Moyer, Sexson provide impetus for Mariners’ win
SEATTLE – Didn’t make it to Safeco Field on Friday for the Seattle Mariners game with Baltimore? Don’t worry. You certainly weren’t alone.
We’re not necessarily talking about the scant crowd of 27,429 at Safeco Field that saw the Mariners hold on for a 3-2 victory over the Orioles, either. No, it wasn’t just patches of empty seats that were missing Friday.
Baltimore’s Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro – two players with Hall of Fame credentials and the Orioles’ top two drawing cards – were at their respective homes, nursing their respective injuries.
Then there’s Seattle rookie Michael Morse, who was suspended Wednesday for 10 games for testing positive for steroids in May.
Luckily for the Mariners, the two players who have carried more than their share in this dismal season – pitcher Jamie Moyer and first baseman Richie Sexson – were suited up and ready to help.
Moyer improved to 12-6 by holding the Orioles to seven hits over 71/3 innings. Better still, the veteran left-hander improved to 16-3 lifetime over Baltimore, which couldn’t do much with his slow stuff.
“To me, it’s just another team across the field,” Moyer said of his success against the Orioles. “It’s just worked out that way.”
Sexson, one of the two free-agent sluggers the Mariners signed in the off-season, got his 100th and 101st RBIs of the season. Bret Boone, with 117 RBIs in 2003, was the last player to reach 100 RBIs for the Mariners.
Sexson drove in run No. 100 in the first inning when he drilled a double into the gap in left-center field that allowed Ichiro Suzuki to race home with Seattle’s first run.
Sexson didn’t even need to swing the bat to reach RBI No. 102.
In the fifth inning, Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard (6-7) walked him with the bases loaded.
Moyer, as he usually does when he’s rolling along, got plenty of help from the defense behind him.
Center fielder Jeremy Reed tracked down a Javy Lopez fly ball to start the seventh. Reed leaped and caught the ball as he crashed into the padded wall.
The Orioles finally chased Moyer in the eighth inning when Eric Byrnes led off with a single. One out later, Brian Roberts doubled into the left-field corner to score Byrnes.
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove went to his bullpen to Julio Mateo, who coaxed Melvin Mora into a ground ball for the second out. That’s when the Mariners’ defense – and, well, maybe a little luck – intervened.
Miguel Tejada singled sharply to left field, and Jamal Strong came up throwing. His throw beat Roberts to the plate, but it appeared Seattle catcher Yorvit Torrealba didn’t tag Roberts.
Roberts was called out anyway by plate umpire Adam Dowdy.
Baltimore made it interesting in the ninth inning when Jay Gibbons drilled a pitch from George Sherrill over the fence in right to trim the lead to 3-2.
J.J. Putz entered the game and got the final three outs to earn his first save of the season.
Hargrove said closer Eddie Guardado was given the night off because “we’ve really pitched Eddie a lot and felt like he needed a few days offs.”
Meche to give it a try
Starting pitcher Gil Meche’s day of reckoning – at least as it relates to the rest of his season – could be Sunday.
He is scheduled to throw off the bullpen mound that day, which the Mariners believe will deliver the best indication of whether he will pitch again before the season ends. Meche has been on the disabled list since Aug. 20 with tendinitis in his right knee, but developed a sore shoulder in his rehab work.
“We felt like we got a little aggressive with his throwing program and we needed to back him off just a little bit,” pitching coach Bryan Price said.
On Friday, Meche threw from the middle of the bullpen mound to ease the strain on his shoulder.
Barring another setback, he will throw the full distance on Sunday, Price said.
“My feeling is on Sunday, we’ll have a pretty good idea of the likelihood of him pitching again this year,” Price said.
Time is getting short, with just 22 games remaining in the season.