Starters Flip-Flop To Mop Up

In pulling out all the stops, the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees pulled out the stoppers - Randy Johnson and Jack McDowell.

Two of the finest starting pitchers in baseball were called upon to be their teams’ closers Sunday night in Game 5 of their American League Division Series - just two days after Johnson had won their gunfight in Game 3.

“It was unbelievable,” said M’s manager Lou Piniella. “Two outstanding competitors. I have the utmost respect for McDowwell. Both teams spent just about every bullet they had today.”

It was Johnson who arrived first, relieving Norm Charlton in the ninth after Seattle’s relief ace had allowed a leadoff double to Tony Fernandez and a walk to Randy Velarde. Johnson - whose previous two starts had come on just three days’ rest - promptly got three outs on just eight pitches, then struck out the side in the 10th before the Yankees nicked him for the go-ahead run in the 11th.

“I’d talked with Lou about being ready,” said Johnson, “but I had no idea I’d be in there for three innings.”

McDowell, who hadn’t pitched for 14 days because of back problems before his Friday start, was summoned by manager Buck Showalter in the bottom of the ninth. With the bases loaded, he fanned Edgar Martinez and got Alex Rodriguez to hit into a force play.

But he let two runners aboard in the 10th before escaping - and never recorded an out in the 11th.

“That’s what it should come down to - two warriors going at it,” Showalter said.

Edgar’s legacy

He’s Mr. October until further notice. All Edgar Martinez did in Seattle’s first post-season series was hit .571, with two home runs and 10 RBIs. His grand slam beat the Yankees on Saturday night, and his double in the 11th inning clinched the series Sunday.

“The guy is unbelievable,” said Piniella. “He’s the best hitter in the game.

“When I came up as a player, the guy I looked at as the best hitter in the game was Tony Oliva. He had no weaknesses. Rod Carew was the guy who won all the batting titles (for the Minnesota Twins), but Oliva hit for average, for power, he drove in runs. That’s Edgar. He’s a right-handed Tony Oliva.

See Junior run

If Ken Griffey Jr. is underrated in any area - and it doesn’t seem likely - it’s as a baserunner. But there was no way he wasn’t going to try to score on Martinez’ double into the left-field corner.

“I hate running,” Griffey insisted. “But all I thought about once the ball got through was scoring.”

Noted Piniella, “Junior can really eat up ground when he gets going. He cut the corners of the bases just beautifully. When the ball stayed in the corner and didn’t come out, I knew Junior had a legitimate chance to score. Just great baserunning.”

Lou’s moves

Though he didn’t dig into his bullpen as deeply as he might have - perhaps he didn’t dare - Piniella did his share of string-pulling.

He had just two spare position playes remaining - Rich Amaral and Greg Pirkl - remaining after a series of eighth-inning moves made to try and squeeze across the go-ahead. The riskiest of those was removing Tino Martinez, who had walked, for a pinch runner once he reached second base.

As it turned out, Yankees pitcher David Cone then walked pinch hitters Alex Diaz and Doug Strange to force in the tying run - and making a speedier runner moot. Tino’s replacement, Alex Rodriguez, then hit into a force play to end the ninth inning, stranding the potential winning run.

“I wanted to stay in there,” Tino said, “but Lou had to get a faster guy on second in case Alex got a hit. You always want to stay in, but you’re not going to second guess that. Lou made all the right moves this game.”

Who starts?

That’s the question for Piniella with the American League Championship Series starting here Tuesday.

It won’t be Randy Johnson, obviously. Piniella said earlier that he wouldn’t bring the Big Unit back on three days’ rest again - and after being used in relief on Sunday, Johnson may not appear until Game 3, according to his manager.

“I don’t see him coming back for sure on Tuesday,” Piniella said, “and probably not even Wednesday.”

That would leave Tim Belcher, a member of Seattle’s rotation during who was used twice in relief during the Yankee series - including on Saturday night. The only pitcher Piniella didn’t use during the series was long reliever Bob Wells, whose starting experience has been fairly disastrous.

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