SEATTLE — The next step, reliever Danny Farquhar believes, is to try thinking less.
“A little more free and easy, I think, is my next approach,” he said. “Just kind of let it go. Don’t worry about anything.”
That’s one of baseball’s oldest axioms: “Stop thinking. You’re hurting the ballclub.” But Farquhar’s ongoing struggles are a growing concern for the Seattle Mariners.
His last two outings have been the lowest of low-leverage situations: A five-run lead Saturday against Oakland, and a seven-run lead Tuesday against San Diego.
Each time, Farquhar created a mess that required other relievers to intervene to prevent a safe lead from slipping away.
“I’m a little concerned about it,” manager Lloyd McClendon said, “and we’ve got to get it straightened out. He’s such an important piece for us because he’s so versatile. He can pitch in a lot of different situations.
“Something’s not right there.”
Farquhar, 28, was a reliable member of last year’s bullpen — the de facto backup closer to Fernando Rodney, in fact — while compiling a 2.66 ERA in 66 appearances. Only five times did he permit more than one run to score.
This year, he has a 5.63 ERA in 15 outings and has already matched last season in permitting multiple runs on five occasions.
“I just think he’s trying to be too good with everything,” catcher Mike Zunino said. “He doesn’t need to put the cutter on the black every time. I think if he trusts it over the outer third (of the plate), he’ll be good.”
The Mariners have already shown a willingness to demote struggling relievers; Yoervis Medina and Dominic Leone, who also performed well a year ago, are currently toiling at Triple-A Tacoma.
Lefty Tyler Olson was also sent to the Rainiers before a knee injury surfaced that forced the Mariners to rescind the option and place him on the disabled list.
Medina is eligible Thursday for a recall, but it would be a stretch to say he’s fixed his command issues after working just three innings for Tacoma over two appearances.
Nor is there anyone else in the Rainiers’ bullpen currently making a serious push for promotion. Lefty Lucas Luetge gave up a three-run homer Tuesday in a 4-3 loss to Salt Lake.
So Farquhar is likely to get a while longer to straighten himself out at the big-league level. The key, he believes, is reestablishing his cut fastball as a reliable weapon.
“The last couple of years,” he said, “I could locate my cutter in and out, up and down. Do whatever I want with it. Right now, it’s not pinpoint. I think that’s definitely the starting point.
“That’s my bread-and-butter pitch. I think everything works off of that. Once I get that going, I think I’ll be rolling.”
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