Sports

POSTED: Monday, Jul. 21, 2008

MARINERS NOTEBOOK: Is Rowland-Smith a better starter or reliever?

SEATTLE — A day after reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith was sent to Triple-A Tacoma to become a starter, the question remains: Is Row-land-Smith better as a starter or a reliever?

“I don’t’ know yet,” Mariners bullpen coach Norm Charlton said. “I still like him as a reliever. He’s versatile and fits in that spot well. He can come in (and) strike out a left-hander in the eighth, and the next day, go four innings.”

Those are things Rowland-Smith has done in relief this season. But he’s also been solid when called upon to start. In two starts, he allowed a total of four runs on nine hits in 8th innings. Those starts made a believer out of Charlton.

“At first, I didn’t used to think so,” Charlton said when asked if Rowland-Smith had starter stuff. “A couple years ago when he started with us, I saw him as a straight reliever. I didn’t believe he had the stuff to go through a lineup two or three times. He’s a better pitcher than that now. His fastball command has improved.”

FSN analyst and former major league pitcher Bill Kreuger didn’t hesitate when asked about Rowland-Smith.

“Definitely a starter,” Krueger said. “He just needs to develop that two-seam fastball to throw to right-handers.”

The man whose opinion matters most — pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre — had no straight answer.

“I really can’t tell you if it’s the best thing for him,” Stottlemyre. “Ten to 15 days from now, we’ll probably have a better idea.”

Indeed, Charlton said the true test of making Rowland-Smith a starter isn’t one start. It’s eight or nine, and facing the same team twice.

“You want to see them make adjustments and how he adjusts to their adjustments,” Charlton said.

Stottlemyre seemed to be past the point of being too critical. He’s just looking for consistency.

“One game (Rowland-Smith) started, he pitched five innings here,” Stottlemyre said. “To be honest with you, the way things have gone the last couple days, I’d gladly take five innings.”

‘It’s going to click’ for Yuni

It’s no secret Yuniesky Betancourt is a free-swinger, but the trend has become more pronounced during his recent slump. Betancourt has drawn just two walks since June 1 and has six for the season. Betancourt has swung at 53.3 percent of the pitches he’s seen this season.

After posting a .220 batting average in June, Betancourt is batting .222 in July. He went 0-for-4 Sunday against Cleveland and left four runners on base.

When dealing with his 28 year-old shortstop, Mariners manager Jim Riggleman has shown a lot more patience than Betancourt.

“The day is going to come when it’s going to click in to be a little more selective and it will be a statement in the league when he does because this guy has got some kind of hitting ability,” Riggleman said.

Betancourt has consistently made contact, striking out a league-best once every 16.9 at-bats.

Riggleman said the coaching staff has told him to be more patient and has stressed not giving away at-bats, but Riggleman said he’s convinced time will make the biggest difference.

Riggleman noted that when he was in Chicago, Sammy Sosa—though a different type of hitter than Betancourt—was a notorious free-swinger, and it took Sosa years to develop more plate discipline.

Sosa drew fewer than 50 walks in eight of his first nine major league seasons. It wasn’t until his 10th season that Sosa hit over .300 for the first time.

“A lot of hitters it takes some years, and all of a sudden, one year they go out there and they’re not swinging at bad pitches,” Riggle-man said.

Training room

Riggleman said reliever J.J. Putz told him before the game Monday that he felt really good after Sunday’s outing. Putz, who had a hy-perextended right elbow, came off disabled list Sunday after a five-week stint and pitched a perfect seventh inning against the Indians. … Starter Carlos Silva left Sunday’s game with back spasms after pitching three innings and giving up four runs. “I’m going as planned that we’ll pitch him his next start,” Riggleman said. “I think it was a little bit of a freak thing.” … Erik Bedard tossed the ball in the cage before Sunday’s game. Riggleman said the plan was to have him throw some more today.