M's Continue To Take Care Of Business

May 12, 2001


 

Okay so this game starts off with Edgar getting a single in the first, but we're unable to score him and Freddy Garcia sits Toronto down in order. So let us just move along to the second where Al Martin doubled and got to third on a fly ball from Mike Cameron and then Carlos Guillen walked but we are still unable to score, and Freddy retires the side in order again.

Third inning - here we go. Ichiro singled. Mark McLemore tripled. I scared my cat when I was all "RIGHT ON MCLEMORE!" Edgar grounded out and while I was still in shock, John Olerud singled to score Mac. Then Bret Boone singled. Then Al Martin grounded into a fielder's choice, Bret was out at second with runners at the corners. And then Mike "I'm Goin Yard!" Cameron, in a repeat performance of yesterday, GOES YARD!!!! Seattle 5, Toronto 0, for those of you who lost count after all of that. Freddy gives up a single, but then gets a double play and follows that by getting Jeff Frye to ground out.

Fourth inning. I leave to get my hair highlighted and it looks pretty cool if I do say so myself. While I was gone, Ichiro doubled but was thrown out trying to take three. Mac was given a free walk, Edgar doubled and Mac got third, John Olerud was intentionally walked, and we somehow manage not to score anymore runs here. On an up note, Ichiro and Edgar are both 2 for 3 in case you didn't catch that. Toronto led off with a single and a walk, but Freddy got Mondesi, Delgado and Fullmer, which is pretty impressive.

Fifth inning. Cammie makes an out, Guillen singles. Dan Wilson makes an out, Ichiro TRIPLES, scores Guillen and is 3 for 4. Mac walked. Edgar got an infield hit, scored Ichiro and is also 3 for 4. Pedro Borbon relieves Chris Carpenter.

"I just didn't make any good pitches today, and the four or five I did make they hit anyway." -Chris Carpenter, Toronto Blue Jays starter

We head to the bottom half leading 7-0. I am SO GLAD I was getting my hair done and not watching this game because I would've had a stroke for sure. Freddy had a terrible time of it... he gave up two walks to start it, then a single to load the bases... nobody out and I can't even talk about this, it's just too stressful. Let's just say that by the time he had two outs, five runs were in, and another one scored from the mess he left after Norm Charlton came in to relieve him. 7-6, Seattle.

Sixth inning. Cammie singles, that's as exciting as it gets. Brett Tomko relieves Norm and promptly gives up a homerun to Tony Batista to tie the game, and again, I'm relieved that I wasn't there to see it and so we move along to the seventh and with two outs, Mac singled and stole second and then Edgar doubled to score him. 8-7, we lead again (and Edgar is 4 for 5)! Toronto blessedly behaves themselves and doesn't score... Arthur Lee Rhodes comes in to get the final two outs. Around this time, I am in my car and have just turned the radio on and am heading home to get ready to go shopping with my mom and sister and nephews and the announcers are all, Mariners 8, Blue Jays 7 and I am all hollering, "EIGHT TO SEVEN! WE WERE LEADING BY FIVE WHEN I LEFT!" and then I curse all the way down the street.

Eighth inning, I arrive home, since I live like 2 minutes from my hairdresser's, and my sister is there and I'm like "Hi!" as I run in the house and turn on the TV just in time to see Olerud walk and David Bell single, but we can't do anything with it and I swear some more and luckily my three year old nephew was asleep or my sister would've had a hissy fit. Jeff Nelson relieves Artie and Toronto coaxes a walk but then we turn a double play. Ninth inning. My mom shows up and they're all ready to go but I'm like "Just let me watch the ninth!" and they're all fussy pants impatient but I am SO NOT LEAVING and Dan Wilson leads off with a walk and then Ichiro singled and that means he is ALSO 4 for 5 and then Mac singled and scored Danny and I am all "HOORAY!" and then Ichiro and Mac pulled off a double steal and I nearly faint with delirium I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT IT and then Edgar hit a sac fly that I thought was a homerun at first but it still scores Ichiro and moves Mac to third and then Olerud walked and Bret Boone grounded out but Mac was able to score and we leave the inning leading 11-7 as my sister and mom drag me out the door.

So then we are in my sister's car and I'm making everyone be quiet so I can hear the radio and Kazu comes in and sits Toronto down 1-2-3 and I smirk triumphantly as we pick up another series.

"The top of the Mariner order topped the 18-hit offense, with Ichiro producing his third four-hit game, Mark McLemore collecting three hits and getting on base five times, and Edgar Martinez hammering out four hits, three runs batted in and, as McLemore put it, "generally looking like Edgar Martinez." - Bob Finnigan, sportswriter

"How can you not get something to hit? Ichiro is on like all day, and they don't want him to run ... and Edgar is on deck, so they don't want to walk me ... so they're throwing me mostly hard stuff ... for strikes. Let's see ... is that good? Yep." -Mark McLemore

"Every time I got up we had lots of guys on base. I knew I'd be getting something to hit; there was no place to put me if I walked." -Edgar Martinez

"He often throws before I get to the bag at first, but his throws are so true, so easy to handle, it's no problem." -John Olerud, on third baseman David Bell's defense

"Your national anthem is a little long." -Ichiro, when asked what he thought about Canada