Notes
M’s getting ready for playoffs: John Olerud, who should know, was asked Saturday if major league teams have a bit of a let down after clinching a post-season berth – and the man who is about to get to the playoffs for the sixth time in his career thought before answering.
“No pitcher takes the mound thinking a loss is OK,” Olerud said. “No hitter goes to the plate thinking ‘out.’ No fielder thinks ‘error’ when a ball is hit to him.
“There’s too much pride on good teams to do any of that.”
So how to explain the Mariners losing three games in a row for the first time all year?
“I think we’ve just lost three in a row,” he said. “I’ve never played for a team that didn’t.”
Members of the Bay Area media swarmed the Seattle clubhouse, looking for reasons why the Athletics had taken the first two games of this series. Olerud didn’t give them much information they didn’t already have.
“They’re a good team, so are we,” Olerud said. “We’ll keep playing the way we have all season, and it’s worked pretty well so far.
“We have goals we can still reach. We have games to win. But we’re playing to get ready for the post-season right now – Oakland is playing to get into the post-season.”
100 RBI: Mike Cameron on the first 100 RBI season of his career: “It’s special.”
Just how special? He saved the ball from Friday night’s game, when he picked up RBI No. 100 for the first time in his career, then added No. 101 on Saturday. His previous single-season best was 78.
“It’s not like you can get 100 RBI having a couple of hot weeks,” Cameron said. “You have to be pretty consistent all year. I hit sixth most of the season, behind guys who were on base a lot.
“For me, it was a big, big thing.”
Now he’s turned his eyes toward another goal – a 30 home run, 30 stolen base season.
“I’ve got to get hot,” said Cameron, who has 24 home runs and 32 steals.
“But it can be done. You got to have fun challenging yourself.”
Short hops: Bret Boone wanted to play Saturday, but team trainers and manager Lou Piniella vetoed it. “If I’d marched in and said, ‘Lou, I’m playing,’ maybe he’d have put me in,” Boone said. “But I didn’t have that much fight in me today. I’ll be in there (today).” … David Bell’s progress from a strained rib cage is moving rapidly and he’ll be cleared to take ground balls and take a little batting practice off a tee today. … Before losing three consecutive games, the Mariners had lost two in a row 12 previous times – then out-scored the opposition, 78-34, in the third game. .. Jay Buhner needs a home run today to become the all-time leader in homers by an opposing player in the Oakland Coliseum. He’s hit 18 in his career, tying him with Carlton Fisk. … Entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, journeyman catcher Pat Borders went 2-for-2 and is now hitting .500 in four at-bats. …
Larry LaRue
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