Mariners
Martinez caps off retirement news with homer in M's win

By Bob Finnigan
Seattle Times staff reporter

MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES Designated hitter Edgar Martinez tips his cap after being called out of the dugout before last night's game.

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As he has so many times, Edgar Martinez came through in a big way.

This time, it was in his first game after Monday's retirement announcement.

Hitting third to assure he would be up in the first inning for the fans, Martinez rose to the occasion as usual with his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot that sent the Mariners and Gil Meche to a 4-3 victory over Minnesota last night.

Did it make Martinez reconsider?

"Yes, yesterday, when I said I was going to leave, that was a lie, I'm coming back," Martinez said, a smile broadening with each word, "... just kidding ... of course."

He could have fooled everyone, especially the 36,290 that rose in a standing ovation as he went up to hit.

"I had seen the (tribute) video before the game," he said. "As I walked to the plate I could hear the people cheering and I thought of it for a second. Then I told myself I had to hit, to get a good pitch and keep my swing short. I got a good pitch and I had a good swing and I was happy it went."

Manager Bob Melvin called it, "storybook. I don't think I've ever seen anything so dramatic as Edgar coming up the first time after he says he's leaving and hitting a home run. Talk about goose bumps, I had oranges under my skin."

As if to accentuate the passing of the torch, after Bret Boone's double between them, Bucky Jacobsen lined a Terry Mulholland fastball out to left for a two-run homer.

"Boonie said that Papi might hit a home run that first time up, that it was the Mariners' destiny," said Jacobsen, who played first last night but will likely be Martinez's successor as DH. "Melvin said if he did this place would be in an uproar and, then on the next pitch Papi did. What a moment.

"But it was a bittersweet moment. He can show us so much. It's a shame he's going."

Mariners update Winning pitcher: Gil Meche (2-5) Losing pitcher: Terry Mulholland (3-6) Key to the game: Edgar Martinez and Bucky Jacobsen hit two-run homers in first; Meche pitched eight innings of two-hit ball. Tonight: Twins at Mariners, 7:05 p.m., FSN/KOMO 1000 AM Starting pitchers: M's Bobby Madritsch (2-0) vs. Brad Radke (7-6)

Jacobsen sees Martinez as an inspiration not only for himself but the entire posse of prospects Seattle has used this second half of the season.

"If this team needs motivation to finish strong, Papi is it for us," Jacobsen said. "If you can't play hard and give four tough at-bats for a guy who shows us kids how to play hard every day, then you should be hanging them up, too."

Meche, in his best performance of an inconsistent season, threw two-hit ball for eight innings, walking two and striking out seven.

Both hits the right-hander allowed were solo homers by Corey Koskie to lead off the fifth and Lew Ford, pinch-hitting in the eighth.

J.J. Putz, who could figure in Seattle's plans as closer next year, pitched the ninth. He also allowed a solo homer, to Torii Hunter, that left it a one-run lead. But he hung on for his second major-league save.

"We could have gone to George (left-hander Sherrill) with some lefties coming up for Minnesota," Melvin said. "But we have to find out some things about the kids like J.J., even if it means risking a loss. That's what the rest of this season is all about."

Seattle played fine defense in helping Meche (2-5).

In the second, third baseman Justin Leone cut off Hunter's bid for a leadoff hit and threw him out.

In the sixth, Boone made a memorable back-to-the-plate play on Cristian Guzman's leadoff pop fly to right-center.

In the seventh, Randy Winn made a neat leaping catch at the wall to take away an extra-base hit from Jacque Jones.

But the buzz of the first with Martinez's amazing clutch homer, and Jacobsen's follow-up homer, is what the 36,290 will remember most of the first game after Martinez's retirement announcement.

	MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES Edgar Martinez watches his two-run home run in the first inning last night one day after announcing he will retire at the end of the season.

In that opening inning, Ichiro, en route to his fifth multihit game of the last six, opened with his trademark bit of baseball, fouling off several pitches and slapping a single to left.

Then came the thunder from Martinez and Jacobsen and Meche had a lead to work with.

Meche walked Shannon Stewart to open the game. But he set down 12 of the next 14 Twins —

— working around an error by Jacobsen in the second. With a rhythm to go with a superb fastball and good breaking ball, Meche was on a roll until he hung an 0-1 curveball to Koskie leading off the fifth.

Koskie hit it off the windows of the Hit It Here Cafe, but to Meche's credit, he hardly flinched.

The right-hander did not let the mistake shake him. Instead he kept pouring in fastballs and set down the next nine Twins. He had a 4-1 lead heading into the eighth when he made a second boo-boo.

Ford grooved Meche's 2-1 fastball out to left to cut Seattle's lead to 4-2.

Bob Finnigan: 206-464-8276 or bfinnigan@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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