Friday, August 16, 2002
Mariners 4, Red Sox 3
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Freddy Garcia thinks he's finally starting to come around. Garcia won for the second time since the All-Star break and the Seattle Mariners used four unearned runs in the fourth inning to edge the Boston Red Sox 4-3 Thursday night.
“I think today I had better mechanics,” the two-time All-Star said. “My delivery was 75 percent better than it has been for a long time.”
Mariners manager Lou Piniella saw the same improvement.
“It was better,” Piniella said. “He pitched better. He kept the ball down better. He's just got to keep working to battle out of this funk that he's been in. The best way to do it is to get a win, and that's exactly what he did tonight.”
Carlos Guillen, Ichiro Suzuki and Jeff Cirillo had RBI singles as Seattle increased its lead in the AL West to 1 1/2 games over Anaheim.
Cliff Floyd homered for Boston, which dropped six games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and 2 1/2 back of the Angels in the wild-card race.
Garcia (13-8) outpitched Casey Fossum as the Mariners took two of three in the series. Seattle opens a three-game set against the Yankees on Friday night.
Garcia pitched 5 2-3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks, with seven strikeouts. In seven starts since pitching in the All-Star game on July 9, the right-hander is 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA.
“Everybody does the little things to win the game,” Garcia said. “I was trying to pull everything together. I feel pretty good out there.”
The big right-hander from Venezuela threw 114 pitches.
“I did whatever it took to win,” he said. “They're a pretty good team. They have pretty good hitters. They make you work a lot.”
Arthur Rhodes pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings, striking out four of his seven batters. Kazuhiro Sasaki worked the ninth for his 30th save in 35 opportunities, retiring Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez and Floyd in order.
Fossum (2-2), a converted reliever making his fourth career start, went five innings and allowed four runs — all unearned — on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six.
The Mariners took a 4-1 lead in the fourth. All their runs were unearned because second baseman Rey Sanchez dropped shortstop Garciaparra's short toss for an error on Ruben Sierra's potential double-play grounder.
“I think he knew he had to hurry to turn the double play,” Boston manager Grady Little said. “He was in a rush to get the double play and he just dropped the ball, that's all.”
The Red Sox couldn't overcome the error.
“When you don't get those little things done, that's what you can expect,” Floyd said.
Edgar Martinez doubled to lead off the inning and John Olerud walked before Sierra's grounder loaded the bases.
Dan Wilson tied it at 1 with a sacrifice fly. Guillen, Suzuki and Cirillo then hit consecutive RBI singles.
“Even though there was that error, I've still got to try to pitch through it,” Fossum said. “I just left a pitch up and they got three hits.”
The Red Sox went ahead 1-0 in the second on Floyd's 402-foot homer to right, his second in 11 games with Boston. It was the 22nd allowed by Garcia.
Boston cut its deficit to 4-3 on Trot Nixon's two-run double off Rhodes after Garcia loaded the bases on singles by Shea Hillenbrand and Jason Varitek, and a walk to Johnny Damon.
Notes: The Red Sox are 11-19 in one-run games this season. ... Ramirez was 3-for-5, but he committed a major baserunning blunder in the third when he attempted to stretch his single into a double. He was thrown out by left fielder Sierra. ... The Red Sox outhomered the Mariners 6-2 in the series. ... Red Sox C Varitek stole his fourth base of the season. He came into the year with four stolen bases in his first four seasons with Boston. ... Seattle pitchers have allowed 131 homers this season. ... The Mariners won the season series 5-4.
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Mariners 4, Red Sox 3 
