Mariners Staying on an Even Keel

Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina has called this Seattle series “life or death,” and center fielder Jim Edmonds said the nine-game trip through Texas, Seattle and Colorado is “our season.” But there is no such urgency in the Mariner clubhouse.

“It’s too damn early to get worked up over one series, and there are too many other teams we can beat up on,” Seattle right fielder Jay Buhner said. “I don’t think the guys here are worried about anything.”

The Mariners are in Anaheim for a three-game series July 4-6, but after that the teams play only two more games, in Seattle on Sept. 23-24.

“That’s the bad thing about the balanced schedule and interleague play, that we’re playing this series in June,” Seattle second baseman Joey Cora said. “It’s a shame, because we should be battling it out in September.”

Cora said no Mariners see this as a make-or-break series.

“The Angels were in the driver’s seat in 1995, but we know it doesn’t matter what happens in April, May and June,” Cora said, referring to the Angels’ 11-game lead on Aug. 3, 1995. “Yes, these count as much as the ones in September, but there’s no way you can make them bigger. If you do you’ll be [emotionally] spent by September.”

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After watching Ken Griffey launch a series of batting-practice pitches into the Kingdome’s upper deck Friday, Angel pitcher Jason Dickson came into the dugout shaking his head in awe.

“That’s unbelievable, isn’t it?” Dickson said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Though Dickson is in the same league, it’s obvious there’s another level of players such as Griffey and Mariner ace Randy Johnson, who struck out 19 Tuesday night against Oakland, that is held in reverence even by fellow big leaguers.

“Those are special players, and that’s why there’s an All-Star game for them,” DiSarcina said. “The majority of players are not on a level of a Johnson or Griffey.

“There’s an appreciation for greatness, no matter what the field. It’s like a scientist having an appreciation for the guy who finds the cure for polio--it’s an appreciation for the best.”

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Angel Manager Terry Collins, in need of left-handed relief help, moved Matt Perisho to the bullpen Friday and said veteran right-hander Kevin Gross will start in Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. “The Rockies’ lineup is all right-handed except for Larry Walker,” Collins said. “And we need to protect [left-hander Mike] Holtz in the bullpen. He’s starting to run out of gas.” . . . The Angels probably will have only one left-hander in the lineup against Johnson on Sunday. “One of my left-handers told me he wouldn’t mind facing Randy,” Collins said. “Yeah, right.” . . . Catcher Todd Greene’s 24th homer Wednesday tied an Angel triple-A record, set by Joey Meyer in 1986.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TONIGHT’S GAME

ANGELS’ ALLEN WATSON (6-4, 5.62 ERA) vs. MARINERS’ DEREK LOWE

(2-2, 5.70 ERA)

The Kingdome, Seattle, 7 p.m.

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KTZN (710).

* Update--Collins held Darin Erstad, who has an elbow injury, out of Friday night’s game in hopes of starting him at first base tonight against Lowe, the Mariners’ rookie right-hander. Second baseman Luis Alicea also did not start Friday, and Collins said he would probably rest DiSarcina, whose back sometimes stiffens after playing several games on artificial turf, tonight. Watson had to leave his last start against Texas after six shutout innings because of tendinitis in his biceps, but he said the inflammation has subsided with medication, and he does not expect his shoulder to be a problem tonight. The Angels finally have gotten over the stomach virus that sidelined many players in the past two weeks, “but we just can’t beat the injury bug,” Collins said.