Thursday, May 11, 2006
GAME 36: DEVIL RAYS 1, MARINERS 0
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: Remember the Justin Duchscherer walk-off balk from not too long ago? This one was just a game-deciding balk in the fifth. Rock the Kazmir.
This one featured Scott Kazmir going up against Jamie Moyer. A Mariner win here would mean a sweep and a three-game win streak and four wins in five games. Step one back to mediocrity is beating teams worse than you, right? Of course, won-loss record alone doesn't prove the Mariners are much better than Tampa Bay, and that's if they are at all. Afterward comes a weekend series in Anaheim after an off day.
TOP 1ST
Damon Hollins rode the second pitch to the wall in the leftcenter gap for a double. Carl Crawford bunted the second pitch in front of the plate and Rivera came from behind the plate to throw Crawford out at first as Hollins went to third. Jonny Gomes fell behind 0-2 and later whiffed on a 1-2 change low and away. Aubrey Huff got ahead 3-1 before bouncing for what was nearly a double, but Sexson got to it behind the bag at first (3-1 putout). Moyer threw 14 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Ichiro bounced the 1-2 pitch into the hole on the left side where Lugo couldn't make the play quickly enough to get Ichiro. Jose Lopez took a 2-2 pitch to the backstop as Ichiro moved to second. Kazmir made a later pickoff throw and had it hit off of Ichiro and right to Wigginton. Lopez whiffed on a fastball over the outer half. Raul Ibañez watcehd as Ichiro took third on the 2-0 pitch. Ibañez had a 3-0 count go full before succumbing to the whiff. Richie Sexson fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 2-2 pitch quite low. Kazmir threw 23 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Ty Wigginton was ahead 2-0 before scorching a liner into the glove of Ibañez charging into shallow left. Toby Hall ripped a 1-2 pitch for a line drive deep into leftfield that Ibañez almost made a diving catch on, but it bounced past and to the wall, which wasn't far away. Hall got a double out of it. Travis Lee popped the second pitch to Ichiro. Tomas Perez popped the second pitch to Lopez in shallow right. Moyer threw 12 pitches and had 26 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Carl Everett rolled the second pitch to Perez at short, who stopped it, bobbled it, and threw late to first as Everett was safe. Adrian Beltre whiffed on a 1-2 fastball over the inside corner. Willie Bloomquist laid down a perfect bunt on the second pitch, dribbling it along the third-base line where Kazmir fielded it but had a long throw to make, and it was late as Everett moved to second. Rene Rivera was ahead 2-0 and ended up whiffing on a 2-2 high curve. Yuniesky Betancourt fouled off four 0-2 pitches before popping to fairly deep center. Kazmir threw 20 pitches and had 43 through two.
TOP 3RD
Joey Gathright fell behind 0-2 before waving late at a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner. Hollins popped to Lopez drifting back into shallow center on a 2-2 pitch. Crawford flew out to fairly deep center on a 1-2 pitch. Moyer threw 14 pitches and had 40 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Ichiro bounced the second pitch to short. Lopez grounded hard to third, where Huff made a diving stab and threw over in time. Ibañez was ahead 2-0 before bouncing out to second. Kazmir threw eight pitches and had 51 through three.
TOP 4TH
Gomes didn't get enough under the first pitch, popping to left. Huff was ahead 2-0 before bouncing to first (3-1 putout). Wigginton fell behind 0-2 and popped to Bloomquist in rightcenter on a 2-2 count. Moyer threw 10 pitches and had 50 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Sexson was ahead 2-0 before bouncing out to third. Everett fell behind 0-2 before bouncing a 2-2 pitch to third. Beltre fouled off three 2-2 pitches before whiffing on a fastball up and away. Kazmir threw 17 pitches and had 68 through four.
TOP 5TH
Hall worked a 1-2 count full before splitting his bat on a dinker of a single into centerfield. Lee punched the first pitch through the right side for a single, moving Hall to second. Perez popped the 2-2 pitch to Sexson in foul ground on the right side. Gathright bounced the first pitch to Sexson at first (3-1 putout) as Hall moved to third and Lee went to second. Pitching coach Rafael Chaves visited the mound. Hollins had the count 1-1 when Moyer came set and looked like he wanted to step off, but he picked up the front foot first before trying to step off with the back one, which is a balk. Hall scored and Lee moved to third.
»» DEVIL RAYS 1, MARINERS 0
On the next pitch, Hollins popped to left. Moyer threw 17 pitches and had 67 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Bloomquist bounced the 2-2 pitch to short. Rivera fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 2-2 fastball inside. Betancourt grounded the second pitch to short. Kazmir threw 14 pitches and had 82 through five.
TOP 6TH
Crawford worked an 0-2 count full before bouncing to a charging Lopez, who had to make a quick throw to first to get the out. Gomes whiffed on a 2-2 change in the dirt. Huff bounced a 2-2 pitch to first. Moyer threw 16 pitches and had 83 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Ichiro whiffed on a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner. Lopez took Gathright to the track in leftcenter on an 0-2 pitch. Ibañez took the second pitch to the leftfield track. Kazmir threw 10 pitches and had 92 through six.
TOP 7TH
Wigginton fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 2-2 change away, the eleventh pitch of the at-bat. By Rizzs' account, Wigginton shattered the bat in frustration against the concrete wall in the dugout immediately afterward. Hall fell behind 0-2 and tapped a 1-2 pitch to the mound. Lee whiffed on a 2-2 low change. Moyer threw 23 pitches and had 106 through seven.
BOTTOM 7TH
Sexson whiffed on a 2-2 pitch up and away. Everett bounced the first pitch high to second. Beltre walked on four pitches, snapping a streak of 16 straight retired Mariner hitters. Bloomquist was ahead 3-0 and drilled a 3-1 single into centerfield, moving Beltre to second. Johjima grounded to short. Kazmir threw 19 pitches.
Kazmir's line: 7 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, 110 pitches (70 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Perez rolled up the middle to Betancourt, who ranged way over to throw in time to first (what a freakin' play). Gathright air-bunted the first pitch to Lopez behind the mound. Hollins grounded a full-count pitch to Beltre's glove side, where he made the nice sliding stop and threw over in time. Moyer threw eight pitches.
Moyer's line: 8 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts, 114 pitches (78 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Ruddy Lugo came in for Kazmir. Roberto Petagine, hitting for Betancourt, popped the 1-2 pitch to Perez drifting back into shallow left. Ichiro bounced a 2-2 pitch up the middle, where R Lugo got a piece of it and Perez came up with it and threw barely in time to first. Lopez popped a 1-2 pitch to Hollins in foul ground near the rightfield line.
R Lugo's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Moyer. Crawford bounced the first pitch up the middle, where Lopez ranged over, came up with the ball, jumped and threw over in time. Gomes had the hitters' counts before popping to Sexson at the first-base coaches' box. Huff popped the first pitch behind the plate to Johjima.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 7 pitches (4 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Tyler Walker came in for R Lugo. Ibañez doubled over Gathright's head off the wall in leftcenter. Sexson failed to check his swing on a 1-2 breaking ball in the dirt. Everett whiffed on an 0-2 breaking ball, slamming his bat against the bill of his helmet afterward in frustration. Beltre grounded hard to third.
Walker's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 12 pitches (10 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jamie Moyer.
Goat: Richie Sexson.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 27-9 .750 -- W4
2002 26-10 .722 1 W4
2003 22-14 .611 5 L1
2000 19-17 .528 8 W1
2006 15-21 .417 12 L1
2005 14-22 .389 13 L1
2004 13-23 .361 14 W1
Piñeiro. Escobar. Tomorrow.
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