OAKLAND — There were times this spring when it seemed unlikely that neither Marc Rzepczynski nor Nick Vincent could make an outing without allowing at least a run or two. Both were expected to fill key roles in the Mariners bullpen with Rzepczynski serving as the late-inning lefty specialist and Vincent as a middle-innings reliever, used against pockets of right-handed hitters.
But it didn’t matter who they were facing this spring, they were giving up hits and runs. Rzepczynski made 10 appearances, pitching 7 2/3 innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits with three homers.