Nuts for Putz, but Please Repairo Pineiro

JJ Putz's two ninth-inning strikeouts of Barry Bonds (one Friday, looking at a splitter, one Sunday, swinging on a fastball) are the twin highlights of the Mariner season so far. Putz has been terrific this season--11 saves in 12 opportunities. Better yet, the numbers are there--he's struck out 46 this season, and walked only 6. That's Sasaki-esque.

And then there's Joel Pineiro. Pineiro's allowed five earned runs or more in five of his last seven starts. After a dismal outing in a key game at Oakland last week, the P-I speculated that Pineiro could lose his spot in the rotation. That didn't happen, but a bad start today at Los Angeles could compel the M's to send him to the bullpen, or down to Tacoma.

The last Mariners series at Dodger Stadium was in the happy days of 2001. The M's won two of three from the Dodgers, with the rubber match win going to Aaron Sele, who moved to 10-1.

Sele's now with L.A., a team that's been hit with injuries to their starting pitching. After today's game vs. Brad Penny (7-1), the M's will face two eminently beatable pitchers: Chad Billingsley (in his 2nd MLB start) and Brett Tomko (see "mediocre" in the dictionary).