#62: Bonderman Returns To Safeco Spotlight

GAME: Yankees (35-25, 2nd, AL East, -1.5 GB) at Mariners (26-35, 4th, AL West, -11.0 GB3rd, AL West). GAME #: 62. SERIES: 2nd of 4 games. MEETING: 5th (series tied 2-2). WHEN: Friday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Yankees W 4. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

After not throwing a pitch at the major league level since Oct. 1, 2010, Jeremy Bonderman had a labored re-start to his career last week. The Kennewick native, who won 67 games for the Detroit Tigers between 2003-10, allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and lasted just 4.2 innings in a 10-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Not the way he or the Mariners hoped he would return.

But maybe Bonderman worked out some of the kinks. Friday, he makes his second start, this one against the New York Yankees, against whom he has historically faltered (3-9, 5.62 ERA), who extended Seattle’s misery to a second day Thursday with a Phil Hughes-led 6-1 victory.

Seattle’s tumble Thursday featured little of the drama that marked the 16-inning epic Wednesday. Robinson Cano smashed a three-run homer off Aaron Harang and Mark Teixeira followed with a solo shot as part of a six-run New York third inning as the Yankees cruised to an easy victory.

Harang never faced the Yankees in his 12-year career and probably won’t want to see them again after allowing six earned runs on eight hits.

Hughes did not allow a runner to third base until the sixth inning. Ironically, the last time Seattle saw Hughes, May 12, he didn’t make it out of the first inning.

The bright spot for Seattle was Blake Beavan, just called up from AAA Tacoma. After Harang made a mess of things for 2.1 innings, Beavan retired 14 consecutive batters after taking over for Harang, striking out four.

Bonderman opposes Hiroki Kuroda, who has a 2.59 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Kuroda won his only previous start at Safeco Field.

FRIDAY’S PROBABLES

MARINERS: RHP Jeremy Bonderman (0-1, 13.50 ERA, 2.14 WHIP)

The 30-year-old Bonderman, a Kennewick native and Pasco High grad in his ninth major league season and first with the Mariners, will make his second start and first against the Yankees. His “re-debut” didn’t got at all as he had hoped. The Twins knocked him around for 4.2 innings and he took an ugly loss, leading to speculation he wasn’t long for Seattle’s rotation. Manager Eric Wedge, though, elected to give him a second shot, which he’ll make Friday (Bonderman is already listed for a third start June 12).

• LAST START: June 2, at Minnesota, lost 10-0; 7 earned runs on 9 hits in 4.2 innings; 1 strikeout, 1 walk, 3 home runs, 87 pitches, 53 for strikes.

• LAST VS. YANKEES: Aug. 18, 2010, lost 9-5; 6 earned runs on 7 hits in 5.0 innings; 3 strikeouts, 3 walks, 3 home runs, 99 pitches, 53 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. YANKEES: 3-9, 5.62 ERA in 14 games, including 13 starts, covering 83.1 innings; 55 strikeouts, 36 walks, 14 home runs, 1.54 WHIP.

• AT SAFECO FIELD: 2-2, 3.98 ERA in 6 starts covering 40.2 innings; 29 strikeouts, 9 walks, 4 home runs, 1.37 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Lyle Overbay (1-for-16, .063), Kevin Youkilis (1-for-15, .067), Robinson Cano (6-for-27, .222).

• HATES TO FACE: Brett Gardner (3-for-6, .500), Ichiro (14-for-43, .326), Vernon Wells (7-for-22, .318).

• CURRENT YANKEES VS. BONDERMAN: 64-for-256, .250 BA, 50 strikeouts, 32 walks, 12 home runs, .340 on-base percentage.

YANKEES: RHP Hiroki Kuroda (6-4, 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP)

The 38-year-old Kuroda, an Osaka, Japan, native in his sixth major league season and second with the Yankees, will make his 13th start and first against the Mariners. Kuroda has two losses and a no-decision in his past three outings but has worked into the seventh inning seven times. He had his best game April 14 when he threw a 3-0, complete-game shutout at Baltimore. He had five strikeouts and no walks.

• LAST START: June 2 vs. Boston, lost 3-0; 3 earned runs on 8 hits in 5.1 innings; 5 strikeouts, 0 walks, 2 home runs, 110 pitches, 72 for strikes.

• LAST VS. MARINERS: Aug. 4, 2012, lost 1-0; 1 earned run on 7 hits in 6.1 innings; 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 0 home runs, 103 pitches, 63 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 2-2, 2.70 ERA in 4 starts covering 26.2 innings; 20 strikeouts, 5 walks, 2 home runs; 1.08 WHIP.

• AT SAFECO FIELD: 1-0, 1.29 ERA in 1 start covering 7.0 innings; 9 strikeouts, 0 walks, 1 home run; 0.57 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Kendrys Morales (0-for-5, .000), Raul Ibanez (1-for-11, .091), Jason Bay (2-for-14, .143).

• HATES TO FACE: Michael Morse (3-for-9, .333), Justin Smoak (2-for-6, .333).

• CURRENT MARINERS VS. KURODA: 17-for-101, .168 BA, 20 strikeouts, 5 walks, 5 home runs, .222 on-base percentage.

MARINERS STATS / NOTES

• CURRENT HOME STAND: Three vs. the White Sox (Monday-Wednesday), four vs. the Yankees (Thursday-Sunday), three vs. the Astros (Monday-Wednesday). The Mariners are amid 20 games in 20 days with their next day off June 13.
• After going 5-0-1 in a six-series stretch from April 25-May 16, the Mariners are 1-2-4 in their past seven.
• Blake Beavan enjoyed his longest outing of the season — 6.2 innings — and he faced the minimum 20 batters. He’s the first Seattle reliever to face the minimum since Rusty Meacham faced 16 June 25, 1996 against Toronto.
• Kendrys Morales, who went 1-for-4, extended his hitting streak to eight games.
• Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 10 games and is hitting .366 over the stretch.
• Michael Morse returned to Seattle’s lineup after missing seven games and struck out three times.
• Wednesday’s game lasted 5 hours, 42 minutes, making it the second-longest home contest in franchise history, trailing only the 5:44, 18-inning game vs. Baltimore Sept. 18, 2012.
• The Mariners have three grand slams, as many or more in any season from 2008-12. In 2007, the club had six.
• Hisashi Iwakuma, who pitched 8.0 strong innings Wednesday but came away with a no-decision, has 11 quality starts, most in the American League.
• Twenty-four of Seattle’s first 61 games were decided by two or fewer runs and featured eight extra-inning affairs, including the 16-inning game Wednesday.

UPCOMING PROBABLES