Mariners hope Gonzales goes long against Orioles (Aug 16, 2017)
SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners might be ready to unleash Marco Gonzales.
The left-hander, acquired in a July 21 trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league outfielder Tyler O'Neill, one of the Mariners' top prospects, has yet to finish five innings in either of his first two starts for Seattle.
Gonzales (0-0, 8.49 ERA overall) is scheduled to take the mound Wednesday afternoon against Baltimore right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (5-7, 6.25 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series at Safeco Field.
"I'm definitely looking forward to (pitching deeper in games)," said Gonzales, the Cardinals' first-round draft pick in 2013 out of Gonzaga. "I know I can be a guy who goes seven or eight innings.
"But I understand the situation and where we're at (in the American League wild-card race)."
In his first start Aug. 6 in Kansas City, Gonzales was staked to a 7-0 lead through two innings. He allowed two runs in the third, and the Royals scored three more in the fifth, knocking Gonzales from the game. The Mariners ended up winning 8-7.
On Friday against the Los Angeles Angels, the score was tied at 1-1 with one out in the fifth when Gonzales was pulled before facing the top of the batting order for the third time. The Mariners lost that one 6-5.
"The first time I had some nerves, just trying to get my bearings," Gonzales said. "The second time I was calmer and had a clear plan of what I wanted to do."
Said Mariners manager Scott Servais: "He left the game on a positive note last time. He felt he had plenty left in the tank."
Servais said he would have no qualms about letting Gonzales pitch five-plus innings Wednesday.
"If he's throwing good, he has the weapons to get out of trouble," Servais said. "I'm pretty confident in letting him go."
Jimenez, meanwhile, has pitched much better of late.
He got a no-decision in his last outing, striking out a season-high 11 in 5 1/3 innings against the Oakland A's on Friday. He beat the Detroit Tigers in his previous start, allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings.
Over his past four starts, Jimenez is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 24 innings.
"He's commanding the fastball well," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "When you can locate the fastball on both sides of the plate, (batters) have to cheat in or cheat away, making them more susceptible to the breaking stuff. A lot of guys can't locate, that's why they end up in the bullpen."
The Mariners snapped a season-high five-game losing streak Tuesday as Andrew Albers, making his 2017 debut, allowed one run in five innings. Seattle won 3-1 to even the series, getting four perfect innings from its bullpen.
Gonzales will be making his first career appearance against the Orioles.
"The pitcher always had the advantage with the unknown," Showalter said. "Guys like (Albers and Gonzales) give you the most trouble because they come at you from a different perspective."
Jimenez is 2-3 with a 5.85 ERA in seven career starts against the Mariners.
