Defense saves day as M’s keep road streak alive

By Larry LaRue

The News Tribune

BALTIMORE – The Seattle Mariners extended their major league record for series won on the road Sunday, turning a 1-0 lead over to Kazuhiro Sasaki who turned it over to Mark McLemore.

“This was a team save,” Sasaki said, smiling after notching his 41st of the year.

Seattle’s 1-0 victory over Baltimore was nothing if not a team win, and came about as close to being a team loss as you can come and still leave town with two out of three games under your belt.

Joel Pineiro pitched seven shutout innings, Bret Boone homered to give him that 1-0 lead and Ichiro Suzuki threw a runner out at the plate in the fourth inning.

Jose Paniagua and Arthur Rhodes combined for one hitless inning in relief, and the game was turned over to closer Sasaki.

“He’s had easier saves,” manager Lou Piniella said.

Baltimore’s Melvin Mora singled to open the ninth and, after striking out Chris Richard, Sasaki pitched carefully to cleanup hitter Jeff Conine – and walked him.

Up came future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., a man whose career batting average against the Mariners was .300.

“Ripken redefined the shortstop position with his productivity,” Piniella said. “He’s not an easy out now.”

In fact, he wasn’t an out at all – Ripken broke his bat on a Sasaki split-fingered fastball, but it sank quickly into left field. Mark McLemore, who’d played the first six innings at shortstop, then been moved to left field, started to charge the liner, then pulled back.

“I wasn’t 75 percent sure I could catch it or stop it,” he said. “If I dive and miss, not only does the tying run score but the go-ahead run gets to third base, maybe even scores if the ball kicks away.

“Even if I can’t get the runner at the plate playing it the way I did, the winning run stays at second base.”

McLemore played the hit on one long hop, then threw to the plate. Mora, running on the pitch, ran right through coach Tom Treblehorn’s stop sign and bore down on catcher Dan Wilson.

“I saw him out of the corner of my eye but I had to watch the ball,” Wilson said. “It came in on one hop, chest high, and gave me time to set up.”

Wilson was a bit too humble on that description. He left the plate for an instant to take the throw, wheeled and tagged Mora – who plate umpire Ed Montague called out.

“With my throw, the game was not on the line,” Suzuki insisted afterward. “There was no score. McLemore had much more on the line, it was a much more exciting play.”

Wilson said: “What was amazing to me was that Mark could play the infield for six innings, go to the outfield and then make the game-saving throw. That says a lot about his versatility.”

Given a reprieve by his left fielder, Sasaki got the final out on a routine fly ball.

Less than 48 hours after one of their worst games of the season – a 3-1 loss to the Orioles on Friday – the Mariners produced a September work of art. Superb pitching, marvelous defense, one big hit – and a win.

“You don’t see 1-0 games any more,” Boone said. “You just don’t. There’s too much offense. But to win one of those games, it’s going to come down to defense at some point, and we’re the best defensive team I’ve ever seen. Infield, outfield, catcher, we all play great defense.”

And the game-winning home run, his 32nd of the year?

“It was the seventh inning, there was no score,” Boone said. “I wasn’t thinking home run, but I was thinking ‘Get a fastball you can drive and hit it.’”

Rookie Rick Bauer, in his first major league appearance, had matched Pineiro zero-for-zero into the seventh inning. On his first pitch to Boone, he left a fastball a little too far over the plate.

Boone killed it, and the Mariners had the only run they needed.

“When you get one run and throw two guys out at the plate and win, I’d say that’s a pretty well-played game,” Piniella said.

The victory, Seattle’s 98th of the season, extended their streak of road series victories to 28 in a row. They won while getting only four hits. They won because of one hit and two throws.

“Which throw did I like better?” McLemore asked, repeating a question. “I was more impressed with mine. I had to make it with my arm – I mean, Ichiro, he just dares guys to run on him. It’s like, ‘Go ahead, try.’”

“You couldn’t ask for two better throws,” Wilson said. “If you’re catching, you want a good clean hop and the chance to get set. Both Ichiro and Mac gave me those kinds of throws.”

Sasaki smiled and pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead when asked about the ninth inning. The save, he said, was not just his this time.

“Ichiro and McLemore won the game with their arms,” he said.