SEATTLE – Jamie Moyer had just one victory since May 30 and, after his worst performance of the season last week at Oakland, he put his foot down.
Literally.
With a simple adjustment in the angle he placed his landing foot in his pitching delivery, Moyer on Sunday fixed what ailed him and the Seattle Mariners.
He held the Texas Rangers to four hits and a run in eight innings as the Mariners ended a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory at Safeco Field.
Talk about taking a step in the right direction, that’s exactly what it took for Moyer.
He lasted just 32/3 innings in his previous start at Oakland, struggling with his control and allowing eight hits, four walks and seven runs. When he woke up the next morning, Moyer immediately learned why.
“When I got out of bed and stepped on the floor, I felt a little stiffer than normal in my lower back,” he said.
That’s when Moyer realized his right foot – the one he plants on as he strides toward home plate – was pointing toward the first-base line and not the plate. He had suspected it during the game the previous day, having noticed his footprint in the dirt on the mound, but didn’t act on it as he concentrated on other matters with the game.
Two days later, when Moyer threw in the bullpen, he straightened out his stride and his control returned. Sunday, it never wavered.
Moyer gave up only Gary Matthews Jr.’s leadoff home run – on the first pitch of the game – and pitched with runners on second base just twice.
His biggest jam was the sixth inning, with the score tied 1-1, after Michael Young led off with a double and Mark Teixeira walked.
Hank Blalock scorched a line drive toward the right-field corner, but first baseman Scott Spiezio – starting because regular first baseman Richie Sexson had a stiff neck – made a lunging backhand catch.
“I thought that saved the game,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said.
Moyer then got Kevin Mench on a fly to right and Richard Hidalgo on a popup to third, and he retired the next six Rangers to keep the score tied going to the bottom of the eighth.
That’s when the Mariners won it, finally stringing together some hits off Rangers left-hander Kenny Rogers.
Willie Bloomquist, starting in center field as Jeremy Reed got the day off against Rogers, lined a single to left field and, after Pat Borders hit a fly to center for the first out, stole second base. Ichiro Suzuki then dribbled an infield single to shortstop, pushing Bloomquist to third.
Randy Winn hit a soft one-hopper to third and Blalock, who seemed to have an easy play on Bloomquist at the plate, instead tried to start a double play.
“With Randy running and the ball not being hit any harder than it was, I thought he had a good chance of beating it out,” Hargrove said.
Winn did, and Bloomquist scored the go-ahead run.
Mariners closer Eddie Guardado, who learned before the game that he’d been bypassed for the American League All-Star team, recorded his 20th save by getting four outs in the ninth.
That’s right, four.
With one out, catcher Pat Borders couldn’t handle a wicked sinker when Alfonso Soriano swung and missed strike three, and Soriano made it to first base. He later stole second, but Guardado got Mench and Hidalgo on flies to center that ended the game.
It also finished Moyer’s seventh victory in what became his most impressive statement to critics who have wondered if he might never get his good control back.
“Until I see his stuff diminish, I think he’s going to continue to be very effective,” pitching coach Bryan Price said. “I haven’t seen his stuff diminish since I’ve been in the organization.
“When he’s on like that, you just can’t string enough base hits together to do a lot of damage. He’s very difficult to beat.”
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