Thursday, April 15, 2004
ONE TWENTY-FIVE
The Mariners took their 1-6 record into the second game of the series at Angel Stadium, and they had Freddy Garcia on the hill, who had a pretty good start his first time out. Garcia was up against Ramon Ortiz, who is again wearing number 36 after dabbling in number 45 and trying to be Pedro Lite. Thanks to Ron Fairly, the fact that Ramon Ortiz likes to throw fastballs when behind in the count was mercilessly beaten into my head.
Here comes the recap...
top 1 -- Ichiro 0-2 (looking)...2-2 swing at ground...4-3; Olerud 1-2 swing K; Edgar single CF; Boone soft lineout 2B
bot 1 -- Eckstein 0-2...fly CF; Erstad 2-0...2-2...full fly RF; Vlad 1-2 (close pitch)...2-2 fly 3B
>> Nothing much offensively for the Mariners in the first. Freddy has a good first inning. Ron Fairly tells us that Vlad Guerrero is a great bad ball hitter, then feels he has to explain what a bad ball hitter is. His explanation yields nothing more than what the phrase gives away to begin with.
top 2 -- Ibanez 2-0...3-1...full BB; Aurilia (bunt foul?? up and in pitch)...fly RF; Winn 1-0 (Ibanez gunned badly 2-4 at 2B)...3-1...full BB; Hansen 0-2...4-6 FC
bot 2 -- Garret first-pitch single LF; Guillen 1-2 swing K; Salmon first-pitch 2B LF; Kennedy U3 (ANDERSON SCORES); Halter 2-2...2B CF (hanging curve, SALMON SCORES); J Molina F2
>> Ibanez drew the leadoff walk, then Aurilia tried to bunt an up-and-in pitch, but ended up flying out to right. Ibanez broke for second on the 1-0 pitch to Winn and the play wasn't even close. Ron Fairly then squawked that there might be a chance the Angels had stolen signs. Come on, Ron. Bottom line in the inning is that Ortiz walked two hitters and nobody scored, let alone got to scoring position. The Angels drew first blood in the 2nd, when they started keying on the first-pitch fastball from Freddy. In another moment to lament the centerfield dropoff, Shane Halter's double to CF would have been caught on the fly by Mike Cameron; there's no doubt in my mind about that.
top 3 -- Davis fly CF; Ichiro 1-2...swing K; Olerud 2-2...full look K
bot 3 -- Eckstein first-pitch 2B LF; Erstad 1-6-5 FC (Erstad to 2nd during rundown SOMEHOW); Vlad 3-1 fly CF (Erstad to third, nice arm); Garret (nice curve on 1-1) 1-2...2-2...swing K putout 2-3
>> For the offense, Ichiro was impatient, and Olerud was a little too patient. Ortiz probably had his easiest inning. Eckstein roped the first pitch for a double then was caught in a rundown on the Erstad play. Erstad got to second on the same play. The Mariners would get away with that mistake as Freddy handled Garret and Vlad.
top 4 -- Edgar 2-0...single LF (Guillen bobble, Edgar slow); Boone HR CF (TIE GAME); Ibanez lineout 2B; Aurilia 1-2...2-2 2B off RCF wall; Winn 2-0...3-1...full BB; Hansen 6-4-3 DP
bot 4 -- Guillen 0-2...(close on 1-2)...2-2 very low off end bat 1B CF; Salmon HR LCF (4-2 Angels); Kennedy 0-2...1-2...2-2 sliding catch Ibanez LF; Halter 6-3; J Molina first-pitch 1B LF; Eckstein first-pitch infield fly SS
>> Edgar got a good count and singled, then Boone hit the bomb to tie it. With two on and one out (nice double by Aurilia) Dave Hansen bounces into the 6-4-3, which brings up the slogan, "TWO ON, ONE OUT, SO WHAT?!!" Guillen laid the ball on a really low pitch and got aboard, then Salmon launched an immaculate arc over the wall in LCF. Freddy let another baserunner on, but weathered the rest of the storm. Jose Molina also nailed a first pitch for his single.
