva spent a half-hour riding an exercise bike prior Thursday and later proclaimed that he felt fine after tweaking his thigh during a pickoff attempt Wednesday.

"Nothing's going to put me out of my next start," Silva told reporters. "Nothing."

Silva had been attempting to go seven innings for the fifth time in five starts when he was pulled. He'd caught his leg in a groove next to the mound while attempting the sixth-inning pickoff.

The Mariners let him go out to start the seventh inning, but yanked him one batter in.

Erik Bedard (hip) remains on schedule to start his third game of the season on Saturday against Oakland. Bedard threw his second bullpen session since going on the disabled list and got through it without any problems.

"He'll start on Saturday," McLaren said.

Notes

• The Mariners have struggled attendance-wise this homestand — only 16,727 fans were on-hand Thursday — with cold weather likely playing a factor. But the team should see a a boost tonight with an Ichiro bobblehead giveaway to the first 25,000 fans to enter Safeco Field.

The Ichiro doll is the first of five such giveaways by the team this season, with J.J. Putz, Adrian Beltre, Felix Hernandez and Yuniesky Betancourt to be featured later.

One feature added to the dolls this year is that the backdrops will have Seattle landmarks. Ichiro's has a backdrop of the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center arches.

• Brad Wilkerson is still listed as day to day with a tight hamstring, though he did run in a pool as part of his recovery Thursday. Willie Bloomquist once again got the start in right field, notching a single to lead off a four-run third inning.

• Frank Thomas will be in town tonight, though not as part of a move by the Mariners to upgrade their designated-hitter spot. Thomas agreed to a deal Thursday with the Oakland Athletics, who will be on the hook for only $336,721 in salary — a prorated share of the veterans' minimum.

Thomas played for the A's in 2006, helping them to a division title and parlaying that into a two-year contract worth $18 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto released Thomas over the weekend.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com

For the record

Streak: L2

Home: 6-5

Road: 5-7

vs. AL West: 7-4

vs. L.A.: 3-3

vs. Oakland: 2-0

vs. Texas: 2-1

vs. AL East: 3-7

vs. AL Central: 1-1

vs. NL: 0-0

vs. LHP: 2-4

vs. RHP: 9-8

Day: 3-4

Night: 8-8

One-run: 1-6

Extra innings: 0-0

Home attendance

Thursday's crowd: 16,727

Season total: 272,652

Biggest crowd: 46,334 (March 31)

Smallest crowd: 16,727 (April 24)

Average (11 dates): 24,787

2007 average (11 dates): 27,215