ST. LOUIS – A two hour rain delay was more like a stay of execution for the Seattle Mariners Friday.
The lightning and thunder put on quite a show, and as soon as it stopped, so did the St. Louis Cardinals, who used 11 hits and eight walks to create an easy 11-2 victory over Seattle.
What was a close game early turned into a blow out fast, and that coincided with Jamie Moyer’s departure during the rain delay. When the weather tried to drown 35,186 fans, the Mariners determined their 41-year-old starter would not be served by returning to the mound.
“After an hour, I don’t want my pitcher going back out there,” manager Bob Melvin said. “After two hours, it wasn’t going to happen.”
So Moyer left, after two ininngs, with the game tied at 1.
It didn’t stay tied long.
Rookie left-hander Matt Thornton, whose first major league start was postponed Thursday so Travis Blackley could pitch, entered the game in the third inning. He struck out the first man he faced, then gave up a double to Cardinals pitcher Woody Wiliams.
He struck out Tony Womack, then gave up an RBI double. Then and RBI single. Then a walk and another RBI double.
That made it 4-1 with six innings left, but for all practical purposes, this game was over. The Mariners never got closer, the Cardinals continued to hammer away and Seattle’s offense seemed to leave when Moyer did.
“I came into a situation where you have to throw strikes, and I didn’t,” Thornton said. “Hitters aren’t going to chase pitches when you fall behind them, and I did.
“I tried to adjust, I just didn’t do it quickly enough. You walk – what – five guys, give up a few hits, that’s going to beat you. I didn’t want my first big-league decision to be a loss, but there you go. By the time I made any adjustment at all, it was too late.”
The Mariners came in prepared to play National League baseball, and when Ichiro Suzuki singled leading off the first inning, Melvin green-lighted him. Ichiro stole his 20th base of the season.
Randy Winn moved him to third base with a ground ball. Jolbert Cabrera got him home with a fly ball.
So much for Mariners highlights, a 1-0 first inning lead.
What followed looked like what it was, a bad July matchup between a first place team and a last place team, and when it was over no one doubted which was which.
Home runs by Reggie Sanders and ex-Mariner John Mabry sparked the St. Louis attack, but for much of the night every St. Louis rally should have had a “support provided by the Seattle Mariners” sign on it.
“Matt was wild, J.J. (Putz) was a little wild, we put way too many men on base for them,” Melvin said.
The Cardinals rally in the fifth inning? Thornton walked the first two men he faced to bring up major league RBI leader Scott Rolen. In some circles, that’s considered a mistake.
Rolen got one run home and two outs later, Thornton’s fourth walk of the inning forced home another.
When St. Louis scored four times in the sixth inning, Thornton was gone. Putz gave up an infield single, then walked Rich Renteria to bring up Albert Pujols.
Pujols got one run home, and two outs later Mabry hit his fifth home run of the season. And he’s only been playing for the Cardinals for a month.
The Mariners had one point-blank scoring chance, loading the bases in the seventh inning on a single and two walks. Willie Bloomquist popped out, and the only way the Mariners got on the scoreboard again was when John Olerud homered leading off the ninth.
Along the way, the Mariners ran out pinch-hitters – Justin Leone, in his first major league at-bat, Edgar Martinez and Dave Hansen. Leone grounded out. Martinez singled. Hansen struck out.
Without Martinez in the lineup the next few days, Melvin will juggle his batting order a bit. Pat Borders will catch, Hiram Bocachica will start in center field.
The question to be raised, however, may be when the Mariners are going to start playing the young position players on their roster – Bloomquist, Leone, Bocachica – with more regularity, and perhaps consider bringing up more of them.
Seattle has now lost 46 games, and in 26 of those losses the Mariners have scored three runs or less. It’s July, and the veteran bats aren’t doing the job.
Would it hurt to lose with players who need experience?
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