Ulrich Ulriksen wrote:
Arggh, Mussina on the Brewers, as an Orioles fan that hurts (although eventually he went to the Yankees which is worse). '97 Orioles should have won the World Series, Mussina was awesome in ALCS but the rest of the team wasn't. It was the last decent Orioles team for like 20 years.

Maybe that is a good omen for you Mussina being good but the other team taking the series. On the other hand there is an old baseball cliché that good pitching always beats good hitting. The M's could be a victim of that.

Ulrich Ulriksen wrote:
Arggh, Mussina on the Brewers, as an Orioles fan that hurts (although eventually he went to the Yankees which is worse). '97 Orioles should have won the World Series, Mussina was awesome in ALCS but the rest of the team wasn't. It was the last decent Orioles team for like 20 years.

Maybe that is a good omen for you Mussina being good but the other team taking the series. On the other hand there is an old baseball cliché that good pitching always beats good hitting. The M's could be a victim of that.

October 6th
Down 1-2 in the series, this is a must-win game for the Mariners.
Thus we open by going 3-and-out immediately. Luckily in the field Greg Jeffries is on form, pulling off a classy sliding catch to prevent a score. It doesn't improve in the 2nd Inning, as the Brewers work in a run to take a 0-1 lead.
In the 4th an error from the Brewers Catcher sets up Griffey and Arod at third and second base. But a Strikeout for Dan Wilson sees the chance go begging. Whilst both the 5th and 6th also go scoreless.
Finally in the 7th the Mariners get something working. Ortiz puts a strong shot to centre field, and an error on the throw to home lets Jeffries tie the game 1-1! Ortiz is then able to get himself home a couple of pitches later, and Seattle has a 2-1 lead going into the final two innings.
We rely on the closing arm of Hernandez, who delivers a crucial three-and-out. Doesn't matter the Brewers can do the same. The problem is we can't extend the lead in the 9th, leaving the Brewers with a chance. Dave Nilsson smashes it to right and over the wall, 2-2 all tied up! Two Griffey catches send us to Extra Innings.
The 10th goes scoreless, with some die hard fielding from both sides. Opening the 11th, Griffey gets walked. Cordero hits to right centre and Ken hussles to third, no outs. Jeffries with a fly ball to left... it hangs and Griffey goes for home... the throw is late! 3-2 Mariners lead. And the Brewers can't even record a hit. Mariners win 3-1 and tie the series 2-2!

October 7th
Game 5, back at the Kingdome. Deja vu. Especially as it's Johnson vs Mussina on the mound.
As expected the pitchers do the business, with the 1st and 2nd Innings going scoreless. An ARod double in the 3rd allows Brian Giles to score and give us a needed 1-0 lead. This is followed by the 4th and 5th going scoreless, with two of the leagues very best putting on a great display.
However in the 6th the Brewers are eventually able to work a run for Fullmer and tie the game 1-1. For the 7th we bring on Omar Daal to pitch. He throws solidly but allows Nilsson on base.
Then disaster, an error from King at third base allows Nilsson to score. 1-2 to the Brewers. With the 8th going without incident. Onto the 9th we hold the Brewers, setting us up needing one run!
Griffey draws a walk, good start. Cordero flies out to deep right, very close to a walk off hit. Jeffries then draws a walk, we have the Series winning run on base with just one out! Dan Wilson strikesout swinging at a loose pitch. All eyes on Derek Bell to pinch hit the Mariners to the ALCS... He connects... but not well enough, and the return throw to first beats him there.
Brewers win 2-1, and win the ALDS 2-3. Mariners heartbreak for a second straight year!

October 8th
Jeff King is mauled by the Seattle Media following his series losing error. Morale in the clubhouse overall is at two-year low. This off-season will require some work to turn this team into World Series winners.

October 27th
Moreal is lifted slightly. The Brewers win the World Series. At least we lost to the Champs.

October 28th
Mariners trade with the Expos
Israel Moreno (32, RP), Wil Cordero (26, 2B), Brett Mayne (29, C) <-> Ivan Rodriguez (25, C)
A big trade! Cordero had a good first year, but since signing his new contract has been off the boil. Losing him and some rotation pieces is a solid deal to bring in one of the leagues most well regarded Catchers!

Mariners trade with the Yankees
Jeff King (33, 3B) <-> Eric Karros (29, 1B)
There was no future left here for King. The fans won't forgive his error, hopefully New York can get behind him. Eric is primarily a First baseman but can go to Third. Alongside Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz we have some power on the corners!

