Thursday, May 09, 2002
Mariners 5, Blue Jays 4
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki won this one with his legs. Suzuki scored on John Olerud's grounder in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
With Suzuki on third and Bret Boone at second, Olerud hit a groundball to pulled-in second baseman Joe Lawrence, who tried to throw out Suzuki at the plate. But Suzuki slid and beat catcher Tom Wilson's tag on a close play.
Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi called Suzuki safe, but Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez disputed the call. Martinez said Wilson blocked the plate.
“He never touched the plate and he still hasn't touched the plate,” Martinez said.
Suzuki said it didn't matter what he thought of the play.
“I don't know,” he said through a translator. “I got to go. After I go, it's the umpire's judgment.”
Suzuki opened the 10th with a drag bunt single off Scott Eyre (1-3), the fifth Toronto pitcher, for his second bunt hit of the night. Desi Relaford sacrificed Suzuki to second and Eyre walked Boone intentionally.
Suzuki and Boone then pulled off a double steal on a 1-1 pitch to Olerud.
“That's part of my game,” said Suzuki, who led the majors with 56 stolen bases as a rookie last year and has six this season. “I'm really happy that I can contribute with part of my game.”
Wilson said he thought Suzuki was out, too, but he didn't argue too strongly.
“I was ready for contact and getting the throw from Joe,” Wilson said. “I felt him hit me right as I caught the ball. I thought I got him, but he (Cuzzi) was in position to make the call.”
The Mariners had a season-high five stolen bases, two by Mark McLemore.
“That's the nice thing about having some guys who can run,” Olerud said. “If you're struggling hitting a bit, sometimes you can get guys in scoring position. So that definitely helped tonight.”
Seattle manager Lou Piniella said he was happy once again to have Suzuki on his side.
“The way he gets down the line, it's tough to beat him,” Piniella said.
Kazuhiro Sasaki (2-0) pitched two innings for the win despite blowing his second save in nine chances.
The Mariners stranded 16 runners.
Raul Mondesi singled off Sasaki leading off the ninth, stole second with one out and went to third on catcher Ben Davis' throwing error.
Vernon Wells drove in Mondesi with a sacrifice fly to tie it at 4. Sasaki has allowed only two unearned runs all year.
Davis entered in the eighth because starting catcher Dan Wilson was removed for a pinch-runner.
Dan Wilson's RBI single off rookie Corey Thurman tied it at 3 in the seventh, and Suzuki's sacrifice fly off Dan Plesac gave Seattle a 4-3 lead.
The Mariners took advantage of 10 walks by Toronto pitchers.
Mike Cameron opened the seventh with a double off Thurman and Wilson singled Cameron in from second with one out. McLemore's single sent Wilson to third, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Luis Ugueto.
Seattle starter Freddy Garcia, who has not lost since April 6, pitched seven innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out eight.
Toronto went ahead 3-2 with a run in the seventh on consecutive singles by rookie Eric Hinske, Wells and Tom Wilson.
The Blue Jays tied it at 2 in the fifth on Hinske's double and Tom Wilson's RBI single. Hinske hit his fourth homer in the second.
Mike Smith, making his third career start, walked four batters in the first, when the Mariners took a 1-0 lead on Ruben Sierra's RBI single. They got their second run in the fourth when Dan Wilson scored on third baseman Hinske's throwing error on Suzuki's bunt single.
Smith lasted 3 2-3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and seven walks.
Notes: Mariners 3B Jeff Cirillo left in the fourth inning with a bruised left elbow after being hit by a pitch from Smith in the second. Cirillo was the 17th batter Toronto pitchers have hit this season. “I think I'll be all right, but it's sore and I don't have full range of motion with my elbow,” Cirillo said. ... The 10 walks were a season high for Mariners batters, but they didn't come close to the Blue Jays' high for a game this season. Toronto pitchers gave up 13 bases on balls to Boston on opening day. ... Blue Jays LF Jose Cruz Jr. had his third assist of the season when he threw out Boone at the plate in the first. Boone was trying to score from second on Sierra's single that scored Suzuki from third. ... Rhodes' two strikeouts gave him eight in a row to tie Mark Langston's team record of eight consecutive strikeouts in September 1986.
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Mariners 5, Blue Jays 4 
