Despite the heat, Safeco Field roof will stay open

Despite the expected boiling temperatures in Seattle today, the Safeco Field roof will be open for the Mariners' 1:40 p.m. game against Toronto.

The Mariners say they're not being sadistic. The decision was made with fan comfort in mind.

"We considered it and talked about it," said Mariners vice president Randy Adamack. "Quite honestly, when the roof is closed, it gets warmer in here. We made the considered decision to leave it open. It's meant to be an open-air park, and it will be open unless it rains."

The hottest temperature recorded for a game at Safeco Field was 93 degrees, when the Mariners played Boston in an afternoon game on July 23, 2006, with 45,975 in attendance. They've had five games with a game-time temperature of at least 90 degrees, all played with the roof open.

The temperature at game time Tuesday was 87.

A misting station will be in use under the left-field bleachers on the main concourse today to cool off fans. There also will be a cooling station at the Ellis Pavilion, inside the third-base entry on First Avenue South, just north of the home-plate gate. The cooling station will include chairs, water, ice and medical personnel.

Adamack added that the Mariners will attempt to accommodate fans who request seating in the shade if such seats are available.

"This is why we wanted outdoor baseball," he said.

Halladay still a Jay

The self-imposed deadline the Blue Jays set for any deal involving ace Roy Halladay arrived, with the familiar No. 32 still in the Blue Jays' clubhouse preparing for his next start today.

"You can believe he's here," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said.

The top pitcher known to be available as Friday's non-waiver trade deadline approaches continued with business as usual. He didn't speak to the media as part of his day-before-game ritual. He decided last weekend back in Toronto that he was done talking about that trade.

Notes

• General manager Jack Zduriencik will not accompany the team on its trip to Texas, which begins Thursday. He is likely to be at the Mariners' command center as trade talk heats up. The deadline for making deals without necessitating waivers is 1 p.m. PDT on Friday.

• 2B Jose Lopez and 1B Russ Branyan are still experiencing back stiffness and didn't start Tuesday night.

• The Mariners hope to activate 3B Adrian Beltre during the series in Kansas City Aug. 4-6. Manager Don Wakamatsu said Beltre looked "as good as I've seen him in a long time" during batting practice Monday.

• Wakamatsu took some swings in the cage and hit a couple of balls to the warning track. He batted .226 hitter in 31 major-league at-bats. "My days are long gone," he said. "It just reminds you hitting is a violent act. I think I pulled a hamstring and reinjured my wrist."

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com