top 5 -- Davis fly CF; Ichiro 1B CF; Olerud 0-2...2-2...2B LCF gap (ICHIRO SCORES, 4-3 Angels); Edgar lineout 3B; Boone high fly RF
bot 5 -- Erstad 0-2 swing K; Vlad infield hit to 3B; Garret first-pitch 1B RF; Guillen FC (Garret out at 2nd, 5-4); Salmon 1B LF (VLAD SCORES, 5-3 Angels); Kennedy 2-0 fly 2B
>> Davis hit a ball to CF and Niehaus whipped out the "belted" call prematurely. Ichiro got aboard with Olerud up, which bears the question, will Ichiro ever run again? Dave and Ron were talking pretty extensive about it, but I was only half paying attention when Ron ended something by saying Ichiro would steal 75% of the time in a certain situation, but I didn't hear what the certain situation was. Anyway, Ichiro didn't have to break on a steal because Olerud drove him in. Erstad whiffed on a changeup, which Niehaus noted Freddy wasn't throwing a lot to that point. Vlad got on with an infield hit to Hansen, then Garret singled. Guillen grounded into what should have been a double play, but Boone looped a throw way wide of the 1B bag that pulled Olerud off. The inning should have been over. Salmon then hit a single to get the Angels the lead. So, in the 4th and 5th, the first runners got aboard on a reaching-low single and an infield single and both scored. Freddy ended the inning at 80 pitches.
top 6 -- Ibanez U3; Aurilia 0-2 (SHIELDS WARMING)...(VILLONE WARMING) (0-2 pitch mighty close)...2-2 swing K; Winn 2-0 2B LF (aboard all three times); Hansen 0-2 (Ortiz at 101)...1-2 hard-hit 1B under Erstad RF (Angels 5-4); (SHIELDS IN) Davis FC 5-4
bot 6 -- Halter (VILLONE WARMING) 1-2 swing K; J Molina 0-2...end of bat 1B CF over Boone; Eckstein (J MOLINA STEALS 2nd, Davis throw into runner and into CF, no advance)...fly LF; Erstad ground 3-1
>> Hansen got a 2-out run-scoring single to bring the Mariners to within one before Ortiz was yanked. With the Angel bullpen taking over, it didn't look good for the Mariners. Garcia gives up another dinker "damn it" hit, this one to Jose Molina. Unlike the Guillen single, this doesn't lead to scoring, as Freddy strands the runner in scoring position.
top 7 -- Ichiro 2-2...look K; Olerud 0-2...1-2...2-2...full BB; Edgar fly CF; Boone 6-3
bot 7 -- Vlad first-pitch 2B LF smoked; Garret first-pitch 1B CF drop in between Winn/Aurilia; HASEGAWA IN; Guillen 4-pitch walk; Salmon first-pitch infield fly SS; Kennedy 2-0 fly LF (Vlad out 7-2)
>> This inning scared many a Mariner fan after Ichiro fouled the ball off his foot and hobbled around for a minute or two. He was healthy enough to stay in and was caught looking. Olerud fought back from 0-2 to draw a walk in a hard-fought at-bat. Then Edgar flew out and Boone bounced out to short. Freddy's game ended after Vlad smoked the first pitch for a double, then Garret dropped one inbetween Winn and Aurilia, a play on which Winn broke backward with his first step. That ball's got to be caught. That play seemed like it unfolded in slow motion. Freddy had a game. If anything, it leaned toward substandard. He gave up five runs, but didn't walk anyone. He gave up thirteen hits, but a couple of those were dinkers. Some help from the defense on plays that are usually made would have helped. Hasegawa came in and promptly threw four straight balls. He got Salmon to fly out, erasing any possibility of his bomb off Shig from the stretch run last year (though he'd already had a mammoth blast earlier in the game). Hasegawa then fell behind 2-0 on Adam Kennedy, but got him to fly out to left. Vlad tagged up and tried to score, but was nailed by Raul Ibanez on the throw and Ben Davis on the tag. I didn't see multiple angles the first time, but I saw these angles hours afterward and I thought Vlad was safe. Oh well. But everyone should stop, take a deep breath, and listen to what I'm about to tell you -- DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH RAUL IBANEZ'S ARM. He got lucky, and Vlad's not the fastest runner. That play unfolded almost as slowly as the Garret Anderson single from earlier in the inning. Hasegawa threw six balls and two strikes in the inning but got three outs and no one scored. He cleaned up Freddy's mess.
