Piniella pleased with current Seattle roster

RICH MYHRE, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published July 30

SEATTLE -- The Major League's trade deadline is Tuesday, which means the Mariners could still make a significant deal.

General manager Pat Gillick has said he would like to add a top starting pitcher and/or an everyday left fielder to boost Seattle's chances in the postseason.

The dilemma, of course, is whether to upset the team's already harmonious mix. Asked if he would be happy taking this exact team into the upcoming playoffs, Piniella nodded.

"And that's been relayed to Pat," he said.

"What we need to do is stay healthy. What I've said all along is that we don't need the superstar type of player. What we need is just to protect the depth a little bit, just in case we have an injury here or there. ... As long as we stay healthy, we're fine."

- GOOD GETS BETTER: How good can pitcher Freddy Garcia be? Among the Seattle Mariners, no one seems to know.

"The sky's the limit for this guy," said Bret Boone after Garcia beat Minnesota 10-2 on Sunday.

The win raised Garcia's season record to 12-3.

"It's one thing to have great stuff, it's another to put it all together. But he does that. Down the road, it's possible this guy is possibly a Cy Young (winner)," Boone said.

"He's been in charge of a lot of ballgames," said catcher Dan Wilson. "He gets out there and throws strikes, and he gets a lot of quick-pitch innings because (hitters) are swinging the bats. All that's the formula for some domination, and he's done that."

- CONTROVERSIAL CALL: Garcia may have had a shutout Sunday, save for a controversial call by first base umpire Larry Young. With one out in the four inning, Minnesota's Doug Mientkiewicz lashed a drive down the right field line.

The drive appeared to land just outside the foul line, but Young signaled the ball had landed fair.

Mientkiewicz ended up at second base and eventually scored the first of two Twins runs in the inning. Was it a fair or foul ball?

At the time it seemed significant, as Minnesota went on to tie the score 2-2. It soon became moot, though, as Seattle broke the game open on its way to a one-sided win.

- GUILLEN UPDATE: Seattle was without shortstop Carlos Guillen for the third straight game (he played just a half-inning in Friday's game).

Guillen came to the stadium Sunday, but was still suffering from a respiratory infection and the staff sent him home.

Guillen is being treated with antibiotics and could be able to travel to play on Tuesday in Detroit.

- PACKED HOUSE: Sunday's game was watched by a Safeco Field crowd of 45,780. It was the 22nd consecutive sellout for the Mariners and the 32nd overall this season.

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