M's Notebook | Jones' defense helps M's break through

SURPRISE, Ariz. — There was a time last fall when Adam Jones could never have made the run-saving grab he did in Tuesday's sixth inning. The leap and snare at the center field wall perhaps, but never the part about racing back to be in the proper position in the first place.

That takes work. And work is exactly what Jones and Mariners first base coach Mike Goff spent several off-season workouts doing out here in the blazing sun.

Goff and Jones both live in this area. They would meet at a practice field and the coach would drill the outfield prospect on the fine art of racing to the wall without looking back.

"He was hitting balls over my head," Jones said after his catch of Hank Blalock's blast with two on helped keep the Mariners ahead in what became an eventual 10-3 rout over the Texas Rangers, "and I was just taking my eye off it, running to a spot and then picking it back up."

Jones wasn't the only player contributing to Seattle's first Cactus League win after five consecutive losses and an additional defeat in a charity game. Nor did his play seem all that important once the Mariners scored six in the ninth to blow open a one-run game.

But the play did save at least two runs and came less than a week after his blown play — on a pop-up that dropped between three fielders — cost Seattle a defeat against San Diego. Mariners manager Mike Hargrove was pleased at the work turned in by Jones, who remains the team's most-hyped prospect — mainly because of his bat, depsite one hit in eight at-bats so far.

Jones did draw two walks on Tuesday and scored a run.

"Adam made a couple of good plays going back on the ball," Hargrove said. "When we called him up in July or August, he couldn't go back on the ball. His game had not developed to that point. And we worked real hard when he was here. Mike Goff did a good job, as you can see by the way he played today."

Confidence boost for Ramirez

It was only two seasons ago that Horacio Ramirez yielded 31 home runs while pitching for the Atlanta Braves. That's not the type of statistic a ground ball pitcher likes to have on his résumé, and Ramirez was the first to realize something had to change.

"You make adjustments," Ramirez said. "I still have the same pitches I had then. It's just about executing the pitch."

Ramirez showed on Tuesday how a successful outing for him is supposed to look. He notched six ground ball outs over three scoreless innings of work, surviving some early control issues and not allowing any hits.

"When my game's on, I'm getting ground balls off the end of bats, breaking a few bats," he said.

After issuing a leadoff walk in the first inning, Ramirez made a sharp play racing off the mound to his right for a Frank Catalanotto roller in the grass. Ramirez picked it up, slipped a bit on the grass, but still fired a strike to first for the out.

Ramirez also retired slugger Sammy Sosa, who had been 2-for-4 against Ramirez lifetime including a home run. Ramirez fanned him on a 2-2 pitch.

Notes

• The Mariners plan to use second baseman Jose Lopez in Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Lopez hasn't played since spraining his ankle in a winter ball game in Venezuela back in January.

Seattle's all-star from last season will have a vastly different look. He's shaved his head bald, something his girlfriend and young baby back home have yet to see.

"She knows about it because I told her on the phone," he said with a laugh. "But she hasn't seen me yet. She probably won't recognize me."

• Hargrove doesn't care about Cactus League results, but said he was relieved to get the first win of the spring out of the way "so you all can stop asking me about it."

• Seattle's first cut of the spring is pitcher Jaime Cerda, a 28-year-old southpaw who had been a non-roster invitee to camp. Cerda previously spent time with the Mets and Royals, appearing in 132 major league games over two-plus seasons.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com

Tuesday's box score

Seattle						Texas
	AB	R	H	BI			AB	R	H	BI
Ichiro cf	3	0	0	0		Lofton cf	2	0	0	0
Jones cf	0	1	0	0		Byrd cf	2	0	1	1
Reed lf	3	0	0	0		Catalanotto lf	3	0	0	0
Balentien lf	2	1	0	0		Donovan lf	2	0	2	0
Bloomquist 3b	3	0	0	0		MYoung ss	3	0	1	0
Morse 3b	1	1	0	1		Kata ss	2	0	0	0
Sexson dh	2	0	0	0		Sosa dh	3	0	1	0
Torcato ph-dh	2	2	2	3		Arias ph-dh	1	0	0	0
Broussard rf	2	1	1	1		Blalock 3b	3	0	0	0
MWilson rf	2	0	0	0		Meyer 3b	1	0	1	0
LaHair 1b	3	2	1	1		Cruz rf	3	0	0	0
Burke c	3	0	2	2		Diaz rf	1	0	0	0
Grciaprra pr-2b	1	1	1	0		Sandberg 1b	3	1	1	0
Navarro 2b	2	0	1	1		Laird c	1	1	0	0
RRivera c	1	0	1	0		Richardson c	1	0	0	0
ROrdonez ss	2	0	0	0		RVazquez 2b	3	1	1	2
Dawkins ss	2	1	0	0		Relaford 2b	1	0	0	0
HRamirez p	0	0	0	0		Wright p	0	0	0	0
Mateo p	0	0	0	0		Otsuka p	0	0	0	0
Rhodes p	0	0	0	0		Volquez p	0	0	0	0
O'Flaherty p	0	0	0	0		Diamond p	0	0	0	0
Huber p	0	0	0	0		Eyre p	0	0	0	0
Lehr p	0	0	0	0		CWilson p	0	0	0	0
						Rowe p	0	0	0	0
Totals	34	10	9	9		Totals	35	3	8	3

Seattle	020 001 106	--	10
Texas	000 000 300	--	3

E — Morse, Vazquez, Meyer. DP — Seattle 1, Texas 1. LOB — Seattle 8, Texas 9. 2B — Broussard, Torcato. 3B — RVazquez. S — Diaz. S — ROrdonez.

Mariners	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Ramirez, W	3	0	0	0	2	1
Mateo	1	0	0	0	0	1
Rhodes	1	2	0	0	0	1
O'Flaherty	1	2	0	0	0	1
Huber	1	4	3	3	1	1
Lehr, S	2	2	0	0	0	1
Texas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Wright, L	2	1	2	0	1	1
Otsuka	1	0	0	0	0	1
Volquez	2	0	0	0	2	0
Diamond	1	3	2	2	2	1
Eyre	2	1	0	0	1	2
Wilson	1/3	1	5	4	3	0
Rowe	2/3	3	1	1	0	1

HBP — by RRivera (by Rowe). T — 3:04. A — 3,908.