#57: Bonderman Gets Shot Vs. Twins Sunday

GAME: Mariners (24-32, 4th, AL West, -10.5 GB) at Twins (24-29, 4th, AL Central, -5.5 GB). GAME #: 57. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Sunday, 11:10 a.m., Target Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Twins W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Due to a spate of physical ills and surgeries, Kennewick native Jeremy Bonderman has not thrown a pitch in the major leagues since Oct. 1, 2010. But the long-time Detroit Tiger (2003-10), signed by Seattle to a minor league contract last winter, will get his chance Sunday when the walked-off on Mariners close out a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at the Target Center.

Hard to tell how long Bonderman will stick. He is replacing Brandon Maurer in Seattle’s rotation for this start. The Mariners shipped Maurer to Tacoma last week so he could sort out his problems.

Bonderman graduated from Pasco High School and was the 26th pick in the first round of the 2001 amateur draft by the Oakland Athletics. He made his major league debut April 2, 2003 for Detroit after the Tigers acquired him in a trade.

Bonderman had his best year in 2006, when he made an American League-high 34 starts and went 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA. He reached double figures in wins four consecutive years (2004-07), but has pitched in just 50 games since 2008. In his last year in the majors, 2010, he went 8-10, 5.53.

Bonderman opposes struggling lefty Scott Diamond as the Mariners attempt to recover from another walk-off loss Saturday, when they became just the second team in 20 years to yield a walk-off triple to a catcher (Ryan Doumit). Diamond has two losses and two no-decisions in his past four starts. A closer look:

SUNDAY’S PROBABLES

MARINERS: Jeremy Bonderman (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP)

The 30-year-old Bonderman, in his ninth major league season and first with Seattle, will make his first start since 2010. Bonderman has not pitched since then due to Tommy John surgery and complications from thoracic outlet syndrome. In his last season, with Detroit, he went 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA in 171.0 innings. The Mariners signed Bonderman to a minor league contract in spring training and he has spent all season with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers, for whom he went 2-4 with a 4.52 ERA in 11 starts.

• LAST START: Oct. 1, 2010, pitching for Detroit, lost at Baltimore 10-6; 9 earned runs on 6 hits in 4.1 innings; 1 strikeout, 4 walks, 67 pitches, 36 for strikes.

• LAST VS. TWINS: Sept. 25, 2010, took a no-decision in Detroit’s 11-10 victory; 7 earned runs on 9 hits in 4.0 innings; 2 strikeouts, 2 walks, 3 home runs, 86 pitches, 56 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. TWINS: 5-6, 5.75 ERA in 19 games, including 17 starts, covering 103.1 innings; 78 strikeouts, 31 walks, 13 home runs, 1.62 WHIP.

• AT TARGET FIELD: 1-0, 6.75 ERA in 1 start covering 5.1 innings; 0 strikeouts, 3 walks, 1 home run, 2.25 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Josh Willingham (0-for-3, .000), Jamey Carroll (0-for-1, .000), Justin Morneau (7-for-29, .241).

• HATES TO FACE: Ryan Doumit (1-for-3, .333), Joe Mauer (8-for-37, .296).

• CURRENT TWINS VS. BONDERMAN: 16-for-78, .254 BA, 14 strikeouts, 13 walks, 2 home runs, .372 on-base percentage.

TWINS: LHP Scott Diamond (3-4, 5.22 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)

The 26-year-old Diamond, an Ontario native in his third major league season, all with the Twins, will make his 10th start and first against the Mariners. Diamond has pitched into the seventh inning just twice and has two no-decisions and two losses in his last four starts. He pitched his best game May 7 at Boston when he defeated the Red Sox 6-1 by scattering three hits over 7.0 innings.

• LAST START: May 28 at Milwaukee, took a no-decision in Minnesota’s 5-2 victory; 4 earned runs on 8 hits in 4.2 innings; 2 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 89 pitches, 51 for strikes.

• LAST VS. MARINERS: Aug. 28, 2012, lost 5-2; 5 earned runs on 7 hits in 7.0 innings; 2 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 home run, 96 pitches, 73 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 0-1, 4.61 ERA in 2 starts covering 13.2 innings; 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 home runs, 1.24 WHIP.

• AT TARGET FIELD: 6-12, 4.31 ERA in 21 starts covering 133.2 innings; 63 strikeouts, 25 walks, 18 home runs, 1.35 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Current Mariners have a .341 batting average against Diamond.

• HATES TO FACE: Brendan Ryan (5-for-6, .833), Justin Smoak (1-for-3, .333), Kyle Seager (2-for-7, .286).

• CURRENT MARINERS VS. DIAMOND: 15-for-44, .341 BA, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 home runs, .356 on-base percentage.

MARINERS STATS / NOTES

• CURRENT ROAD TRIP: Two at San Diego (Wednesday-Thursday) and three at Minnesota (Friday-Sunday). The Mariners are amid 20 games in 20 days with their next day off June 13.
• Closer Tom Wilhelmsen has blown three of his last four save opportunities.
• Jason Bay’s two-homer game Saturday was his first since the 2011 season.
• Jesus Montero will miss 4-6 weeks following surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. The surgery will be next week. The Mariners optioned Montero to AAA Tacoma May 22. In seven games for the Rainiers, Montero hit .250 with three doubles, 1 triple and 2 RBIs. Montero hit .208 in 29 games for the Mariners before they shipped him out.
• Manager Eric Wedge said Saturday that he’s confident Justin Smoak will be able to return to the lineup Sunday. Smoak has missed seven games since straining an oblique muscle.
• Michael Morse, nursing a strained quadriceps, probably won’t return until the Mariners return to Safeco Field, starting Monday. Morse has missed three games.
• Kendrys Morales finished May with a .343 batting average, five home runs and 23 RBIs. He had 16 extra-base hits, most in a month by a Mariner since Jose Lopez had 16 in August, 2009 .

UPCOMING PROBABLES