Mariners hope to see Storen thrive in Seattle

PITTSBURGH — Drew Storen arrived in time to meet his new Mariners teammates, shake some hands and take part in pregame work prior to Seattle’s series finale with the Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday, but it’ll take a little longer to see how the former Nationals closer fits in with his new team’s bullpen.

The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Blue Jays in a trade for veteran setup man Joaquin Benoit on Tuesday night after struggling in Toronto this year and being designated for assignment on Sunday.

“It’s a situation where you’re hoping a change of scenery helps both guys,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Joaquin is trying to get healthy and on a roll, and he really struggled to get much going, and then with the emergence of [Edwin] Diaz and him kind of taking over there.”

Storen had 95 saves and a 3.02 ERA in six seasons with the Nationals but a 6.21 ERA in 38 outings with the Blue Jays this season as he lost his setup role and eventually his job following a season-long struggle.

“I don’t know Storen’s whole story in Toronto, but you look at the numbers, and they’re kind of similar [to Benoit],” Servais said. “He gave up a lot of hits and just wasn’t as effective as he’d been. We saw him on Saturday, and he …

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