Mariners fail to protect five-run lead
SEATTLE – One big inning by the Mariners could not erase several more frames of slumbering and futility at the plate.
Things looked to be going Seattle’s way Thursday when it produced four runs in the third inning, as many as the Mariners had scored in any entire game the past week. But that was about all the bats could manage and a patient Baltimore Orioles club began patiently chipping away at an early five-run advantage spotted the home side.
By the time the Mariners knew what had hit them, the Orioles had scored four in the seventh to go ahead by two. While an Ichiro Suzuki long ball tied things up, a Brian Roberts solo blast in the eighth sealed an 8-7 loss by the Mariners on a night that was tough to swallow for a variety of reasons.
The 16,727 fans at chilly Safeco Field could barely believe it as they saw Jarrod Washburn’s pitch count run up fast and furiously with his team protecting a 5-0 lead after just three innings. They gasped in shock in the seventh as one-time Mariners prospect Adam Jones, the key piece of the February deal that sent pitcher Erik Bedard to Seattle, drilled a two-run, tiebreaking double off reliever Mark Lowe that put the Orioles ahead 7-5, for the first time all night.
Mariners manager John McLaren was ejected in that seventh inning for arguing with plate umpire Casey Moser.
Reliever Arthur Rhodes had just walked the bases loaded and McLaren felt Moser had squeezed the pitcher on a couple of occasions.
The dismal night for Seattle ended with former Mariners reliever George Sherrill notching his fifth save of the season against his old club.
The Mariners entered the game having been held to four runs or less in each of their last five contests and six of the past seven. But the third inning proved a microcosm of all the things the team has tried to preach since spring training.
It began with a good piece of two-strike hitting by Willie Bloomquist, who laced a ball into left-center for a leadoff single. An ensuing hit by Yuniesky Betancourt through the opened right-side hole, with Bloomquist breaking for second, put runners at the corners with none out.
Ichiro then worked the count full and drew a walk to load the bases.
Jose Lopez came up next and hit a sacrifice fly for the first run of the inning, with Betancourt advancing to third. Raul Ibanez hot another sacrifice fly, this one to left field, for the inning’s second run.
Adrian Beltre drew a walk with first base open, then he and Ichiro pulled off a double steal.
That put both runners in scoring position for Jose Vidro, who drilled Loewen’s final pitch of the night over the head of center fielder Jones for a ground-rule double to cash in two more.
But then, it all stopped for the Mariners.
Seattle managed just one more hit over the three innings that followed and the Orioles began chipping away.
Jay Payton got the comeback started with a solo home run to left off Washburn on a 2-2 pitch to open the fourth. Melvin Mora led the fifth inning off with a single, took third on an ensuing hit by Nick Markakis, then scored on a Kevin Millar double play that cut the lead to 5-3.
Washburn was pulled after that frame, his pitch count bulging at 97.
Silva, Bedard on target
Carlos Silva went through his normal routine, riding an exercise bike for 40 minutes and seeing no reason why he won’t make his next start for the Mariners.
Silva, one of Seattle’s additions to its rotation in the off-season, left his start on Wednesday night in the seventh inning with tightness in his right thigh. After the game, Silva said he expected to make his next scheduled start, Tuesday in Cleveland, and his opinion didn’t change overnight.
“Nothing will put me out of my next start,” he said.
Meanwhile, Erik Bedard threw his second bullpen session of the week and is still expected to return from the disabled list on Saturday against Oakland.