Originally published June 7, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 16, 2007 at 9:08 PM
M's Notebook | Betancourt remains hot
Laying off those high fastballs pitchers love throwing him is one reason Yuniesky Betancourt has a major-league-best 18-game hitting streak...
Seattle Times staff reporter
Laying off those high fastballs pitchers love throwing him is one reason Yuniesky Betancourt has a major-league-best 18-game hitting streak.
The Mariners gave Betancourt a day off May 19, after a hitless, two-strikeout performance against San Diego the night before dropped his on-base percentage to .279. A chat with manager Mike Hargrove further emphasized the need for Betancourt to stop chasing balls that looked good but that he had no chance of making contact with.
Betancourt hasn't been held hitless since, going 25 for 68 (.375), with 10 runs batted in, 13 runs scored, a home run and seven doubles. He still gets tempted by the high heat, and insists it's a work in progress.
"I like to swing at them," he said after his second-inning single on Wednesday extended the second-longest streak ever by a Seattle shortstop. "Sometimes, it doesn't work out."
Hargrove says his No. 8 hitter has become a tougher out since taking a more disciplined approach. Betancourt's on-base percentage has climbed from .279 to .322, while his batting average has shot from .270 to .303.
Friday | @ San Diego, 7:05 p.m., FSN | M's RHP Miguel Batista (6-4, 5.43) vs. RHP Justin Germano (4-0, 1.74).
Saturday | @ San Diego, 7:05 p.m., FSN | M's Jeff Weaver (0-6, 14.32) vs. LHP David Wells (3-3, 4.79).
Sunday | @ San Diego, 1:05 p.m., Ch. 11 | M's RHP Felix Hernandez (3-3, 4.40) vs. RHP Chris Young (6-3, 2.19).
Monday | @ Cleveland, 4:05 p.m., FSN | M's RHP Cha Seung Baek (3-2, 4.93) vs. RHP Paul Byrd (6-2, 3.80).
Tuesday | @ Chicago, 5:05 p.m., Ch. 11 | M's LHP Jarrod Washburn (5-5, 3.94) vs. LHP Rich Hill (4-4, 2,89).
"He's really been better since we had the first talk about it — or, our latest talk about it," Hargrove said. "We've been talking to him for 2 ½ years about it. He's getting better about it. Old habits are hard to break."
Betancourt insists he isn't consciously telling himself not to swing at high pitches every time he goes up there.
"You always try to avoid swinging at bad pitches," he said. "But you don't really let that get into your head, otherwise it's going to affect you negatively."
The team record for shortstops is a 20-game hitting streak by Alex Rodriguez in 1996.
Reitsma struggles
It was a grind for Chris Reitsma in the ninth inning, as he allowed three runs and threw 34 pitches in his first outing since coming off the disabled list. Reitsma yielded three doubles and a single in the inning and would have been replaced by Sean Green had he not retired the final batter he faced on a ground out.
Reitsma and Felix Hernandez have both struggled upon returning from the DL without first going out on a minor-league rehabilitation stint.
One hurler not being rushed back to the field any time soon is starter Horacio Ramirez, who threw for 12 minutes on flat ground Wednesday from a distance of about 90 feet. It was the second day of such throwing for Ramirez, who will stay behind in Seattle during the team's upcoming road trip and won't come off the DL until at least after that.
For now, he said, his sore shoulder just isn't ready.
"Not now, no," said Ramirez, eligible to come off the DL on Saturday. "It's just the fact that I haven't even thrown off a mound yet. It's a process you go through where you trust your shoulder and not have to think about it."
Huber hurting
Mariners relief pitcher Jon Huber left Wednesday's game in the eighth inning with tightness in his right forearm. Huber had a similar injury in 2003, tried to pitch through it, and wound up missing the rest of the season.
"It felt the same, so I didn't want to keep pushing it," he said, adding that the injury shouldn't be too serious. "It's better to shut it down for a few days than a few months."
Notes
• That Adrian Beltre thumb injury is turning out to be worse than expected as he missed his fourth straight game. The Mariners hope that Beltre can start in San Diego on Friday.
• Mariners backup catcher Jamie Burke had a single in the second inning and has hit safely in 10 of the 12 games he has appeared in this season. Burke is 11 for 32 (.343).
For the record
| W-L | PCT | |||
| 30-26 | .536 |
Streak: L4
Home: 17-13
Road: 13-13
vs. AL West: 12-10
vs. L.A.: 2-7
vs. Oakland: 4-1
vs. Texas: 6-2
vs. AL East: 9-7
vs. AL Central: 8-7
vs. NL: 1-2
vs. LHP: 11-3
vs. RHP: 19-23
Day: 9-9
Night: 21-17
One-run: 6-7
Extra innings: 0-0
Home attendance
Wednesday's crowd: 29,010
Season total: 877,457
Biggest crowd: 46,181 (May 13)
Smallest crowd: 16,555 (May 2)
Average (29 dates): 29,249
2006 average (29 dates): 26,310
NFL, union resume labor talks at mediator's office
UPDATE - 08:52 AM
Hundreds attend funeral for fallen Mich. player
UPDATE - 09:40 AM
Norway's Tarjei Boe wins men's biathlon at worlds
Crying is OK, but admitting it is apparently not
NEW - 08:46 AM
Tripoli ruled unsafe for international soccer
![]()

Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Electronics
just listed
American Bulldog pups NKC
Martin Logan speakers
Pug puppies ready for good homes
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
- Lakewood cop accused of embezzling $150K meant for slain officers' families
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Agency set to investigate handling of 911 call about Josh Powell
- Quick decisions: How Washington hired its new football staff
- Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looms
- Justin Wilcox's versatile defensive style is the right fit for Huskies | Jerry Brewer
- It's Terrence Time: Enigmatic Ross leads Huskies
- Social worker recounts minutes before Powell fire
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- Club promoter convicted in brutal 2010 murder of Des Moines prostitute
- Gay-marriage bill passes House, awaits Gregoire's signature
459 - Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looming
352 - Wanted in Seattle classrooms: more teachers of color
247 - 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
239 - Source: NY, California to sign mortgage settlement
231 - Oregon live game thread
155 - Pac-12 picks ... including the UW game
140 - Council members get briefing on arena proposal, minus details
106 - Worker: Josh Powell told son he had 'surprise'
96 - AP Source: Obama to change birth control rule
93
- State Medicaid program to stop paying for unneeded ER visits
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Wanted in Seattle classrooms: more teachers of color
- One man's audacious pursuit of sailing history
- Darren Berg gets 18-year sentence for Ponzi scheme
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- Economy, blogs give survivalists new reason to look to Northwest
- 'Gauguin and Polynesia': dazzling mix-and-match | Art review
- State's share of mortgage settlement: $648 million
- A wandering gene's destructive path | Book review
