M's Notes: Chick can punch ticket in Texas

Finding good tickets for his buddies won't be a problem when Mariners pitching prospect Travis Chick heads with the team to his home state of Texas for a series with the Rangers next weekend. Chick grew up in Tyler, Texas, about a 90-minute drive from Ameriquest Field, where the Rangers play.

His girlfriend, Shelby, a business student at Tyler Junior College, has a friend who leases a private box at the ballpark.

"He told her that she could use it when we come there, so we're going to invite everyone to watch from in there," said Chick, who went 4-2 with a 3.19 earned-run average at Class AA San Antonio after being acquired from Cincinnati for Eddie Guardado in July. "I'm pretty sure he's going to let us use it for all three games, so hopefully we'll be able to fit them all in. There are going to be a lot of folks coming out."

Chick was one of eight minor-leaguers promoted by the team Friday. His parents have already flown to Seattle and are staying with him at his hotel "just in case I get to pitch in one of the games."

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said Saturday that one of either Chick, his Class AA teammate Ryan Feierabend, or Class AAA call-up Francisco Cruceta, will start in place of Felix Hernandez this week in Kansas City. Of the three, Cruceta seems the odd-on choice to take the mound, given that he's the closest to helping the major league squad next season.

Cruceta went 13-9 with a 4.43 ERA for Class AAA Tacoma and led the Pacific Coast League with 175 strikeouts in 154-1/3 innings.

Whether or not he makes any starts, Chick says he's thrilled to be here. A high level of trade interest in his arm means the Mariners are already Chick's fourth organization at age 22, following stints with Cincinnati, San Diego and Florida.

Chick jokes that he "always packs light" so the moves aren't a problem. He'll be on the move again when the team returns from its upcoming road swing since a major convention in the city is currently forcing him to stay at a hotel near Sea-Tac Airport.

"It will be nice to stay downtown after this," he said. "At least that way, I'll get to see some of the city."

No tee time for Broussard

Designated hitter Ben Broussard figures doing less work is actually making him more productive in his workplace. Broussard has decided a major reason it's taken him so long to adjust to his DH job is all the work he'd been doing between at-bats.

"One day I would try this — sprints, hitting off a tee," he said. "One day I'd try having somebody throw to me. Another day I'd try different things. And it just wasn't working for me."

Broussard doubled, singled and scored a run on Friday night in only his third multi-hit effort for the Mariners since his trade from Cleveland in late July. He entered Saturday night's game with five hits in his last 12 at-bats and feels his swing is finally coming around.

"I'm just trying to get back to doing what I used to do between at-bats," said Broussard, batting .220 with six homers and 13 runs batted in since joining the Mariners. "Before, I'd be in the field, so that would take my mind off things."

Now, he'll start moving around only once he gets six batters from his hitting spot in the lineup. He'll walk into the clubhouse video room to study footage of his at-bats, or the training room for some stretches. If he feels stiff, he may run a little bit.

But no more hitting off a tee.

"I'd get in there and start swinging and swinging and swinging," he said. "And then the next thing I know, I'm worrying about my swing instead of my next at-bat."

Note

• Third baseman Adrian Beltre won't rejoin the team until after the series with Texas wraps up today. Beltre is in Los Angeles, where his wife, Sandra, gave birth to a boy, Adrian Jr., on Friday. Hargrove said he spoke to Beltre by phone and that he'll fly back to Seattle tonight and be in uniform for the start of a series with Toronto on Monday.

How the runs scored

Rangers sixth: Lee infield single to third. DeRosa doubled to right, Lee scored. Blalock lined out to left fielder Ibanez. Kinsler lined out to right fielder Snelling. Barajas flied out to center fielder Ichiro. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Rangers 1, M's 0.

Mariners sixth: Bloomquist walked on a full count. Ichiro singled to left, Bloomquist to second. Snelling safe on a sacrifice plus pitcher Tejeda's throwing error. Bloomquist scored, Ichiro to third. Betancourt grounded into a double play, shortstop M.Young to second baseman Kinsler to first baseman Teixeira, Ichiro scored, Snelling out. Ibanez struck out. 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 left on. M's 2, Rangers 1.

Rangers ninth: Barajas struck out. N.Cruz struck out. Matthews Jr. homered to right on a full count. M.Young struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. M's 2, Rangers 2.

Mariners thirteenth: Hairston Jr. in as left fielder. Rheinecker pitching. Ibanez walked on a full count. Perez walked, Ibanez to second. Navarro pinch-hitting for Broussard. Rupe pitching. Navarro sacrificed, catcher Barajas to second baseman Kinsler, Ibanez to third, Perez to second. Johjima walked on a full count. Lopez singled to center, Ibanez scored, Perez to third, Johjima to second. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 left on. M's 3, Rangers 2.

Mariners statistics

For the record

W/L streak: W-4

At home: 40-31

On road: 28-42

vs. AL West: 14-33

vs. Angels: 9-10

vs. Oakland: 1-15

vs. Texas: 4-8

vs. AL East: 24-17

vs. AL Cen.: 16-19

vs. NL: 14-4

vs. LHP: 20-20

vs. RHP: 48-53

Day: 20-23

Night: 48-50

1-run: 18-22

Extra innings: 6-7

Home attendance

Saturday's crowd: 33,454

Overall attendance: 2,223,167

Season avg. (70 games): 31,760

Biggest crowd: 46,325

Smallest crowd: 16,102

2005 avg. (70 games): 34,638

Su

Texas

1:05 p.m., FSN

RH Felix Hernandez

(11-13)

vs.

RH Adam Eaton

(5-4)

M

Toronto

7:05 p.m., FSN

LH Jake Woods

(4-2)

vs.

RH Roy Halladay

(16-5)

T

Toronto

7:05 p.m., FSN

RH Gil Meche

(9-8)

vs.

LH Ted Lilly

(12-12)

W

Toronto

1:35 p.m., no TV

RH Cha Seung Baek (3-0)

vs.

RH A.J. Burnett

(7-6)

Th

@ Kansas City

5:10 p.m., Ch. 11

LH Jarrod Washburn (8-13)

vs.

LH Odalis Perez

(5-7)

F

@ Kansas City

5:10 p.m., FSN

RH Felix Hernandez

(11-13)

vs.

LH Mark Redman (9-8)

Sa

@ Kansas City

5:10 p.m., FSN

LH Jake Woods

(4-2)

vs.

RH Luke Hudson (7-5)