Joel Pineiro: Still A Mariner & Still Dominant
August 2, 2001
"We had some chances, hit some balls that if they were a foot off one side or the other, we might have added some runs. Their kid pitched well." -Dan Wilson
"Seattle's kid just pitched better." -John Hickey, sportswriter
So this delightful game featured a rookie matchup of pitchers with ours (being Joel Pineiro) coming off an excellent start in Minnesota and he did not disappoint tonight but I will get to that in a second and I shall first talk about how Bret Boone doubled with two outs and we can't score him and anyway, Joel gave up a harmless single to Bobby Higginson and I should mention that David Bell turned in a couple of nice plays that I didn't get to see until later since I am meanwhile at my mother's school watching my nephews so she can get some work done and the 11 month old has just woken up from his nap and he's all cranky pants, so I went to give him some water and he shoved it away and was all "NO!" just as plain as anything and my mom and I look at each other all shocked because he's a BABY and he doesn't talk yet (or so we thought) and she was all "did he just say NO?" and I burst out laughing and we are quickly to the second inning with no score.
So second inning and Ed Sprague reached on an infield single and then David Bell was hit by a pitch and then 2 outs later and Stan Javier singled and scored Sprague and we head to the bottom half leading 1-0 and Joel retires the side in order with another sweet play from Bell, so third inning and Bret leads off with another double and John Olerud grounded him over to third and then Mike Cameron hit a sac fly to score him, so it's 2-0 Mariners and unfortunately, with 1 out, Jose Macias hits a solo shot, and then Roger Cedeno singled, but Joel doesn't lose his composure and gets Damian Easley to line into a double play, so we head to the fourth inning leading 2-1, and then begins the pitchers duel as Detroit Tiger rookie Adam Pettyjohn retired us in order and then Joel gave up a harmless double in the midst of striking out the side, all three of which were swinging.
"We tried to trade for him. He's a keeper. We tried to get him, but you don't give a pitcher like that up." -Tigers leftfielder Bobby Higginson on Joel Pineiro
"We weren't going to trade him. I like what I've seen since he's been here. I told Pat (Gillick) that." -Lou Piniella
So fifth inning and I have arrived home at this point just in time to see Stan Javier lead off with a double and then Carlos sacrificed him over to third but that is as far we get him as Bret Boone is called out on strikes and he heads back to the dugout and he's standing in there with his batting helmet still on holding his bat like he's contemplating sneaking back out there for another another swing or something and then John unfortunately grounded out to end the threat and Joel retires the Tigers in order again with another 2 strikeouts (both swinging).
Sixth inning and Cammie leads off with a walk but a double play and a fly out later and we are gone in order and do I hear some guy singing OPERA in the background? What is that dreadful noise? So anyway, Joel retires Detroit in order again, the second out of which was this AWESOME, OUTSTANDING play by Mr. Pineiro himself when he knocked down the ball Easley rocketed right at him, recovered it and tossed a perfect throw to Olerud as he was sliding around and falling down on the pitcher's mound to totally get Easley out and then he was so cute all going "WOW" and trying not to smile but not being able to quite help himself and anyway, we head to the seventh still leading 2-1.
We waste Stan's single and Detroit doesn't fair much better as Rob Fick lines a shot right to Olerud and then David made a couple more nice plays on ground balls and there were a couple plays that he made during this game that were really awesome but I can't remember which ones were the spectacular vs. the routine so suffice it to say that Bell was just plumb getting it done and we head to the 8th inning.
Danny Patterson relieved Pettyjohn and Boone singled to lead things off but a double play and a groundout later and it's quickly Detroit's turn again and Jeff Nelson comes in to relieve Joel, and just in case you didn't know, Joel Pineiro, in his last 2 starts has allowed 1 run on 5 hits in 13 innings pitched which is pretty impressive if you ask me.
And speaking of impressive Jeff "That's Nasty!" Nelson STRUCK OUT THE SIDE all 1-2-3 like, all of which were swining, and we quickly head to the ninth inning.
"You start an inning like that, you want to finish and get out before your luck changes. You strike the first guy out, you feel pretty good. You get the second guy swinging, you're feeling real good. I wanted that third hitter. I know I'm going in there for one inning so I'm letting it all hang out." -Jeff Nelson
So then Mark McLemore leads off as a pinch hitter for Sprague and he singles which made me very happy and then David sacrificed him over and Dan Wilson is safe on an error and Mac gets to third and then Ichiro pinch hit for Charles Gipson but unfortunately lined a shot right to the third baseman who doubled off Mac no problem and I was a little traumatized over it but I recovered soon enough as Kazuhiro Sasaki relieved Nellie, struck out Cedano, got Easley to ground out and then got Higginson on a fly ball to end the game and earn his 300th career save.
"A lot of closers have one or two great years, but to save 300 games,
you've got to be consistent over a long period of time. Consistent and
dominant." -Dan Wilson
"You don't like to say anyone is automatic, because anything can happen in
this game. But Kazu is close to automatic." -Bret Boone
And speaking of dominant pitching...
"Oakland manager Art Howe was second-guessed when he walked the American League's hottest hitter, Cleveland's left-handed hitting Jim Thome, with two out and no one on base in the seventh inning of a tie game Wednesday. Howe didn't want Thome, who had an AL-best 39 July RBIs, to beat him. Instead, the walk set up a two-run rally that proved to be the winner for the Indians. Right-hander Ellis Burks doubled, setting up a Marty Cordova single. Seattle skipper Lou Piniella didn't argue with Howe's move, however. 'It takes a lot of guts to do that,' Piniella said. 'But I've done it before, walking a man with no one on base when the guy is just on fire. It's easier do when you have a one- or two-run lead, though. It's tough, when the game is tied, to put the go-ahead run on base.' So what would Piniella have done? 'I wouldn't have had to worry about it,' Piniella said, breaking into a laugh. 'I would have had (lefty Arthur) Rhodes in there for Thome. I would have had Rhodes, and then I would have had (right-hander Jeff) Nelson if we had to pitch to Burks. Rhodes has been great in that situation all year.'" -John Hickey
And speaking of hot hitters...
"I can't wait." -Edgar Martinez, on getting back into the lineup"Me neither!" -Laura, on Edgar Martinez getting back into the lineup
"Yeah, I'm anxious to get back in there. But they've been playing great without me. The pitching has been real good. It's a good group of guys. They play hard." -Edgar Martinez
And speaking of playing great, we would have to mention Bret Boone...
"In his corner of the clubhouse, Boone was only grudgingly willing to give Detroit pitchers their due, and small wonder. He had three hits Thursday, six hits in the three-game series. When he awakens in Cleveland today, Boone will lead the Mariners triple crown categories - he's hitting .334 with 24 home runs and 100 RBI." -Larry LaRue, sportswriter