October 29th
Mariners trade with the Braves
Dan Wilson (28, C) <-> Andruw Jones (20, RF), Xavier Rand (21, RF)
Wilson is now surplus, so swapping him out for two young but impressive outfielders suits us nicely.

With the flurry of early trades the mood around Seattle has lifted. Whilst not yet tackling the pitching question, it's clear this team is still feeling a Win-Now mentality.

November 1st
Tim Davis (27, RP) signs a 3-year contract extension worth 470k per year.

November 9th
Ken Griffey Jr. wins a Great Glove.
Roberto Hernandez wins Reliever of the Year!
Edgar Martinez, ARod and Griffey win Platinum Sticks
Lou Piniella wins Manager of the Year, for a third straight season.

December 10th
The Brewers make a trade offer for Ken Griffey Jr! It does include Mussina alongside some other talents. Honestly, we take a day to weigh up the options... But there's no way we could justify losing Griffey to the fan base, or ourselves.

December 15th
Draft Day passes without much fanfare. We stack up on pitching prospects.

December 17th
Expansion Draft Day! The Tampa Bay Rays & Arizona Diamondbacks join in the MLB fun times!
Tom Goodwin (29, LF), Bob Wolcott (24, SP), Bobby Ayala (28, RP), Rafael Carmona (25, SP) all go to the Diamondbacks.
Alex Diaz (29, RF), Andy Sheets (26, 2B), Lee Tinsley (28, CF), Manny Martinez (27, LF) all go to the Rays.

December 20th
Mariners trade with the Astros
Raul Ibanez (25, LF) <-> David Richter (25, CF), Julio Santana (24, RP)

January 3rd
Mariners sign Delino Deshields (28, 2B) and Chris Gomes (26, 2B) from Free Agency. One will shift to 3B/SS as we add infield depth.

February 1st
Our Owner is getting onboard with the all-in mentality. He ups out budget to $70mil. This will allow us to dive back into the market and snag some late day improvements.

February 18th
Mariners sign Steve Avery (27, SP) from Free Agency. A 4-year, $4.5mil a year deal. Steve is an immediate boost to our chances as a quality pitcher.
Royce Clayton (28, SS) also signs from Free Agency as another infield depth option.

Key Personnel
No major changes to our staffing.
Lou Piniella, Manager - 3x Manager of the Year 1995-97. The best in the business.
Bill Trizcinski, Bench Coach - Third year on the team, continuing to work well with Lou.
Jonathan Rodgers, Pitching Coach - Arguably one of the best in the league, tasked with taking us up that final level on the mound.
Ronen Lizotte, Batting Coach - Our #1 Offence speaks to his work
Jim Wilson, Trainer - Our lack of injuries speaks to his work.

Pitchers:-

Randy Johnson, Starting Pitcher (Left Handed)
34, from Walnut Creek, CA. He was an All-Star yet again in 1997, and again led the league in Strikeouts. Still the centre-piece of our bullpen.

Steve Avery, Starting Pitcher (Left Handed)
27, from Trenton, NJ. Our major Free Agency signing. Steve went 10-4 for the Blue Jays in the first half of '97 before being traded to the Expos who made it to the World Series. He could be the key to breaking our post-season problems.

Bill Pulsipher, Starting Pitcher (left Handed)
24, from USA. Led the league in Wins in 1997, and at this rate of development he could be a Cy Young contender very soon.

Roberto Hernandez, Closer (Right Handed)
33, from PR. Reigning Reliever of the Year he's still delivering quality saves and age shows no sign of catching him yet.

Scott Elarton, Relief Pitcher (Right Handed)
22, from Lamar, CO. Our 1st Round draft pick, Scott has stunned during training. He looks the real deal immediately, capable of throwing any type of ball. We're trying not to get too excited but this could be an all-time draft choice.

Omar Daal, Relief Pitcher (Left Handed)
25, from Maracibo, VEN. Quietly had a solid 1997 and even better off-season. He can throw any type of pitch and could be about to shock the MLB as a breakout star reliever.

Batters:-

Ivan Rodriguez, Catcher (Right Handed)
26, from PR. A big trade pick-up from the Expos. 4x All-Star, 5x Great Glove, 2x Platinum Stick. He is one of, if not the, best Catcher in the League. Does mean he's being paid like it, but he is primed to help us push deep into the playoffs.

