Mariners pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith a surprise at the plate

TUCSON, Ariz. — Optimism was low among the Mariners watching Ryan Rowland-Smith step into the batter's box for the first time since he was of legal voting age.

After all, his teammates had watched the left-handed pitcher swing and miss at just about every 60 mph pitch sent his way by manager Don Wakamatsu during batting practice before Saturday's contest against the Colorado Rockies. They knew Rowland-Smith hadn't handled a bat in any game since playing for New South Wales in a national tournament in his native Australia nine years ago when he was 17.

Rowland-Smith could hear the snickers from his dugout as he stepped in against Rockies starter Jason Marquis. But the laughter stopped moments later when Rowland-Smith laced the first of two straight singles for him.

"When I went out there, some guys were sort of talking smack to me in here, so I was like, 'I've got to get a hit,' " Rowland-Smith said. "I was just trying to make contact."

That he did, ripping a single through the left side in the second inning and later scoring in bizarre fashion on an infield hit as the Mariners waltzed to a 10-5 win. Rowland-Smith later lined a much harder single into left off Marquis in the fourth inning.

"I would have bet my house he wouldn't have gotten a hit," Wakamatsu quipped afterward.

Rowland-Smith gave the Mariners something to ponder on the mound as well. He held the Rockies to a pair of runs on five hits over four innings, retiring six in a row at one point.

He also logged three strikeouts and didn't walk anyone.

Wakamatsu had expressed concern beforehand about the 70 walks issued by Seattle pitchers in the first 16 games this spring. Rowland-Smith has issued a less-dramatic three walks over nine innings and says the key is keeping things simple.

"If I'm getting behind in the count ... I just try to get a ground ball," he said. "And that's what I did in the first at-bat against [Todd] Helton. It was 3-1 and I just threw a two-seamer down in the zone, and he hit it to the second baseman."

Rowland-Smith remains a serious contender to land a spot in the starting rotation, with Brandon Morrow sidelined by a forearm strain.

Morrow threw 20 pitches from a shortened distance in front of a mound in Peoria, Ariz., on Saturday and left with a smile on his face afterward. Wakamatsu said he was pleased with Morrow's continued progress, but isn't sure he'll be ready to start the season.

"I think it's still going to be iffy," Wakamatsu said.

Erik Bedard also threw 30 pitches in a regular bullpen session and could get back into a game as soon as this week.

Rowland-Smith insists he isn't paying much attention to the improved odds he could be in the rotation. Nor was he apparently paying any attention to a second-inning grounder hit by Ronny Cedeno deep in the hole at shortstop as he took a lead off second base following his first hit of the day.

Rockies shortstop Clint Barnes made a high throw to first that Cedeno beat out. Rowland Smith never slowed as he rounded third base and headed for home.

An offline throw home by a startled-looking Helton enabled Rowland-Smith — who had been warned not to slide — to beat the tag and score standing up.

"I thought the ball was into left field," he said. "I thought it had gotten past the shortstop through the hole."

Rowland-Smith had borrowed a bat from catcher Jeff Clement, who had notched only four hits in his first 23 tries this spring. After the pitcher went 2 for 2, Clement was shaking his head.

"He might have taken all of them out of it," a grinning Clement said of any hits left in his bat. "Don't ever let anyone tell you hitting is difficult after a display like that."

Rowland-Smith joked about autographing the bat for Clement. He then attempted to explain how he had taken a changeup from Marquis in the second at-bat and was expecting the fastball thrown his way on the ensuing pitch.

Halfway through the explanation, he paused.

"I can't believe I'm standing here talking about hitting," he exclaimed.

The big question now is whether he'll be talking about pitching every fifth day come April.

Saturday's box score

Seattle						Colorado
	AB	R	H	BI			AB	R	H	BI
Gutierrez cf	3	0	0	0		Fowler cf	4	1	3	0
White p	0	0	0	0		Barmes 2b	3	0	0	1
J.Lugo p	0	0	0	0		C.Nelson 2b	1	1	0	0
M.Carp ph	0	1	0	0		Helton 1b	3	0	0	0
LaHair lf	1	0	0	0		Embree p	0	0	0	0
Cedeno ss	4	1	2	4		Podsednik rf	1	0	1	1
C.Triunfel ss	1	1	1	0		Murton lf	3	1	1	0
Clement c	3	0	1	0		Grilli p	0	0	0	0
A.Moore c	2	0	0	0		Bowers p	0	0	0	0
Balentien lf	4	0	1	0		S.Lindsay p	0	0	0	0
Wilson lf	1	1	0	0		M.Miller ph	1	0	0	1
Shelton 1b	4	2	3	1		Speier p	0	0	0	0
Tuiasospo 3b	5	1	4	4		Hawpe rf	2	0	0	0
Redman rf	5	1	1	1		Stewart lf	2	0	0	0
S.Kahn p	0	0	0	0		C.Colonel 3b	4	0	0	0
Munoz p	0	0	0	0		Fasano c	2	0	1	1
Stark p	0	0	0	0		Ortmeier 1b	2	1	1	0
Woodwrd 2b	3	0	0	0		Herrera ss	4	1	1	0
R.Corona 2b	2	0	1	0		Marquis p	0	0	0	0
Rwlnd-Smh p	2	2	2	0		Rusch p	0	0	0	0
Morse ph	0	0	0	0		Young ph	1	0	0	0
T.Gillies cf	2	0	1	0		Bellorin c	2	0	1	1
Totals	42	10	17	10		Totals	35	5	9	5

Seattle	030 200 230	—	10
Colorado	001 100 021	—	5

E — Tuiasosopo (2), Herrera (2).DP — Seattle 1, Colorado 2. LOB — Seattle 12, Colorado 6. 2B — Tuiasosopo (7), Podsednik (4), Murton (1), Fasano (1), Bellorin (2). HR — Cedeno (1), Tuiasosopo (2). SB — Fowler (3), Barmes (1). CS — Balentien (3). S — Marquis.

Mariners	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Rowland-Smith W, 1-0		4	5	2	2	0	3

	White		2	1	0	0	0	0

	J.Lugo		1	0	0	0	0	0

	S.Kahn		0	1	2	2	2	0

	Munoz		1	0	0	0	0	0

	Stark		1	2	1	1	0	1

Rockies	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Marquis L, 0-1		3 2/3	9	5	5	2	3

	Rusch		1 1/3	1	0	0	1	0

	Embree		1	1	0	0	0	0

	Grilli		1	3	2	2	0	0

	Bowers		1/3	1	3	3	2	1

	S.Lindsay		2/3	1	0	0	1	0

	Speier		1	1	0	0	1	2

S.Kahn pitched to 3 batters in the 8th. WP — Marquis, Bowers. A — 6,114.