The Mariners went 5-2 last week as they outscored their opponents 50-28!  The Mariners pitching finally straightened out and the team really started swinging the bats.  The Mariners entered this week with a 24-22 record which had them in 2nd place in the American League West, 4.5 games behind the Angels.

The Mariners have placed lefty starter Horacio Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis.  In his 8 starts for the Mariners this season, Ramirez is 4-2 with a 6.47 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP.  In 40.1 innings this season, Ramirez has allowed 58 hits and 18 walks while only striking out 14 batters.  With the way Ramirez had been pitching the Mariners can afford to be patient with him.

21 year old righty swinging CF Adam Jones has been playing well in AAA ball for the Mariners.  In 42 games, Jones is 54 for 175 (.309 avg., .907 OPS) with 32 runs scored, 7 homers, 32 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  Jones is the #1 ranked prospect of the Mariners according to Baseball America and they will give him another chance soon as he struggled last season when they called him up.

George Sherrill has been outstanding as the lefty specialist late in games for the Mariners this season.  In 17 games, Sherrill is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP so far this season.  In 13 innings, he has only allowed 9 hits and walked 3 batters while whiffing 9.  The Mariners need Sherrill to pitch well all season to give their bullpen some balance.

The Mariners gave Miguel Batista more money than he could have gotten anywhere else and he’s proving to not be worth the investment so far this season.  In his first 8 starts, Batista is 3-4 with a 6.15 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP so far this season.  In 45.1 innings, he has allowed 60 hits, 6 homers, walked 14 batters and whiffed 26.  Look for Batista to pitch better than that, but he’s not worth the money the Mariners gave him.  Batista’s signing is just another reason why the Mariners should have a new GM for next season.