Mariners
Seattle displays fortitude in 4th straight win

By Bob Sherwin
Seattle Times staff reporter

KEITH SRAKOCIC / AP Freddy Garcia throws to Pittsburgh's Bobby Hill in the second inning yesterday. The Seattle offense helped Garcia to his fourth win.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

Related stories Notebook: After NL break, Edgar is up again How the runs scored Rainiers zap River Cats Vancouver tops Everett Other links Seattle-Pittsburgh box score M's Extra: Tickets, stats, quotes and more

PITTSBURGH — Eddie Guardado doesn't have overwhelming velocity or pinpoint control. His ability to close games effectively has more to do with his makeup.

Guardado yesterday showed his grit by pitching in his fourth straight game on a day his manager wanted him to rest, and the reliever got sick on the mound before throwing his first pitch.

Guardado picked up his 14th save and the Mariners matched their season high by winning their fourth straight game with a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Mariners (29-38) moved nine games behind Oakland in the American League West. They have not been that close since May 8.

The Mariners return to interdivision games, with three at Texas tomorrow through Thursday.

During Seattle's winning streak, Guardado has saved three wins — one game was a non-save situation — and he twice entered in the eighth inning. He came in yesterday in the ninth with a 5-4 lead. There were some anxious moments, but he closed it in what he called his "lucky throw-up day."

Whether it was caused by nerves or the aftertaste of licking his fingers after using the resin bag, Guardado planted a surprise for the groundskeeper behind the mound just before facing the first batter in the ninth.

"I know he did it in the dugout in Boston," Mariners manager Bob Melvin said. "I try not to watch anymore."

When Guardado finally threw the ball, he got two quick outs. But then he walked Jason Kendall and gave up a single by Jack Wilson, putting the tying run in scoring position. He then induced Daryle Ward to end the game on a soft line drive to shortstop.

Melvin said he nearly decided not to use Guardado.

"There was hesitation, definitely," Melvin said. "Originally, coming into the game, I was thinking of not using him. But he was adamant about being available.

Mariners update Winning pitcher: Freddy Garcia (4-6) Losing pitcher: Oliver Perez (3-4) Tuesday: Seattle at Texas, 5:05 p.m., Ch. 11/KOMO radio (1000 AM) Starting pitchers: M's Clint Nageotte (1-2, 3.60) vs. Ryan Drese (3-4, 3.76)

"You know, his command was not as good as it usually is, and his velocity wasn't as good, but a lot of why he wins is makeup. He's just fearless out there. He believes he's going to win. Even on a day we might have taxed him too much, after a couple runners get on, he makes his pitch."

Everyday Eddie, as he is called, wasn't going to settle for Off-Day Eddie.

"You have to weigh the situation out there," Guardado said. "They called down to the bullpen, and I told them I was fine."

He saved the win for Freddy Garcia (4-6), who allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. This time, however, his teammates scratched out a virtual plethora of runs.

Garcia, who has the sixth-best earned-run average in the league — 3.21 — had just 20 runs score behind him in his 13 previous starts. The Mariners had been shut out in his last two.

Indeed, in the first inning yesterday, the Mariners failed to get a runner in from third base with no outs.

Randy Winn walked and went to third when Jolbert Cabrera singled to right field on a hit-and-run. But Ichiro struck out, Scott Spiezio popped up to shortstop and Bret Boone struck out.

	Eddie Guardado gave it his all yesterday.

Garcia shrugged it off, although he found his own trouble in the first after the first three hitters reached base on two singles and a throwing error by Boone.

That left the bases loaded with no outs. But only one run scored, on Rob Mackowiak's right-side ground out. Garcia got out of the jam by inducing Randall Simon to hit into a double play.

"To get out with one run was a pretty impressive effort," Melvin said.

After the Mariners were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, Dan Wilson finally came through in the fourth inning with a two-out, RBI single off Pirates starter Oliver Perez (3-4).

Ward put the Pirates up 2-1 in the sixth with a solo shot to right. Garcia, who threw just 74 pitches, left for a pinch-hitter in the seventh in an effort to get a little offense. It worked well as the Mariners scored three.

Winn hit a tying single to right fielder Craig Wilson, who made a poor throw home, allowing one run to score.

Pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist was thrown out at home on Cabrera's soft bouncer to third baseman Bobby Hill, but Ichiro followed with an RBI double to center fielder Tike Redman. That scored Winn, and Cabrera came home when Redman bobbled the ball for an error.

The Mariners scored their final run in the eighth on Hiram Bocachica's sacrifice fly.

The Mariners' four-game win streak gives them 10 victories in 14 games.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but it was a good start right here," said Boone, who is 1 for 16 on the trip. "You can't make up for 2-1/2 months in one week. You have to keep chipping away. It's a slow process.

"What's eating at me is: If I play like I know I can play, I know how much better a team we can be. I need to keep grinding this thing, and one day I'm going to come to you and say I've got it. It's easy for me to deal with right now with four wins in four days."

Said Rich Aurilia, who was 4 for 14 on this trip, "It seems like we're starting to get those two-out hits that we hadn't been getting.

"I said a few weeks ago that if we can get to a good single-digit number (of games behind) by the All-Star break, anything could happen. I'm pleased with the way things are shaping up."

Bob Sherwin: 206-464-8286 or bsherwin@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More Mariners/MLB headlines...