Putz can’t save M’s
ARLINGTON, Texas – With unblemished closer J.J. Putz finally back on the mound, the Seattle Mariners had to anticipate a winning end to a miserable trip.
Except, they only felt worse when it was over.
Putz, who hadn’t allowed a run in 16 road appearances this season and hadn’t blown a save since last year, gave up a two-run homer to Ramon Vazquez with two outs in the eighth inning as the Texas Rangers rallied for a 7-6 victory Wednesday night to complete a four-game sweep.
“There’s not much I can say. He put a good swing on it,” Putz said. “This is not the best time for this to happen. … Things aren’t going our way. We’re in a bad cycle.”
Having not pitched since Friday, Putz came on with one on and one out in the eighth. He struck out Gerald Laird, but Vazquez hit a 414-foot drive to right-center.
Putz had converted a majors-best 31 straight save chances, including all 29 this year, and had thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
“He’s human,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “I don’t care how good you are, things can turn for you sometimes in the wrong direction.”
Seattle lost its sixth straight game since winning the trip opener at Toronto to get within a game of the A.L. West-leading Los Angeles Angels. Five of the losses were by one run, but they have only slipped to 3 1/2 games back.
“It’s been a long trip. We need to get out of here,” Mariners manager John McLaren said. “No one feels worse than J.J. He’s the ultimate gamer.”
Marlon Byrd led off the eighth with a single and Frank Catalanotto had a sacrifice bunt – both against different pitchers before Putz came in the game.
“Just looking for a fastball, trying to get a pitch I can drive,” said Vazquez, a regular in the Rangers lineup only because third baseman Hank Blalock and second baseman Ian Kinsler are on the disabled list. “I got ahead 2-0 and then I just started thinking get on base, give me a chance.”
Kenny Lofton, rumored to be trade bait, homered and drove in three runs in what might have been his last home game for the Rangers. Texas matched its longest winning streak of the season with the four-game sweep – its first since doing the same to Seattle at home last August.
Lofton’s two-run homer in the third put the Rangers up 3-1. After Seattle tied the game, the 40-year-old added a tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth and scored on a double by Mark Teixeira. Adrian Beltre tied a team record with three doubles and drove in four runs for Seattle, including his two-run double in the eighth off Joaquin Benoit that tied the game before he came home on a double by Raul Ibanez to put the M’s up 6-5.
Benoit had allowed only one run in his previous 14 outings before giving up three doubles in the eighth.