Originally published Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 12:00 AM
M's misery continues with seventh straight loss
As Dave Niehaus once said at the proudest point in Mariners franchise history, it just continues. But right now, the nonstop onslaught the...
Seattle Times staff reporter
CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Ichiro hits the wall in center field after making a warning-track catch of a ball off the bat of Boston's Jason Varitek in the top of the fifth inning Monday. Ichiro, who said he was motivated by criticism from Sunday's game, appeared dazed after the play, but stayed in the game.
Red Sox @ Mariners,
7:10 p.m., FSN
As Dave Niehaus once said at the proudest point in Mariners franchise history, it just continues.
But right now, the nonstop onslaught the M's are experiencing is not glory, as it was in 1995. It is nothing but agony, misery and, for the seventh straight game, defeat.
The Red Sox, supported by a large contingent of fans that turned Safeco Field into a choppy sea of red among the 35,818 in attendance, extended the Mariners' skid with a 5-3 win.
Undoing what had been a stellar start by Felix Hernandez, the Red Sox erupted for four runs in the eighth inning — all with two outs — to break a 1-1 tie.
The Mariners, meanwhile, struggled offensively yet again against their old Angels adversary, Bartolo Colon, who is being successfully resurrected by the Red Sox. He limited Seattle to five hits and one run in seven innings to move to 2-0 in two starts.
The Mariners — who lost for the 20th time in their past 25 games — had three standout defensive plays, including an all-world catch by a wall-crashing Ichiro that he said was inspired by criticism from Sunday's game in New York.
They also made their now-patented too-little, too-late rally with two runs in the ninth. But it was small consolation as they fell a mind-boggling 16 games under .500.
"There was some encouragement, but we're just looking for a win," said Mariners manager John McLaren. "Moral victories — that's not what we're looking for."
Hernandez, now 2-5 in what the Mariners hoped would be a breakout season, took a two-hitter into the eighth — one of them a home run by David Ortiz. But then it all unraveled.
Sean Casey started it with a leadoff single, and by the time Ryan Rowland-Smith was summoned to bail out Hernandez, the Red Sox had batted around with five hits and two walks.
"I thought Felix pitched a hell of a game," said McLaren, who left Hernandez in to face nine batters in the eighth. "He had some bad luck in the eighth. He deserved better than that. That was probably the best stuff he's had all year."
Asked what happened in the eighth, Hernandez said: "A lot of hits, a lot of runs — that's what happened."
Hernandez was on the verge of working out of the jam when he got Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out for the second out of the inning. But Dustin Pedroia launched a ground-rule double to left to put the Red Sox up 2-1, and the barrage was about to begin.
Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell added RBI singles, and Jason Varitek walked with the bases loaded for the final run of the inning.
"I'm not frustrated at all," Hernandez said. "I've just got to find a way to win some games, that's all."
That goes for the entire team, which fell 12 ½ games behind the AL West-leading Angels. One small consolation came in the fifth, when Ichiro had perhaps the defensive play of the season, a catch that was equal parts Ken Griffey Jr. and Willie Mays.
With J. D. Drew at first base and one out, Varitek hit a smash to center. Ichiro raced back and, with his back to the plate, hauled in the ball on the warning track just as he crashed into the wall at full speed. So much for Ichiro's reputation as one reluctant to run into walls.
"That was as good a catch as I've seen Ichiro have," McLaren said.
Ichiro appeared dazed, but he held onto the ball and had the presence of mind to sidearm it back to the infield. He stayed in the game, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd that was repeated when the inning ended without a Boston score.
"[Sunday], for some reason, some people thought I should have caught a ball [hit by the Yankees' Jose Molina in the eighth inning]," Ichiro said. "That really ticked me off. I said to myself I was going for the ball no matter what, even if I'm injured on the play.
"I had a lot of stress piled up from yesterday. Because of that, I don't remember much about what happened. I just thought to let my body go."
Asked who the criticism came from, Ichiro said, "I don't think it's necessary to answer."
Ichiro was dazed, but not hurt ("I'm alive," was his assessment), and even had the presence of mind to adjust his cap as he bounced off the wall.
"When I went down, my hat was over my eyes and I couldn't see," he said. "I lifted my hat up, so in that moment, I was pretty calm and collected."
Hernandez, who has been battling a sore right calf, was brilliant early, retiring the first 11 Red Sox batters. It was reminiscent of last year's April gem at Fenway Park, when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished with a one-hitter.
That time, it was Drew's single leading off the eighth that ended the no-hit bid. This time, the no-hit breakup was more costly, as Ortiz smashed a 1-0 pitch over the fence in dead-center with two outs in the fourth to stake Boston to a 1-0 lead.
Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Mariners to try Dustin Ackley at second base
Vizquel close to signing contract with White Sox
Tracy, Scioscia win Manager of the Year awards
Former Mariners manager John McLaren is glad to be back in the dugout
Scioscia, Tracy named managers of the year

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.
nwautos
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment
nwjobs
Post a comment
Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Do you suffer from "sitting disease"?
Post a comment
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
356 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
206 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
170 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
145 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
94 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
89 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
81 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
74 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
73 - UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
66
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit









