LARRY LARUE; Staff writer |
• Published June 01, 2011

They pitched superbly throughout May, which not only helped the Seattle Mariners win but masked their greatest weakness – scoring runs.

So when Erik Bedard and the bullpen held Baltimore to two runs, yet trailed 2-0 in the eighth inning, it peared another finely pitched game might go unrewarded Tuesday night.

Then the Orioles made mistakes that brought Justin Smoak to the plate with the chance to change the game – and he did, hitting a three-run home run that produced Seattle’s 3-2 victory.

It gave them a 15-11 record in May, inched them to a half-game from first place in the American League West and came in front of the smallest crowd in Safeco Field history, 11,692.

“He’d stayed away from me the whole game, and then he left a change-up over the plate,” Smoak said of Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. “I wasn’t looking for any particular pitch, and I sure wasn’t thinking home run – not the way I’ve been lately.”

Smoak came to the plate in that eighth inning with two hits in his previous 17 at-bats, with his batting average down to .250 and his starting pitcher already in the clubhouse.

“You always try to stay positive,” Bedard said. “But Jeremy was throwing a pretty good game.”

How good? The M’s had three hits when the eighth inning began, all singles, none hit particularly hard.

“That’s as good as any game anyone has thrown against us all year,” manager Eric Wedge said. “Our guys battled, but into the eighth inning we hadn’t really done anything against him.”

Bedard had gone 6 innings and given up both Baltimore runs. A fine start, but he left trailing in the seventh. Chris Ray finished the inning for Bedard, then worked a scoreless eighth.

Two outs into the bottom of the inning, Ichiro Suzuki hit a ground ball to the right side that first baseman Luke Scott smothered. With Guthrie covering the bag, Scott’s throw ticked off the pitcher’s glove and Ichiro was safe.

Error, pitcher.

Brendan Ryan, who’d already extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games, singled into right field. That brought up Smoak – the team leader in home runs (seven) and RBI (28) to that point.

It was Seattle’s only point-blank chance to take this one back from the Orioles. Smoak was at the plate; childhood friend and Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters was behind it.

Wieters had already homered for the Orioles. When was the last time the two had homered in the same game?

“High school,” Smoak said.

Wieters called for a change-up, down and a little away. It came in thigh-high and centered. Smoak hammered it into the right-field bleachers, the 21st home run of his career in his 148th game. And it was the first of its kind.

“I’ve never hit one like that, to take the lead late in a game and win it,” Smoak admitted.

Where’s No. 21 rank?

“Right at the top,” he said.

In the clubhouse, watching on television as he iced his arm, Bedard said he pumped his fist. In the dugout, the M’s went a little crazy. And that intimate little crowd cheered loud enough and long enough that his teammates pushed Smoak out of the dugout for a curtain call – another career first.

Closer Brandon League quickly got three outs for his 15th save.

The win let the Mariners stretch a streak of series victories to five, against the Angels, Padres, Twins, Yankees and Orioles. Since ril 26, when they began the day 8-15, the Mariners are 20-11.

Wedge is cautious, calling the 28-26 Mariners a “work in progress” and a team that still must find ways to score runs to support pitching that has been all but spectacular.

Still, May was their first winning month since June 2010 (14-13), and the way the Mariners are playing feels like more than a baby step up from their 101-loss season a year ago.

Yes, good teams find ways to score more runs than Seattle is producing. But good teams also come from behind, as the Mariners have now done 14 times this season, and they take advantage of mistakes.

The Orioles didn’t make many Tuesday, but when the error put Ichiro aboard, the Mariners quickly turned the chance into three runs

There aren’t many Mariners who have hit game-winning home runs – Smoak never had. Jack Cust, the veteran designated hitter, had, and he beamed when asked to describe the emotions.

“There’s no feeling in the world quite like it,” Cust said. “It’s exciting when a teammate does it, so imagine what it’s like if you do it.”

Smoak was asked who was waiting for him on the dugout steps when he came in after hitting the homer.

“The whole team,” Smoak said.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

They pitched superbly throughout May, which not only helped the Seattle Mariners win but masked their greatest weakness – scoring runs.

So when Erik Bedard and the bullpen held Baltimore to two runs, yet trailed 2-0 in the eighth inning, it peared another finely pitched game might go unrewarded Tuesday night.

Then the Orioles made mistakes that brought Justin Smoak to the plate with the chance to change the game – and he did, hitting a three-run home run that produced Seattle’s 3-2 victory.

It gave them a 15-11 record in May, inched them to a half-game from first place in the American League West and came in front of the smallest crowd in Safeco Field history, 11,692.

