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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rangers Shove A Cork In M’S Plans Seattle Fails To Clinch A.L. West Title After 9-2 Loss To Texas And Angels’ Win

Larry Larue Tacoma News Tribune

After the threat of replacement baseball, a shortened spring training and 143 games, it has come down to this - one final regular-season game stands between the Seattle Mariners and the first playoff berth in franchise history.

A one-game lead over the California Angels with one game to play.

If the Mariners win today, they will become American League West champions no matter what any other team in baseball does, and begin a playoff series on Tuesday - either in New York or Cleveland.

All that separates them from the postseason is the Texas Rangers, a team that pounded them on Saturday night, 9-2, and sent the hopes of a franchise spinning toward one final contest.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this is the reason you play baseball,” Mike Blowers said. “If it comes down to the last day of the season, you want to be in it. We’re in it. We played all season for this opportunity.”

In the latest “most important game in franchise history” - and there has been one of those nearly every day for weeks, now - Seattle will start veteran right-hander Tim Belcher on three days rest.

And hope he has better success than the veteran right-hander they sent to the mound Saturday on three days rest.

Andy Benes, 7-1 since joining Seattle on July 31, had won five consecutive decisions and pitched brilliantly in his last four starts. Not once in those four games had he allowed more than two runs. Not once had he pitched fewer than seven innings.

Against the Rangers, Benes got four outs. And before the Mariners bullpen could record the fifth out of the game, Texas was perched atop a 7-2 lead.

“Give this team the chance to win a game and they’ll win it for you,” Benes said of the Mariners. “I didn’t give them that chance. I felt fine. The three days rest wasn’t a problem, I just didn’t get the job done. In that first inning, Will Clark and Juan Gonzalez hit good pitches - and Mickey Tettleton killed a bad one.”

Tettleton, who began the year in a free-agent spring training camp in Homestead, Fla., was a veteran catcher-outfielder-DH the Mariners considered signing in March before opting for Chad Kreuter.

Kreuter finished his season in the minor leagues. Tettleton is finishing his with the kind of flourish that is likely to earn him a considerable raise on his $500,000 salary this season - a .237 batting average, 31 home runs and 75 RBI.

Twice Saturday, he hit long home runs. And when the Mariners couldn’t generate much offense against Kevin Gross (9-15, 5.54 ERA) they lost for just the second time in the last 11 games.

“We lost a game,” Vince Coleman said afterward. “That doesn’t mean we don’t think we can win. We’ve won too many times to think we can’t win a big game.”

To date, the team has never played a bigger one.

“We talked weeks ago about this scenario,” manager Lou Piniella said, “and the fact that it could come down to the final day of the regular season. Early in September, when we worked out the rotation, we knew this was a game where we’d start Bob Wolcott - or someone in parenthesis. We started parenthesis tonight, and he didn’t have his best stuff. It happens.

“We’re going to come back and do what we’ve done all season, play hard. I’m comfortable with Belcher starting.”

Belcher left the park Saturday night knowing he might pitch on Sunday, aware that he might not have to. As he dressed, Oakland was ahead of California in a West Coast game. Had the A’s won, the Mariners would have clinched the division title and Belcher wouldn’t have started today.

The A’s couldn’t hold on. Belcher will start.

“I’ll go back to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep and wake up thinking I’m going to start,” Belcher said long before the Angels game was final. “It’s easier to come down if you find out you’re not starting than it is to try to get up for it if a few hours before you go out there. I’m ready. I’ll be ready.

“The way we’re playing, who wouldn’t want to pitch this game?”

“We’re still in good shape,” Piniella said. “It’s better to be the team with a one-game lead on the final day than the team one game behind. What’s happened is that the team chasing us has played well this last week, too. The bottom line: It’s in our hands.”

And if the Mariners lose and California wins, forcing a one-game playoff in Seattle Monday afternoon?

“Randy Johnson would start,” Piniella said, “but I’m not thinking beyond Sunday.”

On a flight back from Chicago on Sept. 17, Piniella and Woody Woodward discussed the final 12 games of the season - and agreed that if the Mariners went 8-4 the race might be over.

“And look what happened,” Piniella said Saturday. “We’ve won nine of 10 and we haven’t put anybody away yet. Amazing. In the National League, teams all backed up a bit. In the American League, the Yankees and Angels and Mariners have all played real well this last week.”

Notes

Since 1954, only three players - John Olerud (1993), Hal McRae (1977) and Don Mattingly (1986) have had more doubles than Edgar Martinez’ 52 this season. Olerud and McRae each had 54, Mattingly 53 doubles. … Mike Blowers was 2 for 7 with two career home runs against Rangers starter Kevin Gross, so was moved from the No. 9 spot in the lineup on Friday to the No. 7 spot 24 hours later. … Luis Sojo started his 100th game Saturday, the most he’s played in the majors since 1992, when he played 106 for California. … Looking ahead to the postseason, consider this: Seattle is 36-4 in games started by Randy Johnson and Andy Benes, 42-60 in games started by anyone else.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: A.L. playoff possibilities If Angels win today and … The Yankees lose and the Mariners win: The Angels would tie the Yankees in the wild card standings and travel to New York for a one-game playoff Monday to determine the wild card team. The Yankees win and the Mariners lose: The Mariners would host the Angels in a one-game playoff Monday to decide the A.L. West, and New York would win the wild card spot. The Yankees and Mariners lose: The Yankees would gain the wild card playoff berth (even if all three teams have identical records) and the Angels would travel to Seattle for a one-game playoff Monday to determine the A.L. West champion. The Mariners win and the Yankees win: The Mariners would win the A.L. West and the Yankees win the wild card. If Angel lose today … The Mariners are the A.L. West champions and the Yankees win the wild card.

This sidebar appeared with the story: A.L. playoff possibilities If Angels win today and … The Yankees lose and the Mariners win: The Angels would tie the Yankees in the wild card standings and travel to New York for a one-game playoff Monday to determine the wild card team. The Yankees win and the Mariners lose: The Mariners would host the Angels in a one-game playoff Monday to decide the A.L. West, and New York would win the wild card spot. The Yankees and Mariners lose: The Yankees would gain the wild card playoff berth (even if all three teams have identical records) and the Angels would travel to Seattle for a one-game playoff Monday to determine the A.L. West champion. The Mariners win and the Yankees win: The Mariners would win the A.L. West and the Yankees win the wild card. If Angel lose today … The Mariners are the A.L. West champions and the Yankees win the wild card.