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Reliving a long night

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Opponent: Oakland A’s

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: Safeco Field

TV: Fox Sports Net (cable)

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

Pitchers: Seattle right-hander Gil Meche (0-2, 5.40 earned run average) vs. right-hander Tim Hudson (2-0, 1.27).

Scott Spiezio had one question.

“How many pitches were there last night?” the Mariners’ third baseman asked Tuesday afternoon, about 15 hours after he had played all 14 innings of the Mariners’ 2-1 victory over the A’s.

“I’m tired right now,” Spiezio said.

He might have been more fatigued if he’d looked at some of numbers from a game that took 4 hours 47 minutes to play. It was Mariners’ longest game since their 13-inning victory last Sept. 5 at Baltimore, which lasted 5:01.

Here’s a numerical look at Monday night’s game:

  • 481: pitches thrown, including 283 strikes and 198 balls.

  • 82: outs recorded by both teams before the winning run scored

  • 32: runners left on base by both teams (16 each).

  • 21: strikeouts, including 14 recorded by Mariners pitchers.

  • 20: hits, 10 by each team.

  • 14: walks (six issued by the Mariners, eight by the A’s), including three intentional.

  • 11: pitchers used (six by the Mariners, five by the A’s).

  • 2: home runs, a fifth-inning drive by Raul Ibanez to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead and a ninth-inning homer by the A’s Jermaine Dye to tie the score.

  • 1: balk, committed by A’s relief pitcher Justin Duchscherer to force in the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning.

    Day of rest: Catcher Dan Wilson didn’t start Tuesday after playing all 14 innings Monday night, and designated hitter Edgar Martinez got the night off,

    “After 12 or 13 innings your legs are getting heavy,” said Melvin, a former catcher. “But Dan is a fighter. He even told me today, ‘I’m good to go.’ If it were up to Dan, he’d be out there again.”

    Designated hitter Edgar Martinez also didn’t start, and Melvin said it was nothing more than a day off.

    Balk talk: Melvin said the balk call on Duchscherer might be further proof that umpires are keeping a close eye this year on the fake-to-third-throw-to-first pickoff move. Mariners pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa was called for a balk after attempting a similar move during the opening series against the Angels.

    “I heard when Shiggy got called on it that it was going to be enforced a little more,” Melvin said. “It sounds like they’re trying to crack down on it and make sure the guy steps toward third base.”

    Umpires ruled that Duchscherer did not stride toward third on his initial move before turning and throwing to first baseman Erik Karros in an attempt to pick off Bret Boone. Karros was playing well off the bag, standing on the infield grass, and had to lunge to catch the throw.

    Even if a balk hadn’t been called on Duchscherer’s initial move to third base, his throw to Karros could have been ruled illegal because the first baseman wasn’t near the bag.

    Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer

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