David Ortiz, 1st Base/Designated Hitter (Left Handed)
22, from Santo Domingo, DIS. Made 57 starts in '97 and looked very good. He's all set to come in and breakout this season, fanning balls from his howitzer like arm.

Eric Karros, 1st Base (Right Handed)
30, from Hackensack, NJ. Brought in from the Yankees to do one thing, hit homers. Former Rookie of the Year, and previous Platinum Stick winner. One-year on his contract, if he can drive us deep there might be a lucrative deal coming.

Alex Rodriguez, Shortstop (Right Handed)
22, from New York, NY. Added a Platinum Stick and All-Star to his '96 MVP. He is simply put one of the best players in baseball.

Ken Griffey Jr, Centre Field (Left Handed)
28, from Donora, PA. The King of Seattle. Without him we are lost, we are not a team. A surefire first ballot hall-of-famer, in his prime.

Brian Giles, Right Field (Left Handed)
27, from El Cajon, CA. Now firmly established as a top-tier player in the MLB, he's a key part of our line-up. And on a relatively budget contract as well!

Prospects:-

Chad Bradford, Relief Pitcher (Right Handed)
23, from Jackson, MS. Our 2nd Round draft pick. Got some work to do to round out his skillset and reach an MLB level of consistency. But boy can the kid throw a wicker mover!

Matt Anderson, Relief Pitcher (Right Handed)
21, from Louisville, KY. Another of this years draft class. Got to develop his control, but his range is impressive. A few years off the main roster, but all the skills to make it.

Andruw Jones, Right Field (Right Handed)
20, from USA. Traded in from the Braves. Andruw already looks like he might force his way into the main roster! He's deadly quick, capable of covering the outfield and stealing. If we can coax a bit more from his bat then Andruw will be a real MLB Star.

Xavier Rand, Right Field (Right Handed)
22, from North Ogden, UT. Xavier has fielding nailed, but his offensive game needs development. Unlikely to be a star, but on track to be a very useful depth/coverage option if he works hard this year.

baseballlover312 wrote:
How the hell did you manage to bring in Pudge and Andruw Jones without giving up stars going the other way? Wow. Should be a really great season. But it always comes down to executing in the postseason.

Following two heartbreaking ALDS losses, this season the Seattle Mariners have doubled down on their push for a World Series appearance. Fan expectation is at one level only, and this is surely setting up as a do or die year for GM TheManxMissile and Manager Lou Piniella.

First first deal was to bring in Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez from Montreal. There's an argument Pudge is the best Catcher in the league, and it has cost Seattle to secure him. Three usable players and taking on a sizable contract, all for a position where Dan Wilson was himself playing pretty well.

Speaking of Wilson, they shipped him to the Braves. The pay off here is in Andruw Jones and Xavier Rand. There's a buzz around the two outfielders, with the theory being the Mariners might even be working the market and could trade either or both talents in June to cement their playoff push.

Adding Eric Karros for Jeff King added yet more power to the roster. King's time was done after his ALDS costing error, so turning that into an establish Yankees infielder is impressive.

Topping all that off with Steve Avery from Free Agency, the Mariners have gone big this off-season. To emphasise the point they finish Spring Training with the almost unbelievable record of 26-4! This team has a mix of youth and experience, has power and now an upgraded bullpen. Surely the pieces are in place for go all the way?

Or so we thought! On March 30th, the eve of the season opener, the Mariners made the headlines once again. A big trade with the Florida Marlins was confirmed.
Matt Wagner (25, SP), Matt Mantei (24, RP), Gregg Jeffries (30, LF), Brett Boone (28, 2B) and Kevin Brown (24, C) all head down south.
Luis Castillo (22, 2B) and Ben Munger (25, SP) work their way north.

Castillo is one of the most exciting young infielders, and for the Mariners to partner him alongside Alex Rodriguez is, frankly, scary! The cost is sizable. Wagner and Mantei were both regulars in Spring Training, Jeffries and Boone were nailed on starting rotation players.
But if the young Castillo can bring a spark, if Andruw Jones shows he's ready to start the big games, added to new pitching power and a rock solid catcher... Double down for the Emerald City, it really is Champions or bust in 1998!

March 31st, Opening day at the Kingdome against the Cleveland Indians. Somehow there is now even more buzz for this match-up.

