By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE — Eighteen hours after the Seattle Mariners clinched the American League West Division title, manager Lou Piniella cleared his bench.
What he threw out there Thursday wasn’t exactly a minor-league lineup dressed in major league uniforms. Ed Sprague played first base in place of John Olerud, Stan Javier was in right field for Ichiro Suzuki and Pat Borders started at catcher for Dan Wilson.
It’s not often a manager can toss out a group that has a combined five World Series rings.
If only they could have turned back the biological clock about eight years.
Borders and Sprague, teammates on Toronto’s World Series champion teams in 1992 and 1993, each committed an error in a 6-3 loss to the Anaheim Angels at Safeco Field.
The Mariners showed every sign of a day-after letdown following their night of high emotion Wednesday. They got only six hits off Angels starter Jarrod Washburn and not even a baserunner in the final three innings against relievers Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Troy Percival.
Piniella, needing to give his bench players some needed work and some injured men time off, wasn’t surprised at the result. He started little-used Charles Gipson at third in place of David Bell (strained rib cage) and rookie Ramon Vazquez at second instead of Bret Boone (bruised right heel).
"We’ve got some people hurt, and at the same time we’ve got to get some people some at-bats," he said.
The Mariners, 106-41, continue to chase the 1906 Cubs’ all-time record of 116 victories and the 1998 Yankees’ American League record of 114. They also must determine who fills the final few spots on the 25-man playoff roster.
"We’ve got to take a look at people and see how it’s going to (affect) our postseason plans," Piniella said. "We’ve got to make some decisions and the only way to make them is to give guys some (playing) time."
Sprague and Borders didn’t help themselves.
Sprague, 34, missed a throw from Gipson for an error in the first inning, although the Angels didn’t score.
Borders, a 38-year-old who started his first major league game since Sept. 18, 1999, fielded a bunt in the ninth inning but threw it away to put runners on second and third. The next two batters, Troy Glaus and Tim Salmon, each singled to drive in runs that cushioned the lead.
Borders threw out one of the two Angels who attempted to steal.
Javier, a 37-year-old who will retire after this season, performed younger than his years out of the leadoff spot. He walked twice, had one hit, stole a base and scored twice.
Gipson scored the Mariners’ only other run after he hit a triple in the fifth and came home on Vazquez’s sacrifice fly.
Mariners starter Aaron Sele, who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 5, left with the score tied 3-3 after seven innings, having allowed six hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
"We need to get him nice and sharp to get him ready for the playoffs," Piniella said.
As he did Wednesday, Piniella turned to a bullpen that needed work after a long layoff. The Angels took advantage.
John Halama, in his first appearance since Sept. 9, pitched the eighth and allowed a run for the first time since Aug. 5. He gave up three hits to the first four batters he faced, including an RBI single by Ben Molina that gave the Angels a 4-3 lead and ended Halama’s scoreless streak at 17 2/3 innings. Halama also was the losing pitcher, falling to 10-7.
Norm Charlton pitched the ninth and was knocked around in his first game since Sept. 8. He gave up two runs on three hits and a hit batter. Borders’ error also contributed to the Angels’ two insurance runs.
"We’ve got to get some people some at-bats and we’ve got to get our pitchers some work out of the bullpen," Piniella said. "We got beat. What can you say?"
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