DAN WILSON ARTICLES PG. 32
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Wilson swinging hot bat for M's

SEATTLE -- The batting average Mariners catcher Dan Wilson is toting three weeks into his ninth MLB season looks a little strange even to him. He never has looked up and seen a .422 behind his name this late in April. "I don't remember starting this hot before," the veteran catcher said Sunday afternoon. "I'm getting good pitches to hit." And he is hitting them. Wilson went into the series finale against the Texas Rangers with a .405 average and boosted it 17 points by going 2-for-3 in the Mariners' battery-powered 5-3 victory before 45,448 at SAFECO Field. The second straight sellout crowd watched Wilson hit his first home run of the season -- a go-ahead solo blast in the second inning -- and four Seattle pitchers hold off the Rangers.
They also saw ex-Mariner favorite son Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs and a double -- booing him all the way and throwing back the home run balls. The fans did cheer the error A-Rod made in the eighth inning. Starter Freddy Garcia (2-2) worked the first six innings to get the win. Relievers Arthur Rhodes and Joel Pineiro each escaped tough jams before closer Kazuhiro Sasaki made it five-for-six in save opportunities this season with a perfect ninth inning.
Afterwards, Wilson -- who is 19-for-45 -- talked about his own good start and another conquest of a division competitor. "It is nice that the hits are coming in games we are winning," Wilson said. "It's early in the year and it feels good right now." So far, manager Lou Piniella has been able to keep his team rested. Keeping Wilson healthy and strong ranks high on Piniella's priority list. "Danny is swinging the bat well and I want to keep it that way," he said. "We need to get (Ben) Davis' oblique muscle better so we can give Danny some rest from time to time. It helps him when I can rest him."
Since becoming the Mariners' first-string catcher in 1994, Wilson has carried the load. Having the switch-hitting Davis around provides the best backup the team has had in many seasons. But Davis, who is batting .304 (7-for-23), aggravated the oblique muscle while taking a swing in Oakland and might need a few more days before he can bat left-handed again. Davis had one at-bat in Saturday night's game, batting right-handed against Rangers right-handed reliever Rudy Seanez -- the first time in his career Davis batted that way against a right-hander. "It doesn't hurt as bad as it did when I first injured it," Davis said Sunday, "but I want to make sure it's okay before I bat (left-handed)." Wilson doesn't mind an occasional day off. "I'm not getting any younger," said the 33-year-old Wilson. But he also is getting smarter and his mental savvy had a lot to do with his first home run of the season. "I got deep into the count, had seen a lot of pitches and thought (Rangers pitcher Doug Davis) would come inside with a fastball," said Wilson, recalling his second-inning at-bat. "It was up in the zone a little bit and over the plate more than he wanted and it was a pitch I was able to drive. It felt good. I haven't driven a ball like that in quite awhile and it felt good to break out and get that first (home run) under my belt."
The solid offensive work by Wilson, shortstop Carlos Guillen (batting .350) and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (.325), has enabled the Mariners to withstand slow starts by third baseman Jeff Cirillo (.235) and second baseman Bret Boone (.220). "The best thing about this (fast start) is getting hits when the team is winning," Wilson said. "You don't want to be swinging a hot bat when the team is losing because it doesn't feel real good. "I think the pitching staff has been incredible to start the season." The Mariners recovered from Friday night's 9-0 blowout loss to the Rangers extremely well -- winning the final two games of the three-game series. "(James) Baldwin gave us a good effort Saturday night and today Garcia did a good job," Piniella said. "At the same time, our bullpen is starting to pitch the way we fully expected leaving Spring Training." Rhodes inherited a two-on, none-out jam in the seventh inning and proceeded to strike out the next three batters. "I was not trying to strike everyone out, it just happened," Rhodes said. " When I came in, I wanted to get ground out or popup. Then, after the first (strikeout), I wanted a double play." Ichiro contributed two triples to the Mariners' 15th victory and scored two runs. Now you know why Rangers manager Jerry Narron walked Ichiro intentionally with runners on first and second base in the 11th inning Saturday night.

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