“He’d stayed away from me the whole game, and then he left a change-up over the plate,” Smoak said of Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. “I wasn’t looking for any particular pitch, and I sure wasn’t thinking home run – not the way I’ve been lately.”

Smoak came to the plate in that eighth inning with two hits in his previous 17 at-bats, with his batting average down to .250 and his starting pitcher already in the clubhouse.

“You always try to stay positive,” Bedard said. “But Jeremy was throwing a pretty good game.”

How good? The M’s had three hits when the eighth inning began, all singles, none hit particularly hard.

“That’s as good as any game anyone has thrown against us all year,” manager Eric Wedge said. “Our guys battled, but into the eighth inning we hadn’t really done anything against him.”

Bedard had gone 6 innings and given up both Baltimore runs. A fine start, but he left trailing in the seventh. Chris Ray finished the inning for Bedard, then worked a scoreless eighth.

Two outs into the bottom of the inning, Ichiro Suzuki hit a ground ball to the right side that first baseman Luke Scott smothered. With Guthrie covering the bag, Scott’s throw ticked off the pitcher’s glove and Ichiro was safe.

Error, pitcher.

Brendan Ryan, who’d already extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games, singled into right field. That brought up Smoak – the team leader in home runs (seven) and RBI (28) to that point.

It was Seattle’s only point-blank chance to take this one back from the Orioles. Smoak was at the plate; childhood friend and Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters was behind it.

Wieters had already homered for the Orioles. When was the last time the two had homered in the same game?

“High school,” Smoak said.

Wieters called for a change-up, down and a little away. It came in thigh-high and centered. Smoak hammered it into the right-field bleachers, the 21st home run of his career in his 148th game. And it was the first of its kind.

“I’ve never hit one like that, to take the lead late in a game and win it,” Smoak admitted.

Where’s No. 21 rank?

“Right at the top,” he said.

In the clubhouse, watching on television as he iced his arm, Bedard said he pumped his fist. In the dugout, the M’s went a little crazy. And that intimate little crowd cheered loud enough and long enough that his teammates pushed Smoak out of the dugout for a curtain call – another career first.

Closer Brandon League quickly got three outs for his 15th save.

The win let the Mariners stretch a streak of series victories to five, against the Angels, Padres, Twins, Yankees and Orioles. Since ril 26, when they began the day 8-15, the Mariners are 20-11.

Wedge is cautious, calling the 28-26 Mariners a “work in progress” and a team that still must find ways to score runs to support pitching that has been all but spectacular.

Still, May was their first winning month since June 2010 (14-13), and the way the Mariners are playing feels like more than a baby step up from their 101-loss season a year ago.

Yes, good teams find ways to score more runs than Seattle is producing. But good teams also come from behind, as the Mariners have now done 14 times this season, and they take advantage of mistakes.

The Orioles didn’t make many Tuesday, but when the error put Ichiro aboard, the Mariners quickly turned the chance into three runs

There aren’t many Mariners who have hit game-winning home runs – Smoak never had. Jack Cust, the veteran designated hitter, had, and he beamed when asked to describe the emotions.

“There’s no feeling in the world quite like it,” Cust said. “It’s exciting when a teammate does it, so imagine what it’s like if you do it.”

Smoak was asked who was waiting for him on the dugout steps when he came in after hitting the homer.

“The whole team,” Smoak said.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

MINNEOLIS () — First, his stomach. Then, the swing. Franklin Gutierrez is finally feeling better.

Erik Bedard threw six shutout innings and Gutierrez hit his first home run of the season, propelling the Seattle Mariners past the slump-ridden Minnesota Twins for a 3-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon.

“I feel good. I just needed time,” said Gutierrez, who joined the lineup last week after a mysterious, frustrating bout with stomach problems that sped his energy last season and lingered into this spring.

David Pauley tossed two scoreless innings in relief, Brandon League pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 15 attempts and the Twins managed only seven singles on their way to their fifth shutout this season. They have the worst record in the majors at 16-32 and the fewest runs with 164, an average of 3.42 per game.

Bedard (3-4) had a lot to do with that, stretching his scoreless innings streak to 15. After missing last year with a bad shoulder, the Canadian left-hander has bounced back in a big way on his $1 million, one-year contract.

“His breaking ball was snping as hard as anybody’s we’ve seen this year,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Bedard allowed six hits and one walk while striking out four.

“Ah, I’ve felt the same all the way the whole season,” he said. “It’s just now the results are getting better.”

Because of his injuries, Bedard was limited to 30 major league starts over a 19-month span of regular season games starting in September 2007. But in his ninth start this season, he lowered his ERA to 3.48. He has 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 51 2-3 innings.

