I Only Wish I'd Been There
May 22, 2003
So this game started while I was at work and due to some scheduling conflicts, the gang was not able to get together for our normal beer-drinking spectatorship of the Mighty Mariners that we usually take part in when there's a day game during the week.
Gil Pitching Like A Stallion
"A guy who started the season with no
expectations is now virtually indispensable. He is what Freddy Garcia
should be." - Bob Shewin, sportswriter
So anyway, things start off well as Gil Meche retires the side in order, and then with 1 out, Carlos Guillen singled and then Bret reached on an infield hit and then - eh, nevermind.
Second inning! Gil retires the side in order again, 2 outs of which a Royal went down swinging, and then we're down in order... so moving right along, with 1 out for Kansas City, Angel Berroa singled but then he got caught stealing and the Royals end up retired in order one more time. So our turn, and with 1 out, Ichiro singled and then he stole second and then Carlos reached on an infield single and with runners at the corners, Bret hit a sac fly to score him and we take a 1-0 lead to the fourth.
Ichiro Steals Second - Photo by Elaine Thompson
Kansas City is down in order again, and the other night, possibly last night, I don't really remember, Mike Sweeney was talking about how he got married during the off season and his wife is from Tacoma, so that was kind of cool and I love Mike Sweeney anyway, even more so perhaps now that he has such great taste in women and Mike Cameron leads off with a single but that's about as exciting as it gets.
Mark McLemore comes in to play shortstop and Gil walks Raul Ibanez to lead things off and then Carlos Beltran singles and then Desi Relaford, God bless him, hit into a double play, but that scored Raul and we are all tied and then Brent Mayne singled but Berroa struck out swinging, Angel that he is.
HAHA
Okay, so bottom of the fifth and we come roaring right back as with 1 out, Ichiro ripped a big nasty double and then Mark McLemore singled and that scored him and we lead it again 2-1 and that's all I care to say about that inning.
Top of the sixth! Some Febles guy leads off with a single. I laugh to myself at my desk because his name cracks me up for some reason. Then Gil retired the rest of the side in order, and off we go to our half where Greg Colbrunn had a 2-out infield single and nobody else really did anything that I could tell.
Seventh inning and here we go moving around some more and Willie Bloomquist is at third and John Olerud is at first and with 2 outs, Desi Relaford singled and then Brent Mayne walked and then Angel Berroa reached on an infield single and all of a sudden the bases are loaded and enter Jeff Nelson who got that Febles guy to fly out and end the threat.
Febles. HAHAHAHA
Okay. Bottom of the seventh and with 1 out, Ben "I'm Goin Yard!" Davis GOES YARD and it's 3-1 Seattle as we head to the eighth and with 1 out, Joe Randa walked, and then Mike Sweeney walked and then Arthur Rhodes came in and got the next 2 outs no problem and then there's a pitching change for Kansas City and Bret Boone leads off with a walk and then he steals second and then Edgar singled which scored him and then Edgar went to second on a wild pitch and then an out later and Edgar went to third on a passed ball and an out after that and Randy Winn hit a ground rule double which scored Gar and a pitching change later and Bloomquist walked and then Ben flew out to "deep right" and when the dust settles, it's 5-1 Seattle as we head to the ninth.
Ben Davis & His Helmet Hair Celebrate His Homerun - Photo by Rod Mar
So here is our beloved Kazuhiro Sasaki in to finish them off, which he does, in order, and we win the game and take the series and two things to take special note of here: Our bullpen rocks. So does Gil Meche.
And just because I can, here's an excerpt from a cool piece in the P.I. on Gar:
