Opponent: Boston Red Sox
When: 6:05 p.m.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: Fox Sports Net (cable)
Radio: KIRO (710 AM)
Pitchers: Seattle left-hander John Halama (1-0, 3.52 earned run average) vs. left-hander Darren Oliver (4-1, 3.18)
Desi Relaford leaned back in his chair in the Mariners’ clubhouse and marveled not at what he experienced Thursday night, but what he is living through this season.
The Mariners pulled off another big comeback, scoring three runs in the ninth inning to tie the score, then pushing across a run in the 11th to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7.
It was the Mariners’ 13th come-from-behind victory this season and the second time they’ve come from three runs behind in the ninth inning.
“It’s just weird,” said Relaford, whose infield single helped fuel the two-out rally in the ninth. “You’re behind and these guys just say, ‘All right, let’s go. Let’s play some ball and make it happen.’”
The Mariners made it happen with a multitude of heroics:
“I was just hoping I could run a straight line,” McLemore said.
“It’s the best stuff I’ve seen him have in the time he’s been here,” manager Lou Piniella said.
“This (feeling) was twice that,” Kaye said. “I had about a thousand things going through my head. ‘Don’t trip on my way to the mound. Don’t walk anybody.’ In the bullpen I was nervous and I had to walk around a lot to clear my head. But after my first few pitches, I was fine.”
Record night: The Mariners set a club single-game record Thursday with six stolen bases – by six different players – and also for the 16 walks issued by Toronto pitchers.
In what might have been a record, only one of those walks came around to score as the M’s left 20 runners on base.
“We were patient getting them on base and not so patient getting them in,” Piniella said.
Kaz expected today: Relief pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki, who flew to Japan on Thursday to handle a family business matter, probably will be in uniform and ready to play tonight if needed.
“That’s what I’m told,” Piniella said. “If he’s back, he’ll be ready to pitch.”
Back from surgery: Jeff Nelson was in the clubhouse with his right arm in a sling just hours after undergoing surgery Friday morning to remove bone spurs near his elbow.
“If I took the sling off, my arm would drop to the floor,” Nelson said. “It’s still numb.”
It was obvious that Nelson’s thoughts also were still a little numb as he described his operation, performed by Dr. Larry Pedegana, the team’s medical director.
“There where three (bone chips) and he said one of them was pretty good sized,” Nelson said. “Like a lima bean. If you like lima beans.”
He told reporters at his locker that he also had three bone chips removed in 1999.
“Maybe I need to get spayed or neutered to make sure they don’t come back,” he said.
Nobody seemed willing to ask another question after that. Nelson just smiled.
“I think all this is coming from the anesthetic,” he said.
Nelson said Pedegana told him the surgery went well. He will begin rehabilitation in the next few days and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
One more week for Edgar: Piniella said Edgar Martinez, who felt pain in his surgically repaired left leg early this week while taking batting practice, may spend one more week recovering before he is activated.
The Mariners had planned to bring him back on Tuesday in Toronto before he experienced the setback.
Piniella said Martinez would travel with the team and work out next week in Toronto and, barring another setback, play a few minor league games next weekend before being removed from the disabled list.
Martinez ruptured a tendon behind his knee early last month and, according to Pedegana, probably felt scar tissue tearing loose from the spot where the tendon was surgically removed.
Kirby Arnold
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