Fassero Steps Up For Mariners Pitcher’s Shutout And Buhner’s Homer Help Seattle Extend Lead Over Angels
Jeff Fassero and Jay Buhner gave Ken Griffey Jr. a temporary break from the limelight on Saturday night.
Fassero pitched a four-hitter and Buhner hit his 33rd home run as the Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 9-0.
“Everything is clicking right now,” said Buhner, who also drove in a run with a single to help support Fassero. Fassero won his 15th game and recorded his first A.L. shutout.
Meanwhile, Griffey had a rare off-night. Griffey, who had hit six home runs in four previous games - including his 49th Friday night - was 0 for 4, with a walk. On the verge of becoming the 15th major leaguer to hit 50 in a season, he needs 13 home runs in the final 20 games to break Roger Maris’ record of 61 in 1961.
“He shouldn’t have to carry us every day,” said Fassero, who walked two and struck out eight. “This game’s a team sport and we all need to step up and do our parts.”
Buhner emphasized that Griffey was the Mariners’ MVP.
“He does everything for us,” said Buhner, who hadn’t homered since Aug. 30. “But it’s nice to see the way some of the other guys step in and do well when they’re called on.”
The Mariners’ victory, coupled with Anaheim’s 7-5 loss at Detroit, gave Seattle a five-game lead over the Angels in the A.L. West.
“We can’t let up and I don’t think we will,” said Fassero, whose only other career shutout came June 29, 1996, at Philadelphia while he was with Montreal. “You’ve got to give our hitters credit. They’re making it easy for the pitchers right now.”
The Mariners have outscored the Twins 28-12 in the first three games of the series. Saturday night, they scored nine runs despite striking out 14 times, a season-high for Twins pitchers.
“That’s unbelievable,” said Paul Sorrento, who had a two-run pinch-hit single in the Mariners’ fourth inning. “I guess you can overlook things like that when you win 9-0.”
“We just didn’t pitch well enough to win,” said Twins manager Tom Kelly, whose team lost its fifth in a row.
Fassero (15-8) pitched his second complete game of the year and didn’t allow a baserunner until Paul Molitor beat out an infield chopper with two outs in the fourth.
Fassero permitted only one runner past second base in matching his career high for victories, set last season with the Expos.
Notes
The Mariners’ 40 road wins are tied for the second most in the A.L. with New York. … Buhner has hit 23 of his 33 homers on the road . … Minnesota’s Marty Cordova has struck out 17 times in his last 11 games.