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Geoff Baker covers the Mariners for The Seattle Times. He provides daily coverage of the team throughout spring training, and during the season.

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August 15, 2008 9:06 PM

Silva medal

Posted by Larry Stone

Not much good can be said about this game. Much of the talk afterward was about Carlos Silva's continuing struggles. He is now 0-5, 8.03 in his last eight starts (40.1 ip, 36 er, 61 hits, five homers, .351 opponents average). He is a sinkerball pitcher who is too often throwing the ball thigh high, as Jim Riggleman put it. I'm no Leo Mazzone, but that's not good.

Riggleman said that Silva will remain in the rotation for now. He said that he throws great bullpen sessions between starts, and before starts. Something just happens when he gets in the game. Again, I'll go out on a limb and say, not good.

What did Silva say about it all? Nothing. He declined to comment. He seemed to be upset about the way his outburst last week was portrayed, but I'm not quite sure what that's about. No question he's highly frustrated, and it might have been a smart thing to clam up.

Riggleman said that he argued Ichiro's non-catch mainly because Ichiro was so upset, and that rarely happens. He admitted that he had a bad angle from the dugout and was "arguing blind,'' in his words. The ejection was because "you argue a point enough, they're not going to continue to listen."

Beltre and Lopez were taken out to save their legs on the unforgiving Metrodome turf, nothing else. Beltre is apparently having some leg problems, and may DH Saturday or Sunday.

Liriano, BTW, was quite impressive -- not as overpowering, perhaps, as in 2006, but his changeup was outstanding. He's a huge weapon for the Twins to catch the White Sox. All they need is Jarrod Washburn, and the division is theirs.

See you tomorrow.

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