Mcdowell Does It Again Yankees Hurler Continues Mastery Over The Mariners

The American League hopes Jack McDowell doesn’t pitch on three days’ rest all the time.

“I don’t know if I could make a career of it,” McDowell said Wednesday night after pitching a sixi-hitter that led the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-3.

In six career starts on three days’ rest, McDowell is 5-0 with one nodecision.

“I think the spots for this have been picked pretty well,” said McDowell (13-10), who walked three and struck out nine.

McDowell, who got his seventh complete game in 27 starts, is 10-1 against Seattle.

“Jack takes care of himself, and you try to take care of your players all year long so you can do this kind of thing in September,” Yankees manager Buck Showalter said.

“I guess my managers have just picked the right spots for me to go on three days’ rest,” said McDowell, who has a 2.30 ERA and four complete games on short rest. “The workouts in between are different from the usual four days’ rest routine. You don’t throw on the side in between starts. But the approach I take isn’t any different.”

Said Showalter: “Jack’s not the type to sit around and think about excuses for why things aren’t going his way. That’s the type of makeup it takes to handle this kind of assignment. His attitude is, ‘Give me the ball and let’s go.”’

“Jack’s a renegade, a warrior; it was just a matter of us getting him some run support,” said Randy Velarde, who had a two-run double in the Yankees’ four-run sixth.

Said catcher Mike Stanley: “As soon as we got the lead, you felt the game was over the way Jack was pitching.”

“McDowell pitched a real good game. He gets a lead, he’s hard to beat,” Jay Buhner said. “He threw the curveball early in the game, he was throwing hard, mixing it up.”

When asked about his success against the Mariners, McDowell recalled his start on May 29 at Seattle. He gave up 12 hits in six innings and the Yankees went on to lose 8-7 in 12 innings.

“They got me one time earlier this season and that game may cost us,” McDowell said, referring to the A.L. wild-card race.

New York is 1-1/2 games behind Kansas City, which leads the wild-card race. Seattle is a half-game back.

Tim Belcher (9-10) held the Yankees to three hits over the first five innings, but third baseman Doug Strange misplayed Dion James’ lead-off grounder for an error in the fourrun sixth.

Don Mattingly singled James to third and, one out later, Tony Fernandez’ RBI single made it 3-1. Velarde’s double drove in Mattingly and Fernandez, tying the score and chasing Belcher. Paul O’Neill’s two-out single off Lee Guetterman scored Velarde.

Tino Martinez’ 28th homer, a solo shot in the second, gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead. They made it 3-0 in the sixth on Martinez’ RBI single and Buhner’s sacrifice fly.

Belcher allowed four runs - two earned - and six hits, walking four and striking out one in 5-1/3 innings.

Notes

Mariners are 5-4 on their 10-game road trip… . Belcher is 1-3 against the Yankees, losing twice this season… . Wade Boggs extended his hitting streak to 11 games during which he is 23-for-47 (.489)…. McDowell is 7-6 in 15 starts at home this season. He has pitched five of his seven complete games at Yankee Stadium.