Change of pace: M’s suffer loss
SEATTLE – Colorado’s Josh Fogg likes to get people out with his changeup. Seattle’s Jamie Moyer has a legendary changeup.
“We might have set a record tonight for the most changeups in a game,” Fogg said Friday night after throwing a two-hitter for his first major league shutout in the Rockies’ 2-0 victory over the Mariners and Moyer.
The Mariners felt like they were looking in the mirror.
“He pitched a lot like Jamie,” Seattle cleanup hitter Raul Ibanez said of the 29-year-old Fogg, who is 14 years younger than Moyer. “He throws a little bit harder and he’s right-handed, but he’s a lot like Jamie.”
The Mariners were shut out for the ninth time, the most in the American League this season and tied with San Francisco for the most in the majors. The Rockies recorded their seventh shutout, one behind San Diego’s National League-leading total.
“It’s definitely the best I’ve felt out there,” said Fogg, 36-31 in his career. “Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to pitch in the postseason in my career, but right now this ranks right at the top.”
The Rockies improved their N.L.-best interleague record to 10-3 with their third straight victory. The Mariners had a five-game winning streak snapped and finished June with an 18-8 record that has thrust them into contention in the A.L. West.
Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said his team’s “tremendous” starting pitching has been the key to its interleague record. The Rockies have four shutouts in interleague play.
Fogg (6-5) improved to 3-0 in interleague play this season with his second straight victory and third in four decisions. He struck out one and faced the minimum 27 batters because his teammates recorded double plays after Seattle’s two singles and one walk.
The Mariners didn’t get a runner past first.
It was Fogg’s second major league complete game. Fogg signed with the Rockies as a free agent in February after going 6-11 for Pittsburgh last season. Fogg’s previous longest outing this season was seven innings.
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said Fogg pitched “backward.”
“He would throw breaking balls when he was ahead in the count and he would throw a lot of first-pitch strikes,” Hargrove said.
The game took 1 hour, 52 minutes, the fastest in Rockies history and the quickest in the seven years the Mariners have played at Safeco Field.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead off Moyer (3-7) in the fifth on Jamey Carroll’s RBI single. Brad Hawpe walked, was sacrificed to second, and moved to third on a groundout before Carroll singled.
Hawpe made it 2-0 in the seventh when he homered to straightaway center. It was his 15th and tied Matt Holliday for the team lead.
Moyer, who had a two-game winning streak snapped, gave up two runs and five hits, with four walks, matching his season high, and four strikeouts. It was his second complete game of the season.