Scuffling M’s drop another one
SEATTLE – The frustration of a season that has spun into last place for the Seattle Mariners turned into an angry midgame incident in their dugout Friday night in the fifth inning of their 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Safeco Field.
Several players and coaches separated second baseman Chone Figgins from manager Don Wakamatsu after Wakamatsu removed Figgins from the game.
Wakamatsu said he believed Figgins should have made a better effort to catch an errant throw from the outfield on a play that allowed Boston’s Mike Cameron to reach third base after he had doubled.
What ensued was an angry exchange between Figgins and Wakamatsu, followed by pushing and shoving by many on the team.
When it was over, Figgins had been pushed away into the far corner of the dugout. Third baseman Jose Lopez’s jersey had been pulled off in the melee.
“It was a situation where in the fifth inning I didn’t think there was much effort on that backup and I made the decision to take him out of the ballgame,” Wakamatsu said.
The play started when Cameron doubled near the left-field corner. Left fielder Michael Saunders retrieved the ball and threw toward second base, but the ball sailed wide and to the infield side of the base. Figgins stood near the bag as the ball rolled toward first base and Cameron ran to third.
Mariners starting pitcher Jason Vargas got out of that inning without allowing a run, and as players made their way into the dugout, the incident broke out.
“One thing people have got to understand is that everybody in that dugout cares,” Wakamatsu said. “Tempers fly a little bit. But what happens in there stays in there.”
Figgins did not appear in the clubhouse while reporters were there after the game.
Among those trying to break up the fracas were DH Russell Branyan and pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith.
“Wak went down to tell Figgy he was out of the game and I think Figgy wanted to tell his side of the story, and tempers flared,” Branyan said. “It happens. We’ve underachieved mightily. From last year to this, it’s been a pretty big letdown. People are pressing. We’ve got to come together, play tough. We’ll probably talk about it tomorrow.”
“I’d rather have guys who care too much sometimes than teammates who don’t care enough,” Rowland-Smith said.
The play that sparked the incident was the latest in a series of sloppiness this week by the Mariners, who made several baserunning mistakes in earlier games.
Wakamatsu has spoken a lot about accountability when mistakes are made but, to a great degree, had defended his players when discussing the baserunning problems.
“You’re talking about baserunning plays and not all of those were cut-and-dried,” Wakamatsu said. “I thought this was cut-and-dried.
“We’re playing good baseball and there’s situations where we have to make plays, and I didn’t think it was made there.”
Wakamatsu said Figgins would not be suspended, but he wouldn’t say if he would start his second baseman tonight against the Red Sox.
On the field, the Mariners lost a one-run game for the 19th time this season, this time at the hand of a couple of ex-Mariners.
Adrian Beltre hit an RBI double in the fourth inning and Bill Hall a solo home run in the seventh, both off Vargas.
Bedard seeks opinion
Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard is headed to New York to get a third doctor’s opinion on why his pitching shoulder is still bothering him.
The Mariners announced that he will se Dr. David Altcheck to get another view of his treatment options.
Red Sox 2, Mariners 1
| Boston | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| Scutaro ss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .276 |
| Lowrie 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 |
| D.Ortiz dh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .252 |
| Youkilis 1b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .305 |
| A.Beltre 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .336 |
| J.Drew rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .266 |
| Cameron cf | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .281 |
| Hall lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .233 |
| Hermida ph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .223 |
| E.Patterson pr-lf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .208 |
| Cash c | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .159 |
| Totals | 33 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| I.Suzuki rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .314 |
| Figgins 2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .229 |
| Jo.Wilson ph-2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .265 |
| F.Gutierrez cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .253 |
| Jo.Lopez 3b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .235 |
| Smoak 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .205 |
| Bradley dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .202 |
| M.Saunders lf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .230 |
| Ro.Johnson c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .196 |
| Kotchman ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .215 |
| Ja.Wilson ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .258 |
| Totals | 33 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Boston | 000 | 100 | 100—2 | 10 | 0 |
| Seattle | 100 | 000 | 000—1 | 6 | 1 |
E—M.Saunders (4). LOB—Boston 7, Seattle 10. 2B—Youkilis (24), A.Beltre (28), Cameron (11), Jo.Wilson (9), Jo.Lopez (21), M.Saunders (7), Ja.Wilson (10). HR—Hall (10), off J.Vargas. RBIs—A.Beltre (62), Hall (28), Jo.Lopez (40). SB—I.Suzuki (23).
| Boston | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Beckett | 52/3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6.66 |
| Atchison W, 2-1 | 11/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.79 |
| D.Bard H, 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.71 |
| Papelbon S, 22-26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3.07 |
| Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| J.Vargas L, 6-5 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.94 |
| League | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.53 |
IR-S—Atchison 1-0. IBB—off Papelbon (I.Suzuki), off J.Vargas (A.Beltre). T—2:37. A—34,932 (47,878).