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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

M”s split with Red Sox to halt skid


Mariners pitcher Ron Villone protests a David Ortiz double down the line in the nightcap.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jimmy Golen Associated Press

BOSTON – Cla Meredith cruised through the Red Sox minor league system in less than a year, stopping at Triple-A for just three days before being promoted to Boston.

Then he found out all about Fenway Park.

Making his major league debut, Meredith gave up Richie Sexson’s wind-blown grand slam, and the Seattle Mariners beat Boston 6-4 in Sunday’s second game to split their doubleheader and end a seven-game losing streak.

“I saw that drifting and drifting and drifting. I knew then it wasn’t going to be an outcome,” said Meredith, who described himself as “pumped up but not nervous” about being thrust into a tie game. “I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any different.”

The 21-year-old Meredith, whose first name is pronounced like “clay,” had not allowed a homer in 42 professional appearances.

But he walked the bases loaded after coming in with one out and one on in the seventh. Sexson’s looping fly looked harmless, but right fielder Trot Nixon kept drifting over to the wall as the ball got caught in a strong wind coming from left.

It went over the short wall behind the Pesky Pole, about 325 feet from the plate, to break the tie and make it 6-2.

“It was a weird day,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “The ballpark played so big – except right there.”

Kevin Millar wasn’t so lucky in the early game: His long drive with the bases loaded was knocked down by the wind, but it hit the Green Monster for a three-run double and Boston won 6-3 for its fifth straight victory.

Millar has yet to homer this year, and the wind also might have cost Doug Mirabelli and David Ortiz a couple of home runs apiece. Ortiz barely cleared the Green Monster in the second game to make it 2-1, then he doubled into the wind in the sixth to tie it.

“You can’t mess around with Mother Nature,” Ortiz said, noting that it was Mother’s Day. “When Mother Nature says you aren’t going anywhere, you aren’t going anywhere.”

Ryan Franklin (2-4) snapped his four-game losing streak, allowing two runs, six hits and an intentional walk while striking out two in the late game. Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

John Halama (1-1) gave up one run and three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Meredith gave up three runs, two hits and two walks while getting just one out.

Wade Miller came off the disabled list to make his Boston debut in the second game. He allowed two runs and three hits in five innings while striking out six in his first game in the majors since he pitched for Houston last June.

Wiki Gonzalez, making his first major league appearance in almost two years, was 3 for 4 for the Mariners in the late game.

The opener of the doubleheader was a makeup of Saturday’s rainout, and though every ticket was sold, there were several thousand empty seats as fans decided not to sit through 46 degree temperatures. Rain came during the late game.

“It was as bad as anything I’ve ever played in,” Sexson said. “It was blowing in your face, dripping off the end of your helmet, batting gloves were heavy, your glove was heavy. It was miserable.”

Joel Pineiro (2-3) allowed six runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out four in seven innings in the first game. Suzuki reached base three times, stole two bases and scored two runs for the Mariners.