“He’s just been very consistent with his fastball and his breaking ball and developing more confidence in his changeup,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said, praising the tempo Bedard kept on the mound. “He has a great heartbeat out there.”

The Mariners have barely been more potent than the sputtering Twins this season with 176 runs — an average of 3.59 per game — but their starting pitching has been nearly impeccable. Pauley and Aaron Laffey have been solid as setup men. With four hitless innings in a row, League has recovered from a rough stretch earlier this month when he took the loss in four straight pearances including three blown saves.

“We’re excited. This is fun baseball right now,” shortstop Brendan Ryan said.

After their six-game winning streak was stopped the night before, the Mariners got right back on track before a 10-game homestand against three American League East foes starting with the New York Yankees. That’s the kind of steadiness that Wedge is seeking from his team, which is right in the race in the mediocre AL West.

“When you have a couple games in a row and you get the momentum on your side, you just feel like every game you can win. It’s a good feeling,” Bedard said.

Brian Duensing (2-5) saved Minnesota’s depleted bullpen again by pitching seven innings the day after Nick Blackburn’s complete-game victory, yielding only four hits, but two of them were costly — and crushed.

After Gutierrez walked to start the second inning, Adam Kennedy drove a double down the right-field line that eluded diving first baseman Justin Morneau’s glove and was difficult for Jason Kubel to corral in the corner.

Gutierrez scored, and Kennedy cruised home two batters later on Brendan Ryan’s single to center past a drawn-in infield to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Gutierrez then led off the fourth with a long fly off an 0-1 changeup that sliced through a steady wind and reached the left-field seats.

Gutierrez, who reached base three times, was a reliable regular in the outfield for the Mariners the past two seasons and won his first Gold Glove in 2010. But his production fell off last summer after he started feeling sick. Gutierrez finally made his debut last week, and he’s 5 for 21 with three runs and two RBIs since his return.

He said he felt tired the first few games.

“But now I feel like I’m getting to the point where I was before,” Gutierrez said, adding: I’m just trying to be relaxed. I’m not going to do a lot of things in one at-bat. I’m trying to play step by step. I know it takes time.”

NOTES: Wedge gave Justin Smoak a mini-break by using him as the DH. Kennedy played 1B instead. … Duensing struck out five and walked two. He has not won since ril 23. … With Ichiro Suzuki, Chone Figgins and Smoak producing little this series at the top, Ryan gave the bottom of the lineup a boost. In his past six games, he’s 12 for 21 with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs.

MINNEOLIS – The Seattle Mariners are as hot a team as they’ve been in years, winning five of six games on the road despite a lack of production from the top of their lineup.

When Erik Bedard, David Pauley and Brandon League shut down the opposition, and Franklin Guiterrez homered and scored twice, the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-0.

And did it without Ichiro Suzuki or Chone Figgins reaching base.

“We’ll get Ichiro and Figgy going again,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s a long season, and at various times the top third of your lineup, the middle third and the bottom third will get hot.

“Eventually, we want to be consistent one-through-nine. We’re not there yet. Winning without much help up top, that says a lot about our team.”

Those five road wins in six games got the Mainers to 24-25 and kept them in the middle of the American League West standings – although some players flew home dispointed.

“The goal was .500,” closer League said. “We’re pretty close.”

League was asked if he liked this trip – when he saved two games – was more enjoyable that the last, when he lost three games.

“No, I really liked that Baltimore-Cleveland trip,” he deadpanned, referring to earlier this month when Seattle lost four in a row, two in extra innings when League got the loss. “Over the course of a season, you have blips. That was one. My consistency is better now, the results are better.”

Gutierrez is getting past a “blip,” too – irritable bowel syndrome – and this was only his sixth game of the season. He walked to open the second inning, then scored from first base on Adam Kennedy’s double.

Leading off the fourth inning, Gutierrez hit his first home run of 2011.

“We’re doing the little things it takes to win, and any time I can help the team put a run on the board, that’s good,” he said. “We got an awesome game from Bedard.”

Six innings, no runs – despite six hits and a walk – produced Bedard’s third win, and after missing most of the past two seasons to arm injuries, the left-hander pears to be back at full strength.

In his past five starts, Bedard is 3-0 with a 1.09 earned- run average, and has pitched 33 innings.

“Winning is fun, always,” Bedard said. “You get momentum, guys show up every day expecting to win. I hadn’t pitched in a long time, so it took awhile to get strong, to find my command. I feel great right now.”

And giving the game to the bullpen after six innings and 96 pitches?

“All Pauley does is put up zeroes,” Bedard said.

He wasn’t kidding.