March 31st
Opening Day! The Cleveland Indians make the trip to the Kingdome. Randy Johnson will open the season, and lots of eyes on the new Mariner talents. Johnson does Johnson things, two strikeouts for only a single. Neagle is taking the mound for the Indians. Luis Castillo is thrown in the deep end by Piniella. He handles it expertly with a single, and then dazzles the crowd with a steal of second. Edgar Martinez makes his speed irrelevant, sending the ball into the crowd behind right centre, Mariners up 2-0.
In the 2nd Inning Randy adds two more strikeouts, as it goes scoreless. He defends the lead again in the 3rd. Castillo gets on base again, before Martinez gets a second 2-run homer, this time to left field. Mariners 4-0 after just three innings.
Into the 5th and Castillo is back at the plate. He fires off a line drive towards third base, and a fumbled pick-up sees him safely on base. This time around Edgar Martinez is just walked, to put two on base. Arod makes contact and the ball skitters again towards third base, and this time indecision allows the Mariners to load the bases. Griffey chips the ball to right, and Castillo comes home, 5-0. The Indians are able to rescue the situation from there after a pitching change.
In the 6th the Indians finally get on the board, with a score from Guillen. Then Randy goes on to pitch the complete game, and Mariners win 5-1. A bright start for sure.

April 1st
Mariners claim both David Ralston (25, SP) and Edgar Ledesma (27, LF) from Waivers for some needed depth.

April 4th
A roster squeeze sees Delino Deshields (29, 2B) depart via waivers without even making an appearance. To the Indians, who clearly need the infield support.

April 6th
ARod wins Player of the Week, with 12 hits, .632avg and 8 RBI.

April 13th
Brian Giles wins Player of the Week, with 12 hits, .545avg and 9 RBI.

End of April Summary
Darren Lewis (30, CF) signs a 2-year extension, worth 400k per season.
Jose Cruz (24, LF) shows good development this month.

Mariners have begun with a 20-8 record. Puts us 5 games ahead of the Angles already, firmly on the back of our amazing offensive record. ARod begins another MVP campaign with .469avg, 7 HR and 33 RBI. Randy Johnson holds a 2.98 ERA. And the Owner is thrilled we lead the league in Stolen Bases, mostly off the addition of Luis Castillo.

Things are going almost too well in Seattle. But surely this kind of domination cannot be sustained across an entire season.

May 2nd
Melvin Nieves (26, LF) signs a new 3-year contract. Starting at 800k it'll move up to 1mil in year 3.

May 4th
ARod wins Player of the Week, with a 500avg, 3HR and 10RBI.

May 11th
Luis Castillo (22, 2B) signs a new 10-year deal with the Mariners!
Luis has instantly made himself indispensible to the organization in just over one month of play. He's established himself as one of the leagues be opening batters, and taken on a leadership role in the locker room.
The new deal begins '99 at $1.4mil. Bumping up to $3.2mil, $5mil and up to $6.5 by '02. This includes Player Option after '02, with a Team Option after '07. Overall it's worth in excess of $55mil and goes right through the '08 season. A terrific deal for the team, keeping his cost below that of Griffey, Martinez and Rodriguez.

May 19th
ARod is on a 20-game hit streak! He is on track to smash through his numbers from the '96 MPV season.

May 21st
Jose Cruz (24, LF) breaks his thumb making a catch during a 2-0 win at the Rangers. He'll miss the best part of two months. Such a shame in the midst of a breakout season.
But it opens a chance for the newly extended Nieves to stake a claim on the starting roster, or maybe even Andruw Jones to push upwards.
The win also puts the Mariners onto a 18-game Win Streak!

May 24th
Mariners win 12-4 vs Rays. Now a 20-game streak. Climbing up the all-time list...

May 25th
ARod's hit streak is up to 25 games. Mariners win 19-14 in an action packed game vs Orioles. 21-Game Win Streak, puts us tied #2 All-Time, alongside the 1935 Cubs, hunting down the 1916 Yankees at 26.

May 26th
Mariners 10-3 vs Oriles, 22-Games in a row. Now the lone #2 all-time streak.

May 28th
It's over. The Rays win 6-7 in Tampa. 22-wins in a row. Truly special, and something no-one thought would be done in the modern baseball era.

May 29th
For revenge, Steve Avery throws a shutout 11-0 victory against the Rays. But ARod's hit streak is broken after 28-games.

