TORONTO — All signs point to Seattle Mariners long reliever Tom Wilhelmsen starting Thursday’s series finale against Toronto as a replacement for an ineffective Chris Young.
Wilhelmsen pitched one inning in Monday’s series opener, which effectively served as a bullpen workout. He started once earlier this season: July 10, when he pitched 22/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Twins.
The Blue Jays are also planning to empty their bullpen Thursday by starting lefty reliever Daniel Norris in place of suspended right-hander Marcus Stroman.
Manager Lloyd McClendon pulled Young from the rotation after he gave up seven runs, including four homers, in last Saturday’s 10-1 loss at Houston.
Young has allowed 19 runs (17 earned) over 181/3 innings in his last five starts.
Mound blues
The Mariners turned to Felix Hernandez on Tuesday to stem a full-scale breakdown in their pitching staff over the last three days.
The previous three games saw (in order) Young, Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton turn in their worst starts of the season by allowing a combined 20 runs over a combined eight innings in blowout losses.
The bullpen hasn’t been much better: 12 runs in 14 combined innings.
Add a season-ending injury Sept. 16 to rookie lefty Roenis Elias, who won’t throw for four-to-six weeks after being diagnosed with a strained flexor bundle in his elbow.
It’s been a bad stretch.
The Mariners, entering Tuesday, still led the American League in ERA at 3.18 and in bullpen ERA at 2.58, but their rotation had fallen to third at 3.49.
The league-leading numbers prior to the last three games: 3.04, 2.45 and 3.34.
Short hops
When Kyle Seager hit his 25th homer in Monday’s loss, he became the 15th player in club history to have 25 homers and 25 doubles in the same season. Seager has 27 doubles. The last Mariner to have a 25-double, 25-homer season was Jose Lopez in 2009 with 42 doubles and 25 homers. … Seager needs six RBI in his last six games to be the first Mariner to reach 100 since Raul Ibanez had 110 in 2008. … Toronto starter Mark Buehrle needs six innings Wednesday, in what figures to be his final start of the season, to reach 200 for the 14th straight year. At 12-10, he has already reached double-digit victories for the 14th straight year.
Looking back
It was 19 years ago Wednesday — Sept. 24, 1995 — that the Mariners continued their season-ending charge when Tino Martinez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning against Dennis Eckersley for a 9-8 walk-off victory over Oakland at the Kingdome.
Martinez’s homer enabled the Mariners to complete a three-game sweep over the A’s. It was part of a 17-5 closing kick by the Mariners that enabled them to tie the Angels for the American League West title.
The Mariners won their first division crown when Randy Johnson beat ex-Mariner Mark Langston in a one-game playoff.
On tap
The Mariners and Blue Jays continue their four-game series at 4:07 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday at the Rogers Centre.
Rookie right-hander Taijuan Walker (2-2 with a 3.00 ERA) will oppose Toronto left-hander Mark Buehrle (12-10, 3.53). Root Sports will televise the game.
The series concludes at 1:07 p.m. Pacific time Thursday. The Mariners then return home to close the regular season with three weekend games against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field.
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