Clutch Hit By Davis Saves M’S Seattle Wins After Blowing Big Lead In Ninth

When Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Jeff Fassero walked off the mound in the ninth inning Friday night, he was no doubt upset at not being able to record his second complete game, but figured at least a win was secure.

A four-run edge evaporated though when Norm Charlton and Bobby Ayala couldn’t close the door on the Texas Rangers. Texas scored four runs in the ninth to tie the game.

But with the resiliency that is beginning to mark the Mariners’ 1997 edition, they rallied in the bottom of the ninth when Russ Davis bounced a ball up the middle scoring pinch-runner Rich Amaral from second for an 8-7 victory in front of 39,739.

“They tied the ball game in the ninth there and I think everybody’s jaw dropped to the ground,” Davis said. “We were fortunate enough to come back and win it in the bottom of the inning.”

Seattle has defeated Texas 24 of the last 28 times they have met in the Kingdome.

“I don’t think it’s any magic,” Davis said. “It’s a good year for us and things are happening for us like they did tonight.”

Fassero was in search of the fourth complete game by a Seattle pitcher this season.

“Fassero did a heckuva job,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He pitched outstanding baseball.”

He was credited with five earned runs in eight innings and deserved the win that ended up going to Ayala. Fassero entered the ninth having given up seven hits and three runs, but back-to-back singles by Dean Palmer and Mike Simms caused Piniella to go to Charlton.

Charlton yielded a run-scoring single to Domingo Cedeno that made it 7-4, then walked No. 9 hitter Damon Buford, which resulted in Ayala’s entrance.

After walking Mark McLemore to force in a run (7-5), Ayala struck out Henry Mercedes on three pitches.

Ayala got two quick strikes on Rusty Greer, but Greer pulled the next pitch through the right side. Cedeno and Buford scored and it was 7-7.

“We’ve got to shut these teams down in the late innings like we did in June,” Piniella said. “This team is capable of it. We’ve just gotten ourselves in a damn rut. I don’t know if we’re pitching with a lack of confidence or what. We’ve got to get back to where we were.”

Seattle is looking to deal for relief help, but Friday night had to go with the relief unit that has been a Jeckland-Hyde group the past month. It came very close to giving up the lead entirely.

Texas had a good opportunity to push across the go-ahead run, but Juan Gonzalez, the 1996 A.L. Most Valuable Player, grounded into an inning-ending double play that left McLemore at third.

Staying tied made a comeback easier and Seattle didn’t have much trouble. Dan Wilson walked with one out and was replaced by Amaral. A single by Paul Sorrento put runners at first and second.

Davis, who had homered and hit an RBI double earlier, ripped a pitch up the middle that the shortstop Cedeno knocked down behind second base. But Amaral was running on contact and didn’t have any thoughts of stopping at third.

“We got out of that ninth with good base running by Amaral, good coaching by (John) McLaren,” Piniella said. “He kept Amaral going.”

Mariners 8, Rangers 7

Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg. McLemore 2b 4 0 2 1 1 1 .255 IRodriguez c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .341 HMercedes c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Greer lf 4 1 2 2 1 0 .329 JuGonzalez rf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .283 WClark 1b 3 0 1 1 0 1 .333 Palmer 3b 4 3 3 1 0 0 .243 Simms dh 4 1 1 0 0 1 .232 DCedeno ss 4 1 2 2 0 2 .314 Buford cf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .212 Totals 36 7 11 7 3 9 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Cora 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .334 ARodriguez ss 4 0 1 0 1 0 .319 Griffey Jr cf 3 0 0 0 2 1 .301 EMartinez dh 3 0 0 0 2 2 .338 Buhner rf 5 1 1 0 0 3 .245 DaWilson c 4 2 3 2 1 0 .286 1-Amaral pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .252 Blowers 1b 3 2 1 0 0 0 .241 a-Sorrento ph-1b 2 0 2 0 0 0 .282 RDavis 3b 5 1 3 4 0 0 .313 Cruz Jr lf 3 1 1 2 0 2 .264 Totals 37 8 13 8 6 9 Texas 000 012 004 - 7 Seattle 020 221 001 - 8 One out when winning run scored.

a-singled for Blowers in the 7th.

1-ran for Wilson in the 9th.

LOB-Texas 6, Seattle 11. 2B-Greer (24), Palmer (20), Cora (27), RDavis (25). 3B-Buhner (2). HR-Cruz Jr (10) off DOliver; Palmer (9) off Fassero; DaWilson (7) off DOliver; RDavis (13) off DOliver. RBIs-McLemore (15), Greer 2 (47), WClark (33), Palmer (43), DCedeno 2 (16), DaWilson 2 (42), RDavis 4 (44), Cruz Jr 2 (24). SB-ARodriguez (17). SF- WClark, Cruz Jr. GIDP-JuGonzalez.

Runners left in scoring position-Texas 1 (HMercedes); Seattle 5 (ARodriguez, EMartinez, Buhner 3).

Runners moved up-JuGonzalez, Griffey Jr.

DP-Seattle 1 (ARodriguez, Cora and Sorrento).

Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA DOliver 5-1/3 10 7 7 2 6 107 4.46 Whiteside 1-2/3 1 0 0 2 1 26 5.86 XHernandez L,0-3 1-1/3 2 1 1 2 2 34 3.86 Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Fassero 8 9 5 5 1 8 128 4.09 Charlton 0 1 2 2 1 0 9 7.81 Ayala W,6-2 1 1 0 0 1 1 12 4.18 Fassero pitched to 2 batters in the 9th, Charlton pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.

Inherited runners-scored-Whiteside 1-0, Charlton 2-1, Ayala 3-3.

IBB-off Whiteside (Griffey Jr) 1.

T-3:13. A-39,739 (59,084).