Mariners Go To The Wells To Win Series From Indians
Bob Wells established three goals Thursday night and nearly nailed each of them.
The Mariners reliever-turned-starter wanted to pitch six innings, throw about 100 pitches and hold the Cleveland Indians to three runs.
He went six innings and threw 101 pitches.
But the right-hander from Yakima exceeded expectations by allowing the Indians just two runs. The Mariners backed him with timely hitting and superb defense in a 5-2 victory before 42,232 at Jacobs Field.
It was as close to a complete game as the Mariners have had in quite some time.
“It goes to show you we are capable,” said manager Lou Piniella, who watched most of the game on television inside his office. He was ejected by plate umpire Larry Barnett in the first inning for arguing about the strike zone.
“I was able to watch Wellsie from in here and he was sharp,” Piniella said. “He settled into a groove, used both sides of the plate and mixed up his pitches.”
Adding Wells to the injury-plagued and erratic rotation worked perfectly. He surrendered a two-run homer to Carlos Baerga in the first then slammed the door.
Catcher Dan Wilson contributed much of the offense, driving in the Mariners’ first run with a one-out double in the second and adding a two-run, opposite-field single to right field. The hit foiled Indians manager Mike Hargrove’s strategy.
After Edgar Martinez singled and scooted to third on Jay Buhner’s second double of the game, Hargrove instructed starter Dennis Martinez to walk Paul Sorrento.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Wilson said. “They did the same thing (Wednesday). It pumps you up a little and you go up there with more intensity, but that can work against you.”
Wells also had his own pump working after Martinez added a two-run homer in the third to put the M’s up 3-2. The six-inning stint was his career long-distance record, either as a starter or reliever.
This was his first start this season, earning the duty after compiling a 4-1 record and 1.79 ERA in 16 relief appearances.
The bullpen gave the Mariners what they didn’t get in Wednesday night’s loss that spoiled Matt Wagner’s major league debut.
Rafael Carmona came in and walked the first batter. He then fell behind the next batter, Tony Pena, before retiring the Indians catcher on a grounder and also walked Omar Vizquel. But the similarity ended when Wayne Kirby bounced into an inning-ending double play.
Mike Jackson and Norm Charlton finished. Jackson redeemed himself from a rotten Wednesday, when he retired one of five batters in a seven-run seventh.