Mariners

Daily coverage of the Mariners during the season and all year long.

Mariners pitching prospect Taijuan Walker catches Lou Marson looking at a 95 mph called third strike in a 1-2-3 third inning.

12:58 p.m.: The Mariners just scored three times to take a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning after opening with three straight hits. Kendrys Morales notched his second single of the day, then Raul Ibanez doubled to right-center to put runners on second and third. Michael Saunders then singled to right field to bring one run home. Ibanez fell down rounding third base and had to retreat to the bag. He wound up scoring in any event moments later as Ronny Paulino grounded into a double play.

Carlos Peguero then hit his second homer of the day, swatting a 1-2 pitch well over the right field fence and on to the roof of a structure that hangs over the bleachers.

Taijuan Walker pitched a 1-2-3 third inning, getting a pair of groundouts sandwhiched around a strikeout of Lou Marson.

12:37 p.m.: Carlos Peguero just showed off the reason why the Mariners keep giving him chances, driving the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center for asolo homer that gives Seattle a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.

Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Danny Hultzen strikes out Jason Giambi in the first inning.

Mariners prospect Danny Hultzen struggled with his command a bit in the first inning, but escaped a bases loaded jam with a strikeout of Ben Francisco. The second inning was all business by Hultzen, mowing down the side 1-2-3 with a soft lineout and two more strikeouts, giving him four on the day over two scoreless innings. He was able to get his curveball over at times, so that’s a good sign of progress at this point in the spring. And when he could do that, it made his fastball almost unhittable.

One of the highlights for him had to be facing Jason Giambi, who is in Indians camp trying to make the squad as a DH. Hultzen would have been 10 years old when Giambi won the AL MVP award back in 2000.

11:57 a.m.: Mariners prospect Danny Hultzen looked real good his first time out last weekend. Today, he gets his first Cactus League start here in Goodyear, Ariz, against the Cleveland Indians. The back of the rotation is shaping up to be a real good battle here in camp and Hultzen certainly factors into the mix if he can keep throwing the explosive-looking stuff he did his first time out.

Bottom line: Hultzen faltered in Class AAA last season. So, if he’s to convince the Mariners he can skip that AAA level, hehas to take his game up another notch these next few weeks.