Sans Randy, M’S Manage Surprise Win Wolcott, Guetterman Pitch Seattle To 11-2 Rout

Bob Wolcott won his second major-league game. Lee Guetterman earned his first big-league save in more than two years.

And no sooner had the Seattle Mariners shaken hands all around than they promptly sent both men to the minor leagues Thursday.

Thank you, boys - enjoy life as a Wisconsin Timber Rattler.

On a night when Randy Johnson warmed up for his 25th start of the season, couldn’t get loose and didn’t throw a pitch, rookie Wolcott threw 99 of them and beat the Boston Red Sox, 11-2, with three innings of shutout relief from Guetterman.

The victory left the Mariners tied with the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals for first place in the American League wild-card spot.

And it triggered a flurry of roster moves that left Wolcott and Guetterman on the outside looking in, at last temporarily.

Seattle adjusted its playoff roster by sending

Guetterman and Wolcott out and bringing up shortstop Alex Rodriguez and outfielder Alex Diaz.

And then the “Big Unit” went down.

“I was in the clubhouse in my shorts when they came running up and told me to get dressed and get down to the bullpen and warm up,” Wolcott said. “I didn’t have time to psyche myself out.”

Wolcott warmed up, and before he threw his first pitch, he had a 2-0 lead thanks to first-inning RBIs by Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.

The rookie right-hander gave one run back in the bottom of the first, but his counterpart - Boston starter Rheal Cormier - never got out of the second inning, when Seattle scored four more runs to take a 6-1 lead. Edgar Martinez drove in his 100th run of the season in the second.

Said manager Lou Piniella: “My God, what a season

(Edgar’s) had - and he’s got a month left.”

So, of course, do the Mariners. The good news for Seattle is that as Sept. 1 dawns, the Mariners are tied for the top spot in the wild-card derby and just 7-1/2 games behind California for the lead in the A.L. West.

The bad news, however, is Johnson.

“He’s not just the best pitcher on our staff, he’s the best in the league,” said outfielder Jay Buhner, who added a three-run home run to the victory. “You know when he goes out there, the other team is going to get two, maybe three runs, period. We need Randy.”