[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back, everybody, to this week's edition of The Wheelhouse. I'm coming to you here with Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, welcome back.

JD: Thanks Aaron, good to be here.

AG: Jerry, how were your travels last week?

JD: Oh, the minor league trip? Pretty good, thanks. Always good to see some future Mariners.

AG: I hope you got out of town before Everett lost 24-6 on Sunday?

JD: Yeah, I missed that one- I think my presence probably would have made that experience somehow even worse for everybody.

AG: Well, let's focus on the major league club for a bit. Not the best week for the Mariners, who won just two games and lost five.

JD: It was not a good week. And really, we weren't even competitive in three of the games, just getting down earlier and never getting back into it. A tough week for the rotation, with Mike Leake, Erasmo Ramirez, Marco Gonzales and even Felix all having a rough go of it.

AG: Erasmo hasn't made it past the second inning in two of his last three starts. Is his spot in the rotation in jeopardy?

JD: You know, we're always looking at getting our best five in there, and obviously we've got some good candidates for the fifth spot in Doug Fister, Andrew Moore, Casey Lawrence, or even John Gant, who we just picked up. For now we're good with Erasmo going every fifth day. He's struggled in the last few weeks, but when he's got all three pitches working, he's tough to beat.

AG: We saw a couple of Mariner pitching debuts this week in Gant and Richard Lovelady. How did they look to you?

JD: Richard had couple of key strikeouts against left-handed hitters, though then gave up a homer to Tommy Joseph. And Gant, we know it's too soon to put him into high-leverage situations, so we'll get some good innings out of him with his change-up.

AG: Despite all the losses, it was a good week on the base paths for the Mariners, with 11 steals and no one getting caught. But Dee Gordon with the knee injury- is it time to give up on the chase for 130?

JD: (laughs) I think so. That was a bit of a long shot, anyway. But you know, he's up to 90 steals on the season. We'll let him take it easy for another week or so, but he shouldn't have any trouble cracking the century mark.

AG: The game last Monday is worth looking back at. This was one where the M's took an early 5-0 lead, with Felix on the mound... What happened?

JD: Usually five runs with Felix on the mound is pretty much a lock cinch. In this case, Felix was out in the fourth inning, having given up six runs. We went to the big guys in the bullpen early, in James Pazos and Edwin Diaz, and I think it was the right call because the game was so close, but even they couldn't keep the runs off the board and there we were at 8-8 after 6.

AG: Juan Nicasio, Nick Rumbelow and Mark Rzepczynski then went the rest of the way and really gave the M's three good innings.

JD: Sure did- they were excellent. And Ryon Healy really saved our bacon with the home run in the top of the tenth.

AG: So let's take a question from one of our listeners here. This one is from Alan in Olympia, Washington, who asks what has been the best trade you've made in your career?

JD: You know, that's a tough one. I think in a few years, the Kevin Pillar trade might be the one. The other contender is getting Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte- that's one that has really helped both teams, and Taijuan and Ketel have played pretty well too. I think overall, though, getting James Pazos for a minor leaguer has been pretty darn good.

AG: Well, the lengthy road trip finally ends with a trip to Oakland this week, then back at home to Seattle against the Dodgers at the end of the week. What's the plan to get the M's back to their winning ways?

JD: Oh, nothing too complicated, I don't think. We just need our starters to keep us in the game a little longer, and the offense should do the rest.

AG: Sounds good, Jerry. Well, thanks as always...

JD: You're welcome, Aaron.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse!