By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE — The drama of the division race was over by the end of April, when the Seattle Mariners had built a nine-game lead. By the first of June they led Oakland by 15 games, and at the All-Star break everybody started calculating their magic number.
When the time finally arrived for the Mariners to clinch the American League West championship, they met the occasion with handshakes, pats on the back and a return to their game in progress.
The Mariners won the West on Wednesday long before they had won their game.
They led Anaheim 1-0 in the fourth inning at Safeco Field when they learned that Texas had defeated second-place Oakland. It eliminated the A’s from title contention and assured the Mariners their third division crown since 1995.
Five innings later, the Mariners finished off the Angels 5-0 and then held a victory observance that kept baseball in perspective after a period in U.S. history that will be remembered for what was lost.
Mark McLemore took an American flag to the top of the pitcher’s mound, his teammates and coaches dropped to a knee on the grass and they all said a prayer for the victims of last week’s terrorist attacks.
"We wanted to remember the people who suffered," manager Lou Piniella said. "We didn’t want our win to overshadow any of that. We all talked about it and that’s what we wanted to do as a team. And at the same time, we wanted to salute our fans."
McLemore then carried the flag on a slow lap around the infield, his teammates trailing him with their caps hoisted high in a salute to the fans.
Arthur Rhodes broke from the ranks and sprinted toward the left-field foul line, where he embraced a police officer, then shared handshakes with a receiving line of fans.
In the clubhouse, before reporters or cameras were allowed in, the team shared a private champagne toast.
"We had a little champagne because we’ve worked hard," Piniella said. "It was subdued and it was in very good taste."
Besides the division championship, the Mariners secured something just as important.
They assured themselves of the best record in baseball, which will give them the home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The home edge in the World Series is on a rotating basis, and the National League will get up to four home games this year.
That is the ultimate goal.
Until then, the Mariners still have plenty to achieve in their final 16 regular-season games.
They can top the 1906 Chicago Cubs’ the all-time record of 116 victories by going 11-5, and can beat the 1998 Yankees’ American League-record 114 victories by going 9-7.
"I said a long time ago that I wasn’t going to tax this club to get a win record," Piniella said. "But it’s there in front of us."
Individually, Ichiro Suzuki can close out his Rookie of the Year season with a league batting title. He had one hit Wednesday and is batting .349, well ahead of Cleveland’s Juan Gonzalez (.341) and Texas’ Frank Catalanotto (.340).
The Mariners used the same formula Wednesday that carried them all season: solid pitching, errorless defense and enough offense to support it all.
Jamie Moyer and four relievers shut out the Angels for the second straight game.
Moyer befuddled Anaheim with a three-hitter over six innings that put him in position for a 20-victory season. He is 18-5 and should get three more starts before the regular season ends.
"Jamie pitched his usual game," Piniella said.
The parade of relievers, in dire need of work after last week’s layoff, started with Jose Paniagua, who made his first appearance in 15 days. He gave up consecutive one-out singles in the seventh and was replaced by left-hander Arthur Rhodes (last outing: Sept. 10), who produced two fly outs to end the Angels’ threat.
Jeff Nelson (last outing: Sept. 7) struck out two and pitched a scoreless eighth, and Kazuhiro Sasaki (Sept. 9) retired the Angels in order in the ninth.
Behind the pitching was another night of unblemished work by the Mariners’ defense, which leads the major leagues with a .987 fielding percentage. Third baseman Mark McLemore made the save of the game, a leaping stab of Troy Glaus’ line drive toward the left-field corner with runners on first and second with one out in the sixth inning.
McLemore drove in the Mariners’ first run with a second-inning double that scored Mike Cameron, and the M’s pulled away in the fifth with three runs off Angels starter Scott Schoeneweis.
Suzuki reached on an error, then went to second on a passed ball, to third when Carlos Guillen singled to right field and home on Bret Boone’s run-scoring fielder’s choice to make it a 2-0 game.
Edgar Martinez launched his 22nd home run deep into the Angels’ bullpen in left field for a 4-0 lead, and the Mariners added their fifth run in the sixth inning when Cameron singled, stole second base and scored on Jay Buhner’s single to right.
After that, the Mariners progressed gracefully into their crowning moment with their emotional tribute to more than their championship.
"It was the right thing to do," Piniella said. "We knew we were going to be the first team to clinch and this sets everything in proper perspective. Then we came in for a toast.
"Hopefully, we can do this three more times. That’s our goal and our objective."
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