Mariners withstand Jr.’s blasts
SEATTLE – Ken Griffey Jr. capped his Seattle homecoming with two home runs, passing Mark McGwire for seventh place on the career list in the Cincinnati Reds’ 3-2 loss to the Mariners on Sunday.
Ben Broussard hit a two-out, two-run double off Bronson Arroyo in the sixth inning to tie it and Willie Bloomquist executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the seventh to put Seattle ahead.
Yuniesky Betancourt led off the Mariners seventh with a double, sliding headfirst into second to beat the throw. Two pitches later, he sprinted to third and slid in ahead of the tag on Jamie Burke’s sacrifice bunt back to Arroyo.
As Arroyo began his motion for his next pitch, Betancourt broke for home. Bloomquist bunted the pitch in front of the plate and Betancourt slid in to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead.
Griffey hit solo drives off Miguel Batista for his 583rd and 584th home runs, tying and then passing McGwire.
Eric O’Flaherty (4-0) pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win and J.J. Putz got four outs for his 21st save in as many chances.
Arroyo (2-9) lost his seventh consecutive decision despite allowing three runs or fewer for the fourth time in the skid. He gave up 10 hits, struck out four and issued an intentional walk.
In the first inning, Griffey hit a 2-0 pitch from Batista to left-center. The slugger took a step and hopped in anticipation of a home run that he had said he hoped to hit this weekend at Safeco Field, “The House that Griffey Built.” The ballpark opened in 1999 – the last full season Griffey played in Seattle before he was traded to his hometown of Cincinnati.
As Griffey’s high drive dropped toward the wall, left fielder Bloomquist leaped and appeared to catch it. For an awkward moment, no one knew if Griffey had homered or flied out to end the inning. Third base umpire Brian Runge was in the outfield but made no signal. Bloomquist had no reaction. Griffey simply stood between first and second. And the third consecutive sellout crowd at Safeco Field stood in odd silence.
Finally, when Bloomquist began walking back to his position without the ball in his glove, Runge signaled home run and the crowd cheered Griffey’s 15th career home run at Safeco.
His second homer was vintage Griffey, a no-doubt drive in the fifth reminiscent of the many he launched at the since-demolished Kingdome across the street. The 37-year-old former Seattle icon jumped all over Batista’s first pitch and sent it rocketing off an advertisement lining the second deck beyond right field.
Batista gave up five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out four. He had allowed only one home run in 56 innings before Griffey’s shots.
Notes
Griffey’s first two homers against Seattle in six career games left him two behind Frank Robinson for sixth place on the career home runs list. It also gave Griffey 1,654 RBIs. That gave him sole possession of 18th place ahead of ex-Red Tony Perez. … Putz has converted 23 consecutive saves dating to last season. … Edwin Encarnacion, one of three hit batsmen, immediately dropped the bat and stumbled around the plate after Batista hit him in the left elbow with a 2-2 pitch to load the bases in the third. He stayed in the game for three more innings before Juan Castro replaced him.