Poor Umpiring Doesn't Thwart the M's

June 1, 2001

This rather enjoyable game started out with my friend Jennifer and I heading on down to the Safe, where we had excellent seats and unfortunately, we arrived too late to get our Aaron Sele All-Star pins and I'm kind of bummed because I have the other two (Jay Buhner's and Dan Wilson's) and so now one will always be missing unless somebody would like to give me theirs (HINT HINT). So anyhow, I'm kind of startled when this huge gust of wind blew our nachos into a couple of the rows down from us during the Star Spangled Banner which I thought was pretty funny and despite a walk and a stolen base, Jamie Moyer didn't allow any runs and even caught Ben Grieve looking to record a strikeout in the first, and we didn't waste any time putting up some numbers as Mark McLemore walked with one out and then John Olerud walked with two outs and then Bret Boone hit a double to score Mac and Ole and we leave the inning leading 2-0.

Second inning and Jamie records another K as he retires the side in order and then we don't do anything either, so moving along to the third inning, I'm getting irritated at how windy it is because my hair keeps blowing in my face and I think this was the inning where Mark McLemore made a catch like RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE I WAS SITTING and I am all taking a picture of it even though my hair was in my face and I could hardly see and then Carlos Guillen made an error but we get out of it with no runs scoring and Mac walked and stole second in our half but we can't score either so let's just move along to the fourth.

Jamie records another K and retires the side in order, and then we waste Boone's single. Fifth inning. It did not start out well. Tampa Bay third baseman Russ Johnson flew out to McLemore who made an OUTSTANDING catch, but NO WAIT! Umpire Scott Higgins somehow managed to blow the call and I choked on my Mike's Hard Lemonade and promptly got the hiccups and this umpire says that the ball bounced WHICH IT MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT and I am meanwhile having a hissy fit and Jennifer is meanwhile ALSO having a hissy fit and I am all hiccuping and booing that stupid lame call and Lou Piniella came out but there wasn't much to be done and so then we get an out but Mike Difelice singles and so there are runners at the corners and then Randy Winn singled which TIED THE GAME and I meanwhile am STILL hiccuping and am now even MORE irate because the only thing worse than a blown call in the other team's favor is a blown call in the other team's favor THAT ALLOWS RUNS TO SCORE and that ump should probably be fined for missing that call and at the very least for giving me the hiccups by making me choke on my drink.

"He caught the ball. The umpire was in good position to see it." -Lou Piniella

"Cameron was yelling, 'Second! Second! Second!' and I looked in my glove like, did I drop it? It was very clear to me that it was a catch." -Mark McLemore

So we head into the bottom half even at 2-2 and the Mariners waste no time in making up for the poor umpiring by leading off with a double from Dan Wilson and then Ichiro grounded him over to third. Then Stan Javier pinch hit for Mac who pulled something on that CATCH he made and Stan walked and then Edgar "EDDDDDD (HICCUP!) GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!" Martinez DOUBLED to score them both and I am so happy and then John Olerud walked and Bret singled to score Edgar and we leave the inning leading 5-2 and my hiccups finally went away.

"Bret Boone, who went 0-for-4 and left the bases loaded twice on Thursday against the Orioles, did nothing but clean them off Friday." -Kirby Arnold, sportswriter

Sixth inning and Grieve walked and then Fred McGriff obnoxiously homered and there we are with a 1 run ballgame and Jose Paniagua relieved Jamie who left to a nice ovation and Paniagua gave up a walk but got us out of it with the lead still intact. We sat down in order for our half.

Seventh inning and I get the hiccups again and perhaps I should be blaming the Mike's Hard Lemonade instead of the umpire for these but anyway, one walk and one out into it, Arthur Lee Rhodes relieves Paniagua and struck out the first guy he faced and followed it with a fly out. I sing a lovely rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' and then we tacked on another run when Edgar singled with one out and then Olerud doubled to score him, 6-4 Seattle.

Eighth inning. McGriff struck out swinging and I am all "GO ARTIE!" between hiccups and then Jeff Nelson relieved him and gave up a single, got an out, gave up a walk and recorded a strike out all Nasty-Boy style to end the threat and I am rather pleased. Rusty Meacham relieved Bryan Rekar and quickly got two outs but THEN Dan "The Man" Wilson doubled AGAIN and Doug Creek relieved Meacham and Ichiro singled which scored Dan and Ichiro got to second on the throw and then he stole third!! And THEN he scored on a throwing error by the catcher! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! And then we had a couple of walks but we don't score anymore and we take an 8-4 lead into the ninth where Nellie picked up a save in addition to recording two strikeouts, and there we are with our 41st win of the season.