Vieira opens eyes with triple-digit fastball

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Flame-throwing rookie Thyago Vieira made his Cactus League debut for the Mariners on Wednesday and threw a scoreless fifth inning in Seattle's 7-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
The 24-year-old from Brazil, who is one of the Mariners' top prospects, has opened eyes in camp with a 100-plus mph fastball, and he was touching triple digits in his first appearance, during which he allowed one single with one strikeout in notching the victory. Vieira pitched at High-A Bakersfield last year and is expected to open at Double-A Arkansas this season.
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"You could see the type of arm he has and the presence he has on the mound," manager Scott Servais said. "He's a scary dude to step in against, there's no doubt. To his credit, he actually got the breaking ball over for a strikeout, and it was nice to get that first inning under his belt."
Mariners closer Edwin Díaz, a similarly hard-throwing right-hander who jumped from Double-A to the Majors last season, also made his first appearance and gave up a single with one strikeout in a scoreless fourth.

"Very good, very crisp," Servais said. "He got right after it. He threw three or four changeups, which is something he wanted to work on this spring, and that looked very good as well. We don't want him to forget about what got him here, and that's the bread-and-butter, the fastball and slider. But it's great that he's working on some things."
Worth noting
• Outfielder Guillermo Heredia came off the bench with double in the seventh inning in a 1-for-2 day and is now 6-for-11 with four doubles and a triple this spring. The 26-year-old also made an outstanding catch in center field as he continues making his early case for a backup roster spot.
• Robinson Canó went 1-for-2 with a single and is hitting .286 (2-for-7) in four games, but he also drew his fifth walk to put his on-base percentage at a healthy .583.

• When reliever Evan Scribner allowed a home run to Michael Martinez in the third inning, it was the first time he'd allowed a run for the Mariners. Scribner missed all last spring with a strained lat muscle, then threw 14 scoreless innings as a September callup after getting healthy.
• Infielder Mike Freeman was scratched from Wednesday's game and replaced by Tyler Smith. Freeman was later designated for assignment after the Mariners acquired Minor League right-hander Chase De Jong from the Dodgers for Minor League infielder Drew Jackson and right-hander Aneurys Zabala.
• Left fielder Boog Powell went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with a perfect drag bunt down the first-base line in the sixth. Powell isn't eligible to play in the regular season until an 80-game suspension is completed in early April, but he's producing well early in camp and is 4-for-5 with two runs scored.