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Bench Warmer
Associated Press
SEATTLE -- Tony Clark dropped a routine throw to first base, allowing Ronny Cedeno to score the winning run for the Seattle Mariners with two outs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Chad Qualls got Franklin Gutierrez to ground slowly toward third where Mark Reynolds charged, fielded cleanly and fired a perfect throw to Clark. The ball hit Clark's glove in the palm and popped out, setting off an awkward celebration for the Mariners, who swept the three-game series and climbed above .500 for the first time since May 7.
Trailing 2-1 after Reynolds' two-run homer in the eighth inning off Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, the Mariners (35-34) scratched out a run in the bottom half.
Mark Lowe (1-4) pitched the ninth for his first win of the season. He gave up a two-out double to Augie Ojeda before striking out Felipe Lopez looking to end the inning.
Cedeno got the Mariners' ninth started by drawing a walk from reliever Clay Zavada (0-1). Ichiro Suzuki outlasted Zavada on a 12-pitch at-bat, fouling off six straight pitches before a broken-bat roller to short that Suzuki beat out by a step.
Chris Woodward failed to advance the runners, coming up empty on three attempts to lay down a sacrifice bunt in fair territory. Mike Carp tapped to first for the second out as both runners advanced. Sweeney was intentionally walked to load the bases and Qualls was brought in to face Gutierrez.
Carp scored the tying run for Seattle in the eighth on a fielder's choice by Gutierrez that bounced off the hand of reliever Jon Rauch. Zavada kept Ken Griffey Jr. from matching his exploits of Friday night when the Mariners' star hit a pinch-hit two-run homer. This time, with Gutierrez at third, Griffey flew out just in front of the warning track in left.
Reynolds was hitless in his previous 16 at-bats before a two-run homer with one out in the eighth inning, ruining another outstanding outing by Hernandez.
Hernandez was cruising into the eighth, finding a groove after wiggling out of jams earlier in the game. His scoreless-innings streak reached 20 before Reynolds caught up with a knee-high fastball and lined it over the center field wall for his 19th homer of the season.
Hernandez went 7 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and striking out eight.
Arizona starter Doug Davis was nearly his equal. He pitched seven innings, allowing just an RBI single by Yuniesky Betancourt in the fourth inning, one of three hits for the Mariners shortstop. Davis gave up seven hits and struck out three.
Seattle was last above .500 mark on May 7 at 15-14. That was in the early stages of a disastrous 1-9 road trip.
Following its sweep of Arizona, Seattle has won five of six and nine of its last 14 to close the gap with Texas and the Angels in the meek division.
Game notes
Suzuki recorded his 1,900th major league hit on a 70-foot roller down the first-base line. He sheepishly acknowledged the crowd with a tip of the cap when the milestone was displayed on the scoreboard. ... Mariners C Kenji Johjima caught four innings on Saturday night at Triple-A Tacoma and manager Don Wakamatsu said Sunday that Johjima will likely be activated on the upcoming road trip that begins Friday in Los Angeles. ... Arizona manager A.J. Hinch plans for CF Chris Young (groin) to return either Tuesday or Wednesday.
SEATTLE -- Tony Clark dropped a routine throw to first base, allowing Ronny Cedeno to score the winning run for the Seattle Mariners with two outs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Chad Qualls got Franklin Gutierrez to ground slowly toward third where Mark Reynolds charged, fielded cleanly and fired a perfect throw to Clark. The ball hit Clark's glove in the palm and popped out, setting off an awkward celebration for the Mariners, who swept the three-game series and climbed above .500 for the first time since May 7.
Trailing 2-1 after Reynolds' two-run homer in the eighth inning off Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, the Mariners (35-34) scratched out a run in the bottom half.
Mark Lowe (1-4) pitched the ninth for his first win of the season. He gave up a two-out double to Augie Ojeda before striking out Felipe Lopez looking to end the inning.
Cedeno got the Mariners' ninth started by drawing a walk from reliever Clay Zavada (0-1). Ichiro Suzuki outlasted Zavada on a 12-pitch at-bat, fouling off six straight pitches before a broken-bat roller to short that Suzuki beat out by a step.
Chris Woodward failed to advance the runners, coming up empty on three attempts to lay down a sacrifice bunt in fair territory. Mike Carp tapped to first for the second out as both runners advanced. Sweeney was intentionally walked to load the bases and Qualls was brought in to face Gutierrez.
Carp scored the tying run for Seattle in the eighth on a fielder's choice by Gutierrez that bounced off the hand of reliever Jon Rauch. Zavada kept Ken Griffey Jr. from matching his exploits of Friday night when the Mariners' star hit a pinch-hit two-run homer. This time, with Gutierrez at third, Griffey flew out just in front of the warning track in left.
Reynolds was hitless in his previous 16 at-bats before a two-run homer with one out in the eighth inning, ruining another outstanding outing by Hernandez.
Hernandez was cruising into the eighth, finding a groove after wiggling out of jams earlier in the game. His scoreless-innings streak reached 20 before Reynolds caught up with a knee-high fastball and lined it over the center field wall for his 19th homer of the season.
Hernandez went 7 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and striking out eight.
Arizona starter Doug Davis was nearly his equal. He pitched seven innings, allowing just an RBI single by Yuniesky Betancourt in the fourth inning, one of three hits for the Mariners shortstop. Davis gave up seven hits and struck out three.
Seattle was last above .500 mark on May 7 at 15-14. That was in the early stages of a disastrous 1-9 road trip.
Following its sweep of Arizona, Seattle has won five of six and nine of its last 14 to close the gap with Texas and the Angels in the meek division.
Game notes
Suzuki recorded his 1,900th major league hit on a 70-foot roller down the first-base line. He sheepishly acknowledged the crowd with a tip of the cap when the milestone was displayed on the scoreboard. ... Mariners C Kenji Johjima caught four innings on Saturday night at Triple-A Tacoma and manager Don Wakamatsu said Sunday that Johjima will likely be activated on the upcoming road trip that begins Friday in Los Angeles. ... Arizona manager A.J. Hinch plans for CF Chris Young (groin) to return either Tuesday or Wednesday.