top 8 -- RODRIGUEZ, DA VANON IN (Vlad in dugout icing knee); Ibanez 2-2 slider swing K; Aurilia 1B RF; Winn 2-0 (2-1 pitch mighty close)...3-1 U3 DP
bot 8 -- Halter 1B RF; J Molina bunt 1-4; Eckstein (PERCIVAL WARMING) lineout SS; Erstad 2-0...3-1 hard-hit fly RF
>> Ibanez whiffed on a breaking ball (I'm used to it). Aurilia singled and was doubled off on the Winn line shot to Erstad. F Rodriguez does the job. The Angels played for the insurance run after Halter got aboard and Jose Molina bunted. Hasegawa got Eckstein to line out and Erstad to fly out to RF after giving him juicy hitters' counts.
top 9 -- PERCIVAL IN; Hansen bloop 1B CF (BLOOMQUIST PINCH-RUN); WILSON PH bunt foul TWICE...(Bloomquist steals) full 1B RF (BLOOMQUIST SCORES, TIE GAME...no Vlad in right); Ichiro off wall 2B RCF; Olerud 0-2...fly SS; Edgar (GUARDADO WARMING) F5; Boone 0-2 fly RF
bot 9 -- HASEGAWA STILL IN (MATEO WARMING); Vlad 2-0...BB (FIGGINS PINCH-RUN); MYERS IN; Garret 2-0...full swing K (FIGGINS STEALS SECOND); MATEO IN; Guillen (Mateo multiple stepoffs toward 2B)...0-2 (FIGGINS STEALS THIRD)...1-2...2-2 (nice block Wilson)...full HBP (Guillen ticked); DaVanon...pitchout on 0-1...2-2...SF RF (FIGGINS SCORES)
>> The 8th and 9th hitters somehow set the table for the Mariners against closer Troy Percival. Dave Hansen drops a single into CF. Dan Wilson, "best bunter on the team," blows the bunt twice (does someone remember the game down the stretch last year where he blew the bunt?) but then singles. Apparently he still can't bunt. Pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist stole second when Wilson was up and scored on the single to tie the game. Ichiro doubled off the gap in RCF, putting runners in scoring position with nobody out. I thought while I was typing this -- what if they could have pinch-ran for Wilson once he got on? Could a pinch-runner have scored on the Ichiro double? Of course, this would have meant some sort of defensive chasm behind the plate, as the only thing I can think of is pinch-running with McCracken, having him play left, then putting Ibanez behind the plate (he came up through the system as a catcher, but this is the same stupid reasoning that makes Scott Spiezio an option at third base). Anyway, with two on in scoring position and nobody out, the Mariners sent Olerud (fly to short), Edgar (foul fly to Halter), and Boone (fly to right) to the dish and all three failed to move the runners in any way. Olerud and Boone got into crappy counts while Edgar swung early in the count. As for the pitching, I sort of objected with Shig coming in again because I thought if he pitched any longer, he might be burned for the rest of the series, let alone tomorrow. There might be a chance he goes tomorrow though, who knows. Of course, my reasoning sort of assumed Shig would get through more of the inning than he did. He walked Vlad and was gone. Mike Myers came in and promptly fell behind 2-0 to Garret (Niehaus said Myers was floating pitches in at 71 mph) before getting him to strike out. Myers fulfills the LOOGY role tonight. Of course, pinch-runner Chone Figgins stole second on the strikeout pitch, beating the Wilson throw. Julio Mateo then came in. After stepping off multiple times toward second to keep tabs on Chone Figgins, the runner broke toward third on the 0-2 pitch to Jose Guillen and nabbed the bag. Almost immediately