Olerud’s Power Leaves M’S Gasping Ex-WSU Standout Smacks Two Homers, Helping Blue Jays Hammer Seattle 9-3

Facing a pitcher making just his third major league start, the Seattle Mariners hoped to get back on track at the plate Sunday.

Problem was, Seattle’s inexperienced Rafael Carmona was making just his third career start as well.

Neither Woody Williams nor Carmona lasted four innings, but the damage done by the Blue Jays was much more severe than any damage by the Mariners.

John Olerud’s breakthrough day did in Carmona and Seattle’s bats couldn’t keep up as Toronto posted a 9-3 victory in the Kingdome.

With a 2-0 lead entering the fourth, Carmona, who was a late replacement for Salomon Torres who is having problems with lower back spasms, started his second trip through the Blue Jays order. He did not fare well.

With the bases loaded and no one out in the fourth, Olerud connected for his first career grand slam. It was all Toronto needed.

The former Washington State star from Bellevue added another home run off Bill Risley and finished with a career-high five RBIs.

After Williams had to leave in the second inning with shoulder problems, the Mariners couldn’t get to rookie reliever Ed Hurtado. Despite having just six innings of big league experience, Hurtado went to earn his first major league victory.

In the first inning, it looked as if Seattle’s offensive troubles were about to end.

Joey Cora hit a ball just inside the first base bag and had a triple turned into a ground rule double when the ball got caught up in the Blue Jays bullpen. Luis Sojo followed by smacking his favorite high fastball off the right field wall for a double to score Cora. Edgar Martinez put another dent in the right field wall with a double scoring Sojo for a 2-0 lead.

But with a chance to put together a rare big inning, the middle of the Mariners lineup promptly went down in order.

“We’ve got to start getting some people in,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “We’ve had base runners on. We just haven’t taken advantage of it.”

Carmona worked fast and threw strikes for three innings. After a walk to Paul Molitor started the fourth, the strikes he threw proved to be very hittable. Opposite-field singles by Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter loaded the bases for Olerud.

Carmona snuck a change-up on the inside corner, fooling Olerud to make the count 2-2. Olerud wasn’t fooled by the next pitch.

He drove the ball deep over the center field fence for a 4-2 Toronto lead.

A fourth consecutive hit, this one from Ed Sprague, chased Carmona (2-5) and brought Norm Charlton in for his first appearance with Seattle since signing with his old team last week.

Charlton was able to end the fourth-inning troubles, but couldn’t get out of the fifth.

Olerud increased the Seattle deficit in the eighth when he crushed Risley’s fastball off the facing of the second deck in right for a 7-2 lead. It was the sixth two-homer game of Olerud’s career.

Notes

Charlton, who signed a contract Friday, was activated on the 25-man roster Sunday and will add a much needed left-handed arm in the bullpen. Darren Bragg, who leads the American League in outfield assists even though he has been up and down on the shuttle to Tacoma, was sent down. It is hoped Charlton will provide a better option than Steve Frey to get left-handed batters out.

More transactions could happen today. Torres will try to start against Detroit. If his back is still bothering him though, expect the Mariners to dip into Tacoma’s starting rotation. The most likely candidate appears to be Bill Krueger. The left-hander, signed by Seattle a month ago, was held out of his start for Tacoma on Sunday in case he is needed today.

Seattle pitchers had 13 strikeouts Sunday. Jeff Nelson struck out four of the eight batters he faced and was the only effect Mariner pitcher. His earned-run average is down to 1.37.