End of May Summary
What a month! Mariners move to 45-11, it's the best in the league but only just, as the Braves are at 42-15. A 22-game win streak, ARod hitting in 28. Unbeleivable.
Both Arod and Edgar Martinez are batting over .400avg, with .442 and .401 respectively. ARod also adds 14 Home Runs and 62 RBI, both team bests. Hitchcock, Johnson and Avery all are under 4.00ERA. Basically we the best offensive team in the MLB, and the best pitching team in the MLB.
Shockingly, ARod is named Player of the Month. .402avg, 7HR, 29RBI and 29 Runs. One of the all-time great baseball months.
Roberto Hernandez wins Pitcher of the Month, as a closer! 5 Saves and 11 Strikeouts in just 10 Innings.
Surely there is just one destination for the team now!

June 7th
Ivan Rodriguez has picked up an arm sprain. He will miss 4 weeks, a cruel blow to a key player.

June 15th
ARod wins Player of the Week, with .552avg, 4HR and 11RBI

June 27th
Ken Griffey Jr puts up career Home Run #300! We lost the game 4-5 to the Diamondbacks, but it's still a great achievment for the life-long Mariner.

End of June Summary
Jorge Posada (26, C) has come on a lot, playing in place of Rodriguez.
21-7 record for the month, onto 66-18 for the season. No other AL West team is above .500 so our lead there is massive. Even the Braves has slipped back a bit leaving us alone atop of the MLB.
Arod is having an all-time season with .425avg, 20HR, 96RBI. Johnson's 127 strikeouts continue to lead the league.
Brian Giles wins Player of the Month off a .406avg, 9HR and 31 Runs.

July 5th
Roberto Hernandez, David Ortiz, Luis Castillo, Edgar Martinez, ARod, Griffey and Giles are all selected for the All-Star Game.

Brian Giles beats Vinny Castilla 21-20 to win the Home Run Derby!

The NL wins 12-1 in the actual game.

July 10th
Roberto Hernandez (33, CL) signs a 2-year extension with $3mil a season.

July 13th
David Ortiz (22, 1B) wins Player of the Week, .526avg, 2HR and 11RBI

July 20th
Brian Giles (27, RF) wins Player of the Week, .464avg, 5HR and 9RBI

End of July Summary
82-27 record. Still the best offence in the MLB, with a Top 3 bullpen and Top 5 defence. This team is cruising to the post-season, and we are just trying to avoid injuries at this point.
Brian Giles wins Player of the Month, again, with .381avg, 10HR and 29RBI

August 2nd
David Ortiz records his first career 5-hit game in a 23-5 demolition of the Yankees. Ortiz is establishing himself as a true howitzer.

August 3rd
Luis Castillo pulls a hamstring, and will sit out 3 weeks. Better now than in October.

August 20th
Ken Griffey Jr strains/pulls something in his arm making a throw in a 7-10 loss against the White Sox. We hope it's just a few days rest, but could be a week or two.

August 27th
Injuries stacking up. Steve Avery (28, SP) has another undefined arm injury. Looks like general stress and fatigue is the culprit. He'll be rested for two weeks.

August 31st
Mariners 3-1 at the Yankees, moving to 95-41. This seals the AL West for a fourth straight year.

End of August Summary
With the Division sealed the question is what the final win total for the season will be. Brian Giles is on fire and now leads the team with 30HR and 130RBI, staking his own MVP claim alongside ARod.
The string of injuries is a worry. It lead to a dissapointing 13-15 August record, our first losing month since April '96. We'd rather take the pain now than in a months time. No post-season alarms just yet, as long as we don't take any more injuries!

September 12th
Weeks after us, the Braves are second team into the Playoffs. This is how far clear we are of the rest in regular season play.

September 14th
David Ortiz smacks 3 Home Runs in a 15-1 win at the Royals. We go to 104-44.
Ortiz wins Player of the Week with .417avg, 5HR and 11RBI.

September 19th
Scott Elarton (22, RP) has developed a bone spur in his elbow. The reliever will miss a month and pretty much count him out of the playoffs. He's 6-1 for the season, with an ERA of 1.84. A painful loss so late in the season.

September 24th
Mariners win 17-1 vs Athletics. Win #110, a new Franchise Record.

End of Regular Season Summary
113-49, a new Franchise Record. ARod lead the team in batting, with .359avg and 154RBI. Giles has 39HR. Randy Johnsons 223 strikeouts heads the teams pitching stats.
We need to give ARod some more love. His 154RBI leads the league. So does his 11.5 WAR, 236 Hits, 160 Runs, 387 Total Bases and all goes into him winning the AL Batting