SEATTLE -- Scott Servais has been the manager of the Mariners long enough to experience only a handful of games at Safeco Field. So, fittingly, he was asked for his first impressions of the ballpark.
"They haven't been very fun, have they?" Servais said prior to Wednesday's series finale against the Rangers. Seattle had lost all five of its home games heading into the matinee, marking the first time the team had lost its first five in a regular season at home in club history.
"The pitcher's mound is 60 feet, six inches, the batter's box is in the same spot, and we've got to do better in the batter's box. That doesn't change."
Safeco brought in its outfield fences prior to the 2013 season. Before that, the stadium had a solid reputation as a pitcher's park. Servais didn't want to weigh in with any concrete opinion on the park just yet, but he did have some observations through the first five games.
"I thought our center fielder [Leonys Martin] made some outstanding plays in the outfield," Servais said. "We talked about what Leonys was going to bring to our club and how valuable it is in this ballpark, and he did a nice job last night [on] some balls that maybe in prior years may have fallen in, and he ran them down.
"So being athletic in the outfield -- you saw what their right fielder [Nomar Mazara] did to us last night [robbing two hitters of extra bases with highlight-reel catches]. It is an important part or aspect, when you're playing in this park, to be able to run the ball down, because it does have a tendency to hang up there for a little longer for whatever reason.
"It does play a little bit differently than Texas or some of these other places, but I think we're equipped, and our roster's built to handle it just fine."

Servais reiterated that the stadium is what he expected, and the team just needs to play better.
"It did feel like yesterday, a little bit, at least during pregame, that with the roof on, the ball may have carried a little bit better than when it's not on," Servais said. "But it's a great ballpark. It really is. It's got a lot of personality, and the amenities, the clubhouses, everything else … it doesn't really get a whole lot better."
Worth noting
• Servais said reliever Joaquin Benoit (shoulder soreness) remained day to day and could possibly appear in a game on the upcoming road trip to New York.
• Servais was asked for his thoughts on the players-only meeting that took place after Tuesday night's 8-0 loss to Texas.
"I would hope we wouldn't get to that point," Servais said. "I've often said that the game's about the players, and our job -- my job -- is to put them in a position to physically and mentally be prepared to play and go from there. But I think the fact that they did get together last night, they're taking ownership. Obviously, I don't know what was said there, but I hope that we come out today with [fire], ready to get after it."