Michael Morse was rumored to be heading to at least a half-dozen teams this winter. The Seattle Mariners finally made the deal with the Washington Nationals and so far Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik is looking like a genius.
Morse broke a sixth-inning tie with his sixth home run of spring training, and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 6-5 Monday. Morse homered off starter A.J. Griffin for a 4-3 lead, and Dustin Ackley added an RBI single later in the inning against Ryan Cook. Ackley added another run-scoring single in the eighth off Pat Neshek.
“He’s had a real good spring for us,” said manager Eric Wedge. “He knows what he wants to do up there. He’s a smart hitter. He’s strong. He does a good job making adjustments. That’s why he’s in the middle of our lineup.”
Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, one of the candidates to become the Mariners’ No. 2 spot behind Felix Hernandez, gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, including Derek Norris‘ two-run homer.
Morse isn’t the only one on the team with a penchant for the long ball this spring. the Mariners lead the majors with 44 home runs this spring.
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