M’S Sink In Extra Innings Ayala Gives Up Infield Single In 7-6 Loss To Milwaukee

Tino Martinez won another game with a clutch hit in the 12th inning Wednesday.

Unfortunately for the Seattle Mariners, Bobby Ayala then proceeded to lose that same game, 7-6.

It was about that simple in Milwaukee, where the Brewers stunned themselves and the Mariners with a two-out, two-run rally in the 12th that extended their winning streak to seven games - while stopping Seattle’s at two.

“We could have won this game in regulation,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “We could have won it in overtime. We didn’t execute.”

Failures and breakdowns overshadowed clutch hits and tough, situational pitching for the Mariners, who lost leads of 4-1, 5-3 and - in the 12th inning - 6-5.

They lost it with errors in the field and misplays on the basepaths.

And they lost it despite a two-out, RBI single in the 12th by Tino Martinez, who now has 10 RBIs in the last three games. Ayala was asked to get three outs, to save a game that would have pulled Seattle back to the .500 mark. Instead, he went to the mound with a one-run lead and walked the first batter he faced, Greg Vaughn, who was batting .219.

Two strikeouts later, Vaughn was still at first base, but Ayala walked Matt Mieske. Jose Valentin (.221) singled and the game was tied.

Up came one-time Mariner Fernando Vina, and the little infielder slapped a chopper over the mound.

“Feranando’s fast, and I had to be aggressive,” shortstop Luis Sojo said. “I only had one chance and that was to play it like I played it.”

Sojo charged and tried to snatch the ball and throw in one motion. The ball bounded off his glove, and though it never left the infield dirt, it went far enough to drive in the winning run.

For a team desperate to extend a winning streak beyond two games - the Mariners hadn’t won three in a row since May - Sojo’s play ended a night that was high on energy but low on artistry.

The Mariners fell behind early, then rallied for a three-run lead and threatened often to blow this one open. Base-running mistakes cost them. Pitches in the heart of the plate burned them.

And in the eighth inning, up by two runs, a critical error on a thank-you-soooo-much double-play grounder cost Seattle a win in regulation.

Against his former teammates, starter Chris Bosio labored from the moment he took the mound and trailed 1-0 after the first.

The Mariners got him back in the game on Jay Buhner’s 14th home run, then pushed ahead with three more second-inning runs.

Had this been vintage Bosio, the Brewers might have been done.

It wasn’t - and they weren’t.

Though Milwaukee couldn’t knock him out early, the Brewers pecked away at Bosio and the right-hander never had an easy inning, giving up runs in the first, third and fifth innings without once retiring the side in order.