MINNEAPOLIS _ Yovani Gallardo isn't just pitching to get wins for himself and the Mariners. He's also pitching for his spot on the team.
It may seem impossible to believe that Seattle's starting rotation is getting healthy enough that decision-makers could think about removing an experienced pitcher from its 40-man roster. But with Felix Hernandez expected to return to the rotation sometime on the upcoming homestand and Hisashi Iwakuma possibly returning soon after, the Mariners will reach a point where they ask themselves do they move forward with Gallardo, who hasn't been as productive as hoped, or stay with Christian Bergman or Sam Gaviglio in the rotation until Drew Smyly's return.
Gallardo's performance in Monday's 14-3 rout of the Minnesota Twins gave the Mariners an optimistic glimpse of what could be if he stays. Given enough run support for two games, he had one of his better outings in over a month, pitching six innings and allowing three runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
With the win, Seattle improved to 32-33.
Obviously, one start isn't enough to make that decision. In his previous six starts, Gallardo posted a 1-3 record with an 8.31 ERA while opponents hit .303 with an .947 on-base plus slugging percentage. The team went 2-6 in those outings and Gallardo pitched into the sixth inning in three of them.
Manager Scott Servais has made one request to his plethora of starting pitchers this season: Just try to make it through five innings and keep the Mariners in the game. That hasn't been simple for Gallardo. He's allowed three or less runs in only seven of his 13 starts.
While most people point to money as the reason why Gallardo would remain _ he is owed $11 million this season with the Orioles paying for $3 million of it _ the bigger issue is taking an experienced big-leaguer off the roster. Are the Mariners in a position to do that? Do they trust the health of Hernandez and Iwakuma once they return or that of Smyly when he might return in mid July? Do they believe the success of Bergman and Gaviglio will continue? Fans would've dropped Gallardo a month ago, but the decision isn't simple.
Still, it's not a coincidence that Hernandez's return after a third rehab start would put him on the same starting day as Gallardo.
If Gallardo can harness what he had for much of his start against the Twins, it will make the decision easier.
Initially, it looked like it might be another sub-par outing for Gallardo. Handed a 2-0 lead on Nelson Cruz's two-run single in the top of the first, Gallardo gave both runs back three batters into his start. A leadoff double from Brian Dozier, a walk of Robbie Grossman, a wild pitch and a slicing double from Joe Mauer to left-center knotted the game at 2.
But instead of letting the inning implode, Gallardo found a little rhythm and command and retired the next three batters in order.
From there, Gallardo worked scoreless frames from the second through the fifth innings, working around a couple of base runners. In the sixth inning, he gave up a two-out, broken-bat, shift-beating double to left field to Max Kepler and a RBI single to Kennys Vargas, which was inches from being caught by Robinson Cano. But he ended the inning and his outing with a strikeout of Jason Castro.
Of course, an avalanche of run support made it easier. After being shut out Sunday, the Mariners banged out 19 hits, including two doubles and two homers on the night, punished Twins starter Adalberto Mejia for nine runs on nine hits in the first four innings.
After the Twins tied the score, Seattle answered with four runs in the top of the second, highlighted by Mitch Haniger's bases-loaded, two-run double to right center.
Every player in the starting lineup had a hit, while Haniger had four hits, four runs and two RBIs and Mike Zunino had three hits, including his fifth homer of the season _ a towering moonshot to center _ which followed Danny Valencia's solo homer in the eighth inning.
Nelson Cruz appeared to have homered in his seventh straight game at Target Field. His towering blast to right-center was initially ruled a three-run homer. But a replay reviewed changed it to a double. He had to settle with only four runs batted in on the night.
