SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners know power isn’t their game. But what they had done in their first 11 games this season bordered on anemia.
Their four home runs in the first 11 games were the fewest in baseball and were a mystery that nearly rivaled their 3-8 start.
That changed Sunday.
Three swings gave the Mariners their second straight victory when home runs by Bret Boone, Raul Ibanez and Scott Spiezio provided all the scoring in a 4-2 triumph over the Texas Rangers.
“We don’t have a bunch of guys who will hit 25 home runs, but we’ve got some guys who will take you deep,” Boone said. “Power is nice to have, but it’s not necessarily something you need up and down the lineup.”
It became necessary Sunday after the Rangers scored two early runs off Mariners starter Joel Pineiro, then settled in behind right-hander Ryan Drese, who held the M’s to five hits and no runs in five scoreless innings.
Then the Mariners hauled out their power strokes.
Boone hit a solo homer – his fourth this season – off Drese in the sixth inning to cut Texas’ lead to 2-1. Two batters later, Ibanez hit a two-run homer – his first of the season – off reliever Erasmo Ramirez to make it 3-2. Spiezio hit his first homer as a Mariner off Jay Powell in the eighth.
The Mariners know they won’t rival many teams in a home run derby, especially at spacious Safeco Field where numerous high drives already have dropped short of the fences this season. But they will need to show some power.
“I don’t know about over-the-fence power,” Ibanez said. “I’m a big believer in doubles and line drives. You need to drive balls into the gaps and score guys from first, with some occasional over-the-fence power.
“There’s guys who are going to hit home runs on this team. Maybe not guys who will hit 30 or 40, but there’s going to be guys hitting double-digit home runs, 15, 20, 25.”
None Sunday was bigger than Ibanez’s first homer.
Spiezio had singled with two outs when the Rangers brought sidearm-throwing left-hander Ramirez to face the left-handed-hitting Ibanez. Ramirez threw two quick strikes, then a mistake.
“I fouled off a changeup and he threw me the same pitch again,” Ibanez said. “I tried to stay back and hit it through the middle.”
He hit it through the middle all right. The middle of Section 107 beyond the right field fence.
“That was a huge home run, not only for him but for us because we were still battling back,” manager Bob Melvin said.
Spiezio’s homer was big, too, because it gave M’s closer Eddie Guardado a two-run cushion in the ninth. Reliever Jay Powell got Spiezio into a two-strike hole, then threw a full-count fastball that he clubbed over the right-field fence.
“I never think of home runs,” Spiezio said. “I just like to hit the ball hard on line. I don’t try for them. There are guys who could probably do that, but I’m not good enough to do that.”
Guardado pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save in as many games, completing a couple of firsts this season for the Mariners.
They have a two-game winning streak for the first time, and they recorded their first series victory of the season by taking two of three from the Rangers.
“And if you really want to think positive, we’ve won three of four,” Boone said, pointing out the Mariners’ victory Thursday at Anaheim.
In all three victories they got solid starting pitching – Pineiro recovered from his slow start Sunday and allowed six hits in 6 2/3innings – plus a dose of power hitting they hadn’t displayed in their first 11 games and may not produce very often this season.
“When you look at this lineup, we’re not a power team,” Boone said. “We’ve got to do what we do: play defense, pitch and give you quality, tough at-bats up and down the lineup.
“We can’t worry about home runs; we’ve got to worry about wins. It was nice to be shaking hands after a game because I forgot what that was like.”
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