This Time Around, Mcdowell Fails To Finish Off Seattle

There’s a touch of irony to the smugness of Seattle Mariners fans in regarding any Randy Johnson start as a certain victory.

Because if there’s one pitcher the M’s don’t beat, it’s New York Yankees righthander Jack McDowell - who just happened to be starting opposite Johnson in Friday’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

McDowell was 10-1 against the Mariners over the course of his career, with a 2.74 ERA, seven complete games and two shutouts in 16 starts.

But this time the M’s knocked out McDowell en route to a four-run sixth inning - though maybe it was more of a TKO than a real knockout.

After allowing just two hits through five innings, McDowell yielded a leadoff triple to Vince Coleman in the sixth and then walked Joey Cora. After getting Ken Griffey Jr. to look at a called third strike, McDowell threw three balls to Edgar Martinez before getting orders to intentionally walk him.

Then manager Buck Showalter went to his bullpen rather than have McDowell face Tino Martinez - who had staked Seattle to a 2-1 lead with a home run off McDowell.

McDowell didn’t seem too happy with the hook, though he wouldn’t say as much after the game.

“I think Jack wanted to finish what he started,” said teammate Don Mattingly. “I know he likes pitching against Randy. He looks at it as a challenge, like all of us players do. And Jack is a warrior.”

Said Showalter, “I think Jack was outstanding tonight. It was tough taking him out. I think he was around 85 pitches, but that didn’t have a whole lot to do with it. He made a poor pitch to Tino where we don’t want to throw the ball … but other than that he was outstanding for us.”

In contrast to Johnson, who was working on just three days’ rest, McDowell was working on two weeks’ rest. He left his last two starts after five innings because of a strained muscle in his back and hadn’t been on the mound since Sept. 21.

“I wish he would have had a little more work under his belt,” said Showalter, “but it’s hard to imagine him being much sharper. Randy Johnson just magnifies any error a pitcher makes because he’s not going to make many.”

Calling in sick?

Was it a case of the Big Unit Flu that kept Wade Boggs out of the Yankees lineup Friday night and had rookie Russ Davis in his place at third base?

Yes, say the statistics. No way, insisted Showalter.

Boggs, a .334 lifetime hitter, is only 2 for 16 with eight strikeouts in his career against Johnson. None of those at bats came this season in Johnson’s three starts against the Yankees - though after Johnson was long gone from the M’s 11-9 victory on May 31, Boggs did come on to nick reliever Bob Wells for a three-run pinch-hit home run.

“He wanted to play,” Showalter said. “It’s my decision. Paul O’Neill wanted to play tonight. They both want to take on Randy Johnson, but it’s my decision.

“It’s the way we’ve done things here. We’ve had some success doing it against Randy that way, that’s the way we’ll continue to do it. It’s a team effort.”

Now he can call home

After Tino Martinez homered to right-center in the fifth, a fan (a transplanted New Yorker?) nailed Yankee right fielder Gerald Williams in the face with a quarter.

Another threw a tomato when Showalter took the field.

Mariner officials said the sniper was apprehended, taken downtown and is facing a charge of malicious mischief with a possible fine of $500.

Several banners in the Kingdome derided such actions by Yankees fans Wednesday in New York, where bottles, batteries, golf balls and salad bar of various vegetables hit the field. The best banner: “In Seattle, we don’t throw garbage, we throw K’s.”

Showalter said the quarter cut Williams’ lip.

Notes

Today’s starting pitchers will be Chris Bosio (10-8) for Seattle against Scott Kamieniecki (7-6).

Let’s just say this wasn’t Bill Risley’s night.

By the time the Mariner reliever had thrown three pitches, Bernie Williams and Mike Stanley had homered on him.

He ended up getting two outs, though, which was better than the performance of Yankee Steve Howe, who was lifted after throwing only one pitch, an RBI single to Tino Martinez.

How crazy have Seattle residents become about the Mariners? Consider the Thursday birth of a baby in Seattle, who was named Randy Jay Beck - honoring Randy Johnson and Jay Buhner.

, DataTimes