Mariners 7, Rangers 3: Hisashi Iwakuma sharp in spring debut
The Mariners will take this version of Hisashi Iwakuma, spread over several more innings, for his projected April 5 start against Texas in the second game of the regular season.
Iwakuma breezed through a pair of one-two-three innings Sunday afternoon while facing the Rangers’ regular lineup in a 7-3 Seattle victory. He got four groundouts, one pop-up and a flyout while throwing 17 of 23 pitches for strikes.
“First game in a long time,” Iwakuma said. “I wanted to get back in the groove and get a feel for every pitch. I felt I was able to command every pitch on each corner.
“So, overall, I think I passed the test.”
The Mariners struck first after ex-Ranger Leonys Martin drew a one-out walk in the first inning, stole second with two outs and went to third on an errant throw by catcher Chris Gimenez.
Seth Smith produced the run with a double to center.
The Mariners (3-2) added two more runs in the second inning after Luis Sardinas, another former Ranger, led off with a single and stole second.
After Sardinas went to third on a Chris Taylor sacrifice, the Rangers shortened their infield. Shawn O’Malley took advantage by lining a sharp grounder off the glove of second baseman Rougned Odor for an RBI single.
O’Malley stole second and scored on Nori Aoki’s ground single through shortstop Elvis Andrus for a 3-0 lead.
Texas (3-1-1) got one run back in the fifth against Justin De Fratus when Adrian Beltre led off with a double, and pinch runner Drew Robinson came around on two groundouts.
Both clubs scored twice in the sixth. First, the Mariners took a 5-1 lead on RBI singles by Taylor and Martin before the Rangers answered with two runs against Casey Coleman.
The Mariners closed the scoring with single runs in the eighth and ninth inning. The run in the eighth came on an RBI triple by Tim Lopes, a one-day promotion from minor-league camp.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Third baseman Ed Lucas charged a slow chopper in the seventh inning by Hanser Alberto, made a clean pickup and a strong throw to first for an out.
PLUS: Reliever Joaquin Benoit made his spring debut by pitching around a one-out single in a scoreless third inning. … Steve Cishek followed Benoit by pitching a scoreless fourth. He gave up a leadoff single to Delino DeShields, but picked him off first. … Utilityman Sardinas, who has played in all five games, started at shortstop and went 2 for 3. He is 7 for 12 overall.
MINUS: Reliever Coleman struggled again. After giving up three runs (albeit unearned) in one inning last week against the Padres, he yielded two runs in the sixth to the Rangers. He then worked around a two-out single in the seventh. Coleman is in camp as a nonroster invite and figures to open the season at Triple-A Tacoma. … Lefty reliever Paul Fry started the eighth with a minus — walking two batters — but escaped undamaged.
STAT PACK: Seth Smith started the spring with five consecutive hits before grounding out to third base in the third inning. Smith singled in his next at-bat and is 6 for 7. … The Mariners were 6 for 6 in stolen-base attempts and 7 for 14 with runners in scoring position. … The Mariners ended a two-game skid.
QUOTABLE: The Mariners and Rangers play six times in the regular season’s first 10 days, which is why Texas shuttled lefty Martin Perez to a “B” game on a back field.
Mariners manager Scott Servais had no such concerns regarding Iwakuma.
“The Rangers have seen Kuma before,” Servais said. “And you do not pitch those guys the same way in spring training as you do during the regular season.
“You’re working on your stuff, getting a feel for your fastball command and breaking pitchers versus how you’re setting up guys during the course of the season.”
SHORT HOPS: Stefen Romero played the final three innings in right field — two days after suffering a bone bruise to his right knee on a grounder to first. Servais said Romero soon will be back at first base. Romero had an RBI single in the ninth. … Center fielder Martin turned 28 on Sunday. … Utilityman O’Malley, who started at second base, had two hits in three at-bats and is 4 for 9 overall.
UP NEXT: The Mariners start the second cycle through their rotation at 12:10 p.m. Pacific time Monday when lefty James Paxton starts against Arizona at Peoria Stadium.
Paxton is slotted for three innings or 45-50 pitches. Donn Roach and Mayckol Guaipe also are scheduled to pitch.
The Diamondbacks plan to start right-hander Rubby De La Rosa.
Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners
This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Mariners 7, Rangers 3: Hisashi Iwakuma sharp in spring debut."