Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Blue Jays 4, Mariners 1
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Roy Halladay didn't pay any attention to a pregame tribute to Seattle's Mike Cameron honoring the center fielder for hitting four home runs in a game.
“I didn't even see it. I saw the day that he did it, but I didn't want it to happen today,” the Toronto right-hander said.
Cameron never came close.
Halladay allowed a triple to Cameron, only one of four hits he gave up as the Blue Jays defeated the Mariners 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Halladay (2-1) had a shutout until the eighth inning, when Cameron tripled to drive in Ichiro Suzuki for the Mariners' only run. It was Cameron's first game in Seattle since he tied the major league record with four homers against Chicago last week.
“To put it in perspective, think how hot the Mariners have been,” Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez said. “For him to shut them down the way he did is remarkable. We have a lot of confidence in Roy Halladay to shut down teams.”
Halladay struck out five and walked two in 7 2-3 innings, and Kelvim Escobar pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
The Mariners, who are 14-2 on the road, fell to 8-8 at home and had their four-game winning streak snapped. Manager Lou Piniella is desperate for some offense at home — lately it hasn't shown up at Safeco Field. The Mariners came in hitting .242 at home compared to .324 on the road. They lost the opening game of a homestand for the third time.
“We've struggled,” Piniella said. “We're 8-8 at home and there is no reason for it. We are really getting out pitched and out hit here at our own ballpark.”
It was a successful night for the struggling Toronto pitching staff, which entered 9-20 with a team ERA of 6.36. Halladay became only the second Toronto pitcher with more than one victory.
Halladay lost his last start May 1, an 8-1 loss to the Texas Rangers in which he gave up six runs on 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings.
“I worked on some things in between my starts that kept me from rushing,” he said. “I look forward to games like this, teams like this. This is a chance to get our team going.”
Eric Hinske had three hits, including a double, and Halladay's defense was strong behind him.
Center fielder Vernon Wells stopped a hard-hit line drive by Dan Wilson in the third and then one by John Olerud in the fourth. Wilson lined one down the third-base line in the fifth that was caught by Hinske.
Left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. caught a hard-hit ball by Olerud deep in the corner of the warning track in the seventh and nearly fell into the stands trying to catch a foul ball hit by Mark McLemore three batters later.
Seattle had won four straight, including a 15-4 win over the Chicago White Sox last Thursday when Cameron hit his four homers, and a three-game weekend sweep of the Yankees in New York.
The Blue Jays had lost 10 of their last 11, and 11 of 12 against the Mariners.
“This is huge for us,” Hinske said. “We can use this road trip as a turning point.”
With a 2-0 lead, Toronto loaded the bases in the fourth. Then Seattle starter James Baldwin (3-2) walked Tom Wilson to bring home Raul Mondesi. Joe Lawrence flied out to left field, but Hinske tagged up at third and scored to make it 4-0 when McLemore threw to second in an effort to turn a double play.
Right-hander Julio Mateo, recalled earlier Tuesday from Triple-A Tacoma, made his major league debut for Seattle. He relieved Baldwin in the eighth with two runners on and got out of the inning without allowing a run.
Baldwin gave up eight hits, struck out six and walked four.
Cameron went 1-for-4 and was honored before the game. He received a standing ovation and a commemorative plaque. Highlights of his four homers against the White Sox were played on the big screen.
Cameron praised Halladay after the game.
“He stayed out of big innings and kept the leadoff guy off base,” Cameron said. “The biggest thing of all, he threw strike one a lot of times.”
Notes: The Mariners turned a 6-5-4-5 double play in the sixth. ... The Blue Jays were the first team to beat Seattle in a series last season. The Mariners did not drop a series until May 4-6 when Toronto took 2-of-3 at Safeco Field. ... Toronto 1B Carlos Delgado is 7-for-49 (.143) in his past 14 games. He went 1-for-3 with a walk Tuesday. Delgado leads the AL in walks with 30. ... It was the fourth time in 30 games that Toronto held an opponent to two or fewer runs.
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Blue Jays 4, Mariners 1 
