Final
Mariners jump out early, hang on to beat Marlins
Jun 18, 2008 - 6:46 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterSEATTLE (Ticker) -- Felix Hernandez pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and Jose Lopez had a pair of run-scoring doubles as the Seattle Mariners hung on for a 5-4 victory Tuesday over the Florida Marlins to snap an eight-game home losing streak.
Hernandez (6-5) allowed six hits and struck out nine in winning his fourth consecutive game and ending a four-game losing streak for the Mariners, who own the worst record in the major leagues and saw their general manager, Bill Bavasi, get fired on Monday.
At one point, the 22-year-old righthander struck out six consecutive batters, including all three in the fourth inning on nine pitches - a feat accomplished only 42 times in major league history by 39 different pitchers. He was charged with four runs - three earned - and walked only one batter.
"I was just trying to throw strikes," Hernandez said. "I was just trying to throw the ball down in the strike zone. I didn't know it was a nine-pitch strikeout (inning). ... That's pretty good. But the important thing is that we won the game."
The nine strikeouts were the most for Hernandez since he recorded 10 in a loss to Oakland on April 27.
"Felix was pretty good," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "He had a little bump in the road, but he overcame it."
Hernandez had to endure a 34-pitch sixth inning, when the Marlins scored two runs.
Hernandez left after walking Jeremy Hermida with one out in the eighth and Seattle leading, 5-4. Sean Green came in to strike out Jorge Cantu, and Arthur Rhodes fanned pinch hitter Cody Ross on three pitches to snuff out the threat.
Brandon Morrow, who had allowed only one earned run in his previous 15 1/3 innings and struck out 10 of his last 19 batters coming into this game, fanned two in a perfect ninth to notch his second save of the season.
"Morrow was pretty good," McLaren said. "He really gets the crowd into it. We know he's a special pitcher."
Morrow, a first-round pick in 2006, has temporarily been given the closer's role while All-Star J.J. Putz is on the disabled list.
The Mariners staked Hernandez to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Lopez's double that scored Ichiro Suzuki from first and Raul Ibanez's RBI single.
Suzuki led off the game with a single to extend his interleague hitting streak to 28 games.
Dan Uggla belted his 20th homer in the second inning to cut the deficit to 2-1 and end Hernandez's streak of innings without allowing an earned run at 22 1/3.
"Man, I'm going to tell you it was pretty ugly," Uggla said. "I don't remember seeing the pitch. I don't know what it was. I think he probably just happened to throw it where I swung."
Seattle added two more runs in the fourth on Suzuki's sacrifice fly and Lopez's second run-scoring double for a 4-1 advantage.
"We got some timely hitting," McLaren said. "I thought we should have had some more, but I'm not complaining. We just need to get better at it. When you get runners on third base, you've got to find a way to get them in."
Marlins starter Scott Olsen (4-4) left the game with one out in the fifth and runners on first and second. Olsen, who is 0-3 with five no-decisions since his last victory on May 6, allowed five runs - four earned - and a season-high 11 hits while walking one and striking out two.
Florida scored twice in the sixth to get within 5-3. The Marlins loaded the bases with none out before Hermida plated a run with the team's fourth consecutive single and Cantu lifted a sacrifice fly, but Hernandez struck out the next two batters looking to avoid further damage.
"Felix quieted our bats pretty easily," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We were able to get back into it there late, but he was great. If it wasn't the best pitching stretch against us, it was one of the best we've seen this year."
The Marlins drew closer with an unearned run in the seventh. Luis Gonzalez doubled and went to third when center fielder Willie Bloomquist bobbled the ball for an error.
Gonzalez scored on Matt Treanor's sacrifice fly to make it 5-4.
- ML
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
FLORIDA 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 4 6 2
SEATTLE 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 x 5 13 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: FLA - SCOTT OLSEN, LOGAN KENSING (5TH), DOUG WAECHTER (7TH) AND MATT
TREANOR
SEA - FELIX HERNANDEZ, SEAN GREEN (8TH), ARTHUR RHODES
(8TH), BRANDON MORROW (9TH) AND
Jun 18 12:46 AM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY MATT TREANOR SCORED LUIS GONZALEZ.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 4
SEATTLE 5 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR FLORIDA: A AMEZAGA (.243, 1-FOR-2)
Marlins 4, Mariners 5 Top 7, 0 OutsJun 18 12:07 AM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY JORGE CANTU SCORED ALFREDO AMEZAGA.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J HERMIDA ON FIRST, H RAMIREZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 3
SEATTLE 5 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR FLORIDA: M JACOBS (.239, 0-FOR-2)
Marlins 3, Mariners 5 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 17 11:45 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JEREMY HERMIDA SCORED MATT TREANOR.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J HERMIDA ON FIRST, H RAMIREZ ON SECOND, A
AMEZAGA ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 2
SEATTLE 5 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR FLORIDA: J CANTU (.286, 0-FOR-2)
Marlins 2, Mariners 5 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 17 11:43 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
FIELDER'S CHOICE BY KENJI JOHJIMA SCORED RAUL IBANEZ.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, K JOHJIMA ON FIRST, R SEXSON ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 1
SEATTLE 5 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: W BLOOMQUIST (.218, 2-FOR-2)
Marlins 1, Mariners 5 Bot 5, 0 OutsJun 17 11:32 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JOSE LOPEZ SCORED WILLIE BLOOMQUIST.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J LOPEZ ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 1
SEATTLE 4 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: J VIDRO (.213, 0-FOR-2)
Marlins 1, Mariners 4 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 17 11:14 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY ICHIRO SUZUKI SCORED KENJI JOHJIMA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, W BLOOMQUIST ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 1
SEATTLE 3 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: J LOPEZ (.294, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Marlins 1, Mariners 3 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 17 11:13 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY DAN UGGLA (20) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
2ND OFF FELIX HERNANDEZ.
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 1, SEATTLE 2
DUE UP FOR FLORIDA: L GONZALEZ (.275, 5 HR, 27 RBI)
Marlins 1, Mariners 2 Top 2, 0 OutsJun 17 10:33 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RAUL IBANEZ SCORED JOSE LOPEZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R IBANEZ ON FIRST, A BELTRE ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 0
SEATTLE 2 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: R SEXSON (.218, 9 HR, 23 RBI)
Marlins 0, Mariners 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 17 10:26 PM - ML
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JOSE LOPEZ SCORED ICHIRO SUZUKI.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J LOPEZ ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: FLORIDA 0
SEATTLE 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: J VIDRO (.215, 5 HR, 34 RBI)
Marlins 0, Mariners 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 17 10:21 PM
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