DETROIT – Even on a meaningless trip, in a forgettable month in a lost season, the Seattle Mariners have seen small windows of hope.
What they haven’t had much in 2004 is a reason to laugh – which Edgar Martinez gave them midway through their 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
The game was won with enough clutch hitting, including a three-run home run by Willie Bloomquist, and behind the pitching of Gil Meche, George Sherrill and J.J. Putz.
All that might bode well for the future – who knows? It won’t much impact the Mariners’ 2004 season, since the win left them 30 games under .500 (46 -76). But as The Edgar’s two-month farewell tour continues, he left his teammates and coaching staff in stitches Sunday by doing something he hasn’t done in ages.
Trying to steal a base.
Bloomquist had homered to give the Mariners and Meche a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning when, with two outs, Martinez walked.
“They were playing behind him at first base, not guarding the bag at all,” Mariners manager Bob Melvin said, “so Edgar got a good lead. He timed the pitcher and took off on his own … “
Raul Ibanez singled sharply into right field on the pitch and Martinez – unsure where the ball was – slid into second base, then popped up and was held there by third base coach Dave Myers.
In the dugout, everyone was laughing, including Melvin.
“We all got a chuckle out of it,” he said.
At 41 and on ruined legs, Martinez hasn’t stolen a base since 2002. And when he saw what was happening in his dugout, even Martinez had to smile.
A moment later, he scored the Mariners’ final run when Bucky Jacobsen singled up the middle.
So there it was, a good time had by all in the Mariners’ camp – a light moment with Martinez, a two-run lead in the fifth inning, Meche pitching well …
Of course, anyone who has seen any of the previous 121 Seattle games this season knows better than to assume anything. This team doesn’t do anything easily, and that didn’t change Sunday.
Meche, now 3-0 in five starts since coming back from Tacoma, got that lead to the seventh inning.
“It took a lot of work to get back here,” Meche said. “Now, the goal is to stay focused, stay sharp, stay aggressive. I gave up – what? – eight or nine hits, but I didn’t walk anyone.
“I can live with that.”
Two outs into the seventh after Meche gave up nine hits, Melvin went to left -handed rookie Sherrill. The product of independent league baseball got ex -Mariner Carlos Guillen to pop out with runners on second and third base, then worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
“Left-handers, right-handers, he just throws strikes and gets outs,” Melvin said. “Almost from the beginning here, he’s done the job.”
In 15 major league appearances, Sherrill is 1-1 with a 2.79 earned-run average.
“The more work I get, the better I’ve been,” Sherrill said. “My control wasn’t always there early, but it’s come back. I like working a lot.”
And then there was the usual ninth-inning scare. Putz got the first two Tigers, then got a routine ground ball to shortstop from the third. Rookie Jose Lopez booted the ball for an error, then pinch-hitter Rondell White singled – and Putz was matched up with pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez.
“I knew I might face him somewhere that inning,” Putz said. “The error? It didn’t bother me. It happens.”
On a slider inside, Rodriguez lined out to right field to end the game and give Putz his third save.
“There are players making impressions now that will help decide what we do this winter,” Melvin said. “We’re taking long looks at a lot of kids, and a few of them are stepping forward. We’d like to win every game we play, but finding out what we have for next year may be as important.”
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