Mariners starting pitcher Brandon Maurer extended his impressive spring showing, allowing six hits over five scoreless innings in a 16-0 rout of Cincinnati in Cactus League action Monday.
Selected by the Mariners in the 23rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft, the 22-year-old is making a strong case for making the starting rotation. He had seven strikeouts and a walk against a Reds lineup consisting of mostly starters. He lowered his spring ERA to 0.90 over 20 innings.
"We are trying to go all the way through. Part of my discipline is keeping my mind open to the very end," manager Eric Wedge said. "The very end is approaching quickly here. We'll see how the next couple days play out, but it's safe to say we are close to making a decision."