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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

M’S And Their Fans Now Talking Pennant Late Acquisitions Provide Spark As Seattle Catches California

Associated Press

Forget the past. The Seattle Mariners are talking like a team that’s going to win the World Series.

The franchise that had only two winning seasons in its first 18 years in the American League woke up Thursday morning tied with the collapsing California Angels for first place in the A.L. West. The Mariners and the Angels also were tied for the A.L. wild-card lead with the New York Yankees one game back.

“How good is this team?” Vince Coleman said, blinking at the question. “We’re a first-place team.”

“The way we’re playing right now, we don’t care about anything,” Luis Sojo added. “We just go out there and have fun because we know we’re going to win some way.”

After 18 years of futility, years when they lost some of their best players because the owners didn’t want and couldn’t afford to keep them, the Mariners are having their biggest week ever. They begin a three-game series with Oakland on Friday night.

When they completed a three-game sweep over Texas on Wednesday night, virtually eliminating the Rangers in the wild-card race, the Mariners had finally caught the Angels, a team Seattle trailed by 13 games on Aug. 4.

Fans are streaming into the Kingdome for the Mariners’ big September finish, buying postseason tickets by the thousands, louder and more excited than ever.

Sojo, the shortstop, and Coleman, Seattle’s new left fielder and one of manager Lou Piniella’s late-season pickups, each went 4 for 5 in the Mariners’ 11-3 rout of Texas on Wednesday night.

Andy Benes, acquired in a trade with San Diego last month, went to 6-1 in his 10th start with Seattle. It was Benes’ third victory in a row since lasting only one inning in Baltimore on Sept. 3.

The Angels, losers of seven straight, are on an 8-25 free fall. The Mariners have won 11 of 15 to move nine games over .500 (72-63) for the first time since Aug. 19, 1991.

In Edgar Martinez, the 1992 A.L. batting champion, the Mariners have the league’s top hitter at .354 and a strong MVP candidate.

In Randy Johnson, leading the majors in strikeouts (260) for the fourth year in a row, they have the leading A.L. Cy Young Award contender. Johnson is 15-2 with a league-leading 2.66 ERA.

Edgar Martinez (28 home runs, 107 RBIs), Tino Martinez (29, 102, .296), Jay Buhner (35, 111, .267) and Mike Blowers (22, 92, .256) are having career years.

Norm Charlton has saved 11 games since replacing Bobby Ayala as Piniella’s closer.

And Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners’ marquee superstar, is beginning to hit after missing 73 games with a broken left wrist. Griffey hit his 13th and 14th homers in the Texas series.

How good are the Mariners? Do they really have a chance to get into the World Series?

“When you go through our lineup, I think we have the most consistent hitters along with some deep threats,” said Coleman, acquired from Kansas City in an Aug. 15 trade for pitcher Jim Converse.

Added Buhner: “I think it’s obvious that people don’t want to play us in the playoffs because you’ve got to face Randy twice and they know what we’re capable of doing offensively.”

The Mariners players, long considered losers in Seattle, are heroes now. The drab Kingdome is electric with anticipation.

One banner Wednesday said: “Forget The Wild Card, We’re Coming After The Angels For The Pennant.” In the left-field stands, 12 men were stripped to the waist. Across their chests was written: “We’ve Caught Pennant Fever.”

When Jeff Nelson had two strikes on Mark McLemore, the final hitter, in the ninth inning, spectators in the third deck dumped a bag of confetti and then brandished brooms, chanting, “Sweep, Sweep, Sweep.”

“It feels like the World Series already,” Nelson said.

xxxx Time change The Seattle Mariners have moved up the time of their final home game. The Mariners announced on Thursday that their game against California next Wednesday in the Kingdome will start at 4:35 p.m. instead of 7:35 p.m. The game will be televised by Prime Sports and will not be seen on ESPN by Seattle TV viewers.