after Figgins got onto third, Fairly (and Niehaus too after Guillen got aboard) noted that Winn was much too deep to throw out Figgins, should it come to that. Guillen worked the count full before getting beaned, but his run was meaningless. Jeff DaVanon came up in Tim Salmon's slot in the batting order. From the Guillen at-bat before, I was putting myself in Mike Scioscia's shoes and once Guillen was aboard, I would have totally put on the squeeze. All DaVanon would have had to do was bunt the ball so it didn't go right to a fielder. The fielders would have to go straight to the plate unless they tried to go all the way to second and roll a double play (so then the runner crossing the plate wouldn't count). Okay, so the bunting here is harder than it sounds. A hilarious thing about the DaVanon at-bat was that the Mariners finally pitched out AFTER Figgins was no longer a threat to steal second or third. Anyway, DaVanon hit a ball that was deep enough to Ichiro, and Chone Figgins scored. Ballgame. One run on no hits in the 9th for the Angels.
If I could give the opposing team a gameball here, it'd be Mike Scioscia. I'd bow down to him if he would have put the squeeze on and drove in the winning run with it, but I'm still commending the former Dodger catcher for managing to use one player -- Chone Figgins -- to turn the game in the Angels' favor. You think Mike Scioscia didn't know something about Dan Wilson's arm? Masterfully done, Sir Scioscia.
Gameball: Rich Aurilia. Double, single, didn't play too brutally in the field. Edgar went 2-for-5, but he was involved in the 9th-inning futility.
I won't pick an exclusive goat, but I'd have to call a tie right now between Randy Winn and Bret Boone. Boone for looping the double play throw and Winn for having issues again in CF.
Franklin and Lackey tomorrow.
Here comes the recap...
top 1 -- Ichiro 0-2 (looking)...2-2 swing at ground...4-3; Olerud 1-2 swing K; Edgar single CF; Boone soft lineout 2B
bot 1 -- Eckstein 0-2...fly CF; Erstad 2-0...2-2...full fly RF; Vlad 1-2 (close pitch)...2-2 fly 3B
>> Nothing much offensively for the Mariners in the first. Freddy has a good first inning. Ron Fairly tells us that Vlad Guerrero is a great bad ball hitter, then feels he has to explain what a bad ball hitter is. His explanation yields nothing more than what the phrase gives away to begin with.
top 2 -- Ibanez 2-0...3-1...full BB; Aurilia (bunt foul?? up and in pitch)...fly RF; Winn 1-0 (Ibanez gunned badly 2-4 at 2B)...3-1...full BB; Hansen 0-2...4-6 FC
bot 2 -- Garret first-pitch single LF; Guillen 1-2 swing K; Salmon first-pitch 2B LF; Kennedy U3 (ANDERSON SCORES); Halter 2-2...2B CF (hanging curve, SALMON SCORES); J Molina F2
>> Ibanez drew the leadoff walk, then Aurilia tried to bunt an up-and-in pitch, but ended up flying out to right. Ibanez broke for second on the 1-0 pitch to Winn and the play wasn't even close. Ron Fairly then squawked that there might be a chance the Angels had stolen signs. Come on, Ron. Bottom line in the inning is that Ortiz walked two hitters and nobody scored, let alone got to scoring position. The Angels drew first blood in the 2nd, when they started keying on the first-pitch fastball from Freddy. In another moment to lament the centerfield dropoff, Shane Halter's double to CF would have been caught on the fly by Mike Cameron; there's no doubt in my mind about that.
top 3 -- Davis fly CF; Ichiro 1-2...swing K; Olerud 2-2...full look K
bot 3 -- Eckstein first-pitch 2B LF; Erstad 1-6-5 FC (Erstad to 2nd during rundown SOMEHOW); Vlad 3-1 fly CF (Erstad to third, nice arm); Garret (nice curve on 1-1) 1-2...2-2...swing K putout 2-3
>> For the offense, Ichiro was impatient, and Olerud was a little too patient. Ortiz probably had his easiest inning. Eckstein roped the first pitch for a double then was caught in a rundown on the Erstad play. Erstad got to second on the same play. The Mariners would get away with that mistake as Freddy handled Garret and Vlad.
top 4 -- Edgar 2-0...single LF (Guillen bobble, Edgar slow); Boone HR CF (TIE GAME); Ibanez lineout 2B; Aurilia 1-2...2-2 2B off RCF wall; Winn 2-0...3-1...full BB; Hansen 6-4-3 DP
bot 4 -- Guillen 0-2...(close on 1-2)...2-2 very low off end bat 1B CF; Salmon HR LCF (4-2 Angels); Kennedy 0-2...1-2...2-2 sliding catch Ibanez LF; Halter 6-3; J Molina first-pitch 1B LF; Eckstein first-pitch infield fly SS
>> Edgar got a good count and singled, then Boone hit the bomb to tie it. With two on and one out (nice double by Aurilia) Dave Hansen bounces into the 6-4-3, which brings up the slogan, "TWO ON, ONE OUT, SO WHAT?!!" Guillen laid the ball on a really low pitch and got aboard, then Salmon launched an immaculate arc over the wall in LCF. Freddy let another baserunner on, but weathered the rest of the storm. Jose Molina also nailed a first pitch for his single.
top 5 -- Davis fly CF; Ichiro 1B CF; Olerud 0-2...2-2...2B LCF gap (ICHIRO SCORES, 4-3 Angels); Edgar lineout 3B; Boone high fly RF
bot 5 -- Erstad 0-2 swing K; Vlad infield hit to 3B; Garret first-pitch 1B RF; Guillen FC (Garret out at 2nd, 5-4); Salmon 1B LF (VLAD SCORES, 5-3 Angels); Kennedy 2-0 fly 2B
>> Davis hit a ball to CF and Niehaus whipped out the "belted" call prematurely. Ichiro got aboard with Olerud up, which bears the question, will Ichiro ever run again? Dave and Ron were talking pretty extensive about it, but I was only half paying attention when Ron ended something by saying Ichiro would steal 75% of the time in a certain situation, but I didn't hear what the certain situation was. Anyway, Ichiro didn't have to break on a steal because Olerud drove him in. Erstad whiffed on a changeup, which Niehaus noted Freddy wasn't throwing a lot to that point. Vlad got on with an infield hit to Hansen, then Garret singled. Guillen grounded into what should have been a double play, but Boone looped a throw way wide of the 1B bag that pulled Olerud off. The inning should have been over. Salmon then hit a single to get the Angels the lead. So, in the 4th and 5th, the first runners got aboard on a reaching-low single and an infield single and both scored. Freddy ended the inning at 80 pitches.
top 6 -- Ibanez U3; Aurilia 0-2 (SHIELDS WARMING)...(VILLONE WARMING) (0-2 pitch mighty close)...2-2 swing K; Winn 2-0 2B LF (aboard all three times); Hansen 0-2 (Ortiz at 101)...1-2 hard-hit 1B under Erstad RF (Angels 5-4); (SHIELDS IN) Davis FC 5-4
bot 6 -- Halter (VILLONE WARMING) 1-2 swing K; J Molina 0-2...end of bat 1B CF over Boone; Eckstein (J MOLINA STEALS 2nd, Davis throw into runner and into CF, no advance)...fly LF; Erstad ground 3-1
>> Hansen got a 2-out run-scoring single to bring the Mariners to within one before Ortiz was yanked. With the Angel bullpen taking over, it didn't look good for the Mariners. Garcia gives up another dinker "damn it" hit, this one to Jose Molina. Unlike the Guillen single, this doesn't lead to scoring, as Freddy strands the runner in scoring position.