Over 17 pearances this season, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA and has gone from a long reliever to setup man. He pitched two scoreless against the Twins and handed off to League, who earned his 12th save.

Still, that glossy 5-1 record didn’t get much production from Ichiro and Figgins.

Ichiro was 4-for-25 in the six games, a .160 average. Behind him, batting second, Figgins was 2-for-27, a .074 average. For the season, Ichiro is at .281 – on pace for 188 hits – and Figgins is at .202.

Neither wanted to talk Wednesday, but those aren’t numbers associated with winning streaks.

Seattle won with great pitching, yes, but still needed runs. They got many on this trip from the bottom of their order, not the top.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan had 12 hits in the past six games. He singled home a run and tripled Wednesday. His average on the trip: .571.

“We’re excited, this is fun baseball,” Ryan said. “We’ve won 24 games, and I don’t know how that works out to what we need for 95 wins, but we’re all playing for the same thing – getting to the post-season.”

Wedge was asked if he knew where Ryan – a man in constant movement – got his energy.

“When you find out, let me know,” Wedge said. “He has the same attitude, the same proach every day. Brendan is fun to be around, for everybody, on the field, in the clubhouse, the dugout.

“You’re beginning to see this thing change. We’re not there yet, obviously, but we’re getting better.”

A year ago after 49 games, the Mariners were 19-30.

Next up: the New York Yankees starting Friday.

“We have to stay away from the buildup and just play the game the way we play the game,” Wedge said.

“We’re not just out there working on things,” Pauley said. “We’re competing. We’re trying hard to win games and improve as we do that.

Will it get tough on the next homestand, playing New York, Baltimore and Tampa Bay?

“It’s supposed to be tough,” Pauley said. “Winning isn’t easy at this level.”

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

NEXT

N.Y. Yankees (A.J. Burnett: 5-3, 4.02 ERA) at Seattle (Michael Pineda: 6-2, 2.16), 7:10 p.m. Friday, Root Sports, 710-AM

LARRY LARUE; Staff writer |
• Published May 26, 2011

MINNEOLIS – The Seattle Mariners are as hot a team as they’ve been in years, winning five of six games on the road despite a lack of production from the top of their lineup.

When Erik Bedard, David Pauley and Brandon League shut down the opposition, and Franklin Guiterrez homered and scored twice, the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-0.

And did it without Ichiro Suzuki or Chone Figgins reaching base.

“We’ll get Ichiro and Figgy going again,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s a long season, and at various times the top third of your lineup, the middle third and the bottom third will get hot.

“Eventually, we want to be consistent one-through-nine. We’re not there yet. Winning without much help up top, that says a lot about our team.”

Those five road wins in six games got the Mainers to 24-25 and kept them in the middle of the American League West standings – although some players flew home dispointed.

“The goal was .500,” closer League said. “We’re pretty close.”

League was asked if he liked this trip – when he saved two games – was more enjoyable that the last, when he lost three games.

“No, I really liked that Baltimore-Cleveland trip,” he deadpanned, referring to earlier this month when Seattle lost four in a row, two in extra innings when League got the loss. “Over the course of a season, you have blips. That was one. My consistency is better now, the results are better.”

Gutierrez is getting past a “blip,” too – irritable bowel syndrome – and this was only his sixth game of the season. He walked to open the second inning, then scored from first base on Adam Kennedy’s double.

Leading off the fourth inning, Gutierrez hit his first home run of 2011.

“We’re doing the little things it takes to win, and any time I can help the team put a run on the board, that’s good,” he said. “We got an awesome game from Bedard.”

Six innings, no runs – despite six hits and a walk – produced Bedard’s third win, and after missing most of the past two seasons to arm injuries, the left-hander pears to be back at full strength.

In his past five starts, Bedard is 3-0 with a 1.09 earned- run average, and has pitched 33 innings.

“Winning is fun, always,” Bedard said. “You get momentum, guys show up every day expecting to win. I hadn’t pitched in a long time, so it took awhile to get strong, to find my command. I feel great right now.”

And giving the game to the bullpen after six innings and 96 pitches?

“All Pauley does is put up zeroes,” Bedard said.

He wasn’t kidding.

Over 17 pearances this season, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA and has gone from a long reliever to setup man. He pitched two scoreless against the Twins and handed off to League, who earned his 12th save.

Still, that glossy 5-1 record didn’t get much production from Ichiro and Figgins.

Ichiro was 4-for-25 in the six games, a .160 average. Behind him, batting second, Figgins was 2-for-27, a .074 average. For the season, Ichiro is at .281 – on pace for 188 hits – and Figgins is at .202.

Neither wanted to talk Wednesday, but those aren’t numbers associated with winning streaks.