top 7 -- Ichiro 2-2...look K; Olerud 0-2...1-2...2-2...full BB; Edgar fly CF; Boone 6-3
bot 7 -- Vlad first-pitch 2B LF smoked; Garret first-pitch 1B CF drop in between Winn/Aurilia; HASEGAWA IN; Guillen 4-pitch walk; Salmon first-pitch infield fly SS; Kennedy 2-0 fly LF (Vlad out 7-2)
>> This inning scared many a Mariner fan after Ichiro fouled the ball off his foot and hobbled around for a minute or two. He was healthy enough to stay in and was caught looking. Olerud fought back from 0-2 to draw a walk in a hard-fought at-bat. Then Edgar flew out and Boone bounced out to short. Freddy's game ended after Vlad smoked the first pitch for a double, then Garret dropped one inbetween Winn and Aurilia, a play on which Winn broke backward with his first step. That ball's got to be caught. That play seemed like it unfolded in slow motion. Freddy had a game. If anything, it leaned toward substandard. He gave up five runs, but didn't walk anyone. He gave up thirteen hits, but a couple of those were dinkers. Some help from the defense on plays that are usually made would have helped. Hasegawa came in and promptly threw four straight balls. He got Salmon to fly out, erasing any possibility of his bomb off Shig from the stretch run last year (though he'd already had a mammoth blast earlier in the game). Hasegawa then fell behind 2-0 on Adam Kennedy, but got him to fly out to left. Vlad tagged up and tried to score, but was nailed by Raul Ibanez on the throw and Ben Davis on the tag. I didn't see multiple angles the first time, but I saw these angles hours afterward and I thought Vlad was safe. Oh well. But everyone should stop, take a deep breath, and listen to what I'm about to tell you -- DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH RAUL IBANEZ'S ARM. He got lucky, and Vlad's not the fastest runner. That play unfolded almost as slowly as the Garret Anderson single from earlier in the inning. Hasegawa threw six balls and two strikes in the inning but got three outs and no one scored. He cleaned up Freddy's mess.
top 8 -- RODRIGUEZ, DA VANON IN (Vlad in dugout icing knee); Ibanez 2-2 slider swing K; Aurilia 1B RF; Winn 2-0 (2-1 pitch mighty close)...3-1 U3 DP
bot 8 -- Halter 1B RF; J Molina bunt 1-4; Eckstein (PERCIVAL WARMING) lineout SS; Erstad 2-0...3-1 hard-hit fly RF
>> Ibanez whiffed on a breaking ball (I'm used to it). Aurilia singled and was doubled off on the Winn line shot to Erstad. F Rodriguez does the job. The Angels played for the insurance run after Halter got aboard and Jose Molina bunted. Hasegawa got Eckstein to line out and Erstad to fly out to RF after giving him juicy hitters' counts.
top 9 -- PERCIVAL IN; Hansen bloop 1B CF (BLOOMQUIST PINCH-RUN); WILSON PH bunt foul TWICE...(Bloomquist steals) full 1B RF (BLOOMQUIST SCORES, TIE GAME...no Vlad in right); Ichiro off wall 2B RCF; Olerud 0-2...fly SS; Edgar (GUARDADO WARMING) F5; Boone 0-2 fly RF
bot 9 -- HASEGAWA STILL IN (MATEO WARMING); Vlad 2-0...BB (FIGGINS PINCH-RUN); MYERS IN; Garret 2-0...full swing K (FIGGINS STEALS SECOND); MATEO IN; Guillen (Mateo multiple stepoffs toward 2B)...0-2 (FIGGINS STEALS THIRD)...1-2...2-2 (nice block Wilson)...full HBP (Guillen ticked); DaVanon...pitchout on 0-1...2-2...SF RF (FIGGINS SCORES)
>> The 8th and 9th hitters somehow set the table for the Mariners against closer Troy Percival. Dave Hansen drops a single into CF. Dan Wilson, "best bunter on the team," blows the bunt twice (does someone remember the game down the stretch last year where he blew the bunt?) but then singles. Apparently he still can't bunt. Pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist stole second when Wilson was up and scored on the single to tie the game. Ichiro doubled off the gap in RCF, putting runners in scoring position with nobody out. I thought while I was typing this -- what if they could have pinch-ran for Wilson once he got on? Could a pinch-runner have scored on the Ichiro double? Of course, this would have meant some sort of defensive chasm behind the plate, as the only thing I can think of is pinch-running with McCracken, having him play left, then putting Ibanez behind the plate (he came up through the system as a catcher, but this is the same stupid reasoning that makes Scott Spiezio an option at third base). Anyway, with two on in scoring position and nobody out, the Mariners sent Olerud (fly to short), Edgar (foul fly to Halter), and Boone (fly to right) to the dish and all three failed to move the runners in any way. Olerud and Boone got into crappy counts while Edgar swung early in the count. As for the pitching, I sort of objected with Shig coming in again because I thought if he pitched any longer, he might be burned for the rest of the series, let alone tomorrow. There might be a chance he goes tomorrow though, who knows. Of course, my reasoning sort of assumed Shig would get through more of the inning than he did. He walked Vlad and was gone. Mike Myers came in and promptly fell behind 2-0 to Garret (Niehaus said Myers was floating pitches in at 71 mph) before getting him to strike out. Myers fulfills the LOOGY role tonight. Of course, pinch-runner Chone Figgins stole second on the strikeout pitch, beating the Wilson throw. Julio Mateo then came in. After stepping off multiple times toward second to keep tabs on Chone Figgins, the runner broke toward third on the 0-2 pitch to Jose Guillen and nabbed the bag. Almost immediately after Figgins got onto third, Fairly (and Niehaus too after Guillen got aboard) noted that Winn was much too deep to throw out Figgins, should it come to that. Guillen worked the count full before getting beaned, but his run was meaningless. Jeff DaVanon came up in Tim Salmon's slot in the batting order. From the Guillen at-bat before, I was putting myself in Mike Scioscia's shoes and once Guillen was aboard, I would have totally put on the squeeze. All DaVanon would have had to do was bunt the ball so it didn't go right to a fielder. The fielders would have to go straight to the plate unless they tried to go all the way to second and roll a double play (so then the runner crossing the plate wouldn't count). Okay, so the bunting here is harder than it sounds. A hilarious thing about the DaVanon at-bat was that the Mariners finally pitched out AFTER Figgins was no longer a threat to steal second or third. Anyway, DaVanon hit a ball that was deep enough to Ichiro, and Chone Figgins scored. Ballgame. One run on no hits in the 9th for the Angels.
If I could give the opposing team a gameball here, it'd be Mike Scioscia. I'd bow down to him if he would have put the squeeze on and drove in the winning run with it, but I'm still commending the former Dodger catcher for managing to use one player -- Chone Figgins -- to turn the game in the Angels' favor. You think Mike Scioscia didn't know something about Dan Wilson's arm? Masterfully done, Sir Scioscia.
Gameball: Rich Aurilia. Double, single, didn't play too brutally in the field. Edgar went 2-for-5, but he was involved in the 9th-inning futility.
I won't pick an exclusive goat, but I'd have to call a tie right now between Randy Winn and Bret Boone. Boone for looping the double play throw and Winn for having issues again in CF.
Franklin and Lackey tomorrow.
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