Seattle won with great pitching, yes, but still needed runs. They got many on this trip from the bottom of their order, not the top.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan had 12 hits in the past six games. He singled home a run and tripled Wednesday. His average on the trip: .571.

“We’re excited, this is fun baseball,” Ryan said. “We’ve won 24 games, and I don’t know how that works out to what we need for 95 wins, but we’re all playing for the same thing – getting to the post-season.”

Wedge was asked if he knew where Ryan – a man in constant movement – got his energy.

“When you find out, let me know,” Wedge said. “He has the same attitude, the same proach every day. Brendan is fun to be around, for everybody, on the field, in the clubhouse, the dugout.

“You’re beginning to see this thing change. We’re not there yet, obviously, but we’re getting better.”

A year ago after 49 games, the Mariners were 19-30.

Next up: the New York Yankees starting Friday.

“We have to stay away from the buildup and just play the game the way we play the game,” Wedge said.

“We’re not just out there working on things,” Pauley said. “We’re competing. We’re trying hard to win games and improve as we do that.

Will it get tough on the next homestand, playing New York, Baltimore and Tampa Bay?

“It’s supposed to be tough,” Pauley said. “Winning isn’t easy at this level.”

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

NEXT N.Y. Yankees (A.J. Burnett: 5-3, 4.02 ERA) at Seattle (Michael Pineda: 6-2, 2.16), 7:10 p.m. Friday, Root Sports, 1240-AM, 1030-AM

SAN DIEGO — From pitching to hitting to defense, the Seattle Mariners found a lot to like about Petco Park.Erik Bedard struck out nine and allowed three singles in eight innings, and Miguel Olivo homered to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 win over the punchless Padres on Friday night.Left fielder Carlos Peguero made a spectacular catch at the wall to rob Jorge Cantu of a two-run homer in the seventh, then Seattle doubled Ryan Ludwick off first. It was Seattle’s third double play of the night.The Padres avoided their ninth shutout when Peguero couldn’t hang on to Ludwick’s fly ball as he tried to make a diving catch. Ludwick’s single scored Chris Denorfia, but Ludwick was called out for passing Jason Bartlett, who had turned back to first base, thinking Peguero had made the catch.Bedard (2-4) and Chris Ray combined on a four-hitter as Bedard improved to 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 16 career interleague starts. The lefty dominated the Padres, who had just one runner reach third base. Bedard won his second straight decision, over four starts, after losing his first four starts. He walked two. In four career starts against the Padres, he is 4-0 with a 1.63 ERA and 31 strikeouts.This was the seventh straight game in which the Mariners’ starter went at least seven innings.”The guys have been doing a great job,” manager Eric Wedge said. “They’ve got a consistent mindset when they go out there and start the game. It’s their job to give us a chance to win ballgames, and they’re doing it immensely.”Bedard last pitched Saturday, when he recorded two outs before the game at Cleveland was rained out.Wedge said he had no problem with Bedard going out for the ninth, but ultimately decided it would be better to turn the game over to the bullpen.”We’re trying to keep him strong,” Wedge said. “It was kind of funky coming back after the last start, which was really only 17 pitches, but he still got hot. We’re working to keep him in a good place.”Padres ace Mat Latos (1-6) continued to struggle, losing for the 11th time in 13 starts. He didn’t lose his sixth decision last year until Sept. 12. The right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out four and walked one.”I think we all had good proaches” against Bedard, Bartlett said. “He was just executing his pitches well. He kept us off-balance and hit his spots. Even though we knew what was coming, we still couldn’t pull the trigger.”San Diego has scored just five runs in its last four games, three of them at Petco Park, after scoring 45 runs in its previous five. The Padres are 8-16 at home, worst in the big leagues.Olivo, who was with the Padres in 2005, homered to left-center with one out in the sixth, his third. In the fourth, he hit a leadoff double into the same area, with the ball bouncing into the stands.The Mariners took a 2-0 lead with two outs in the second when Peguero tripled in Adam Kennedy, aboard on a leadoff single, and scored on Brendan Ryan’s single.Peguero’s seventh-inning catch was huge for the Mariners.”First time in my life,” Peguero said. “Great catch, for Bedard, too, to keep the shutout going and help the team.”Said Bedard: What a catch. If he doesn’t do that, it’s 4-2.”Notes: Trevor Hoffman, baseball’s career saves leader who’s now working in San Diego’s front office, and former Padres reliever Akinori Otsuka signed autogrhs before the game to raise money for Jan disaster relief. According to the Padres, the tsunami stopped 1 mile from Otsuka’s home. … Padres SS Jason Bartlett committed his fourth error in three games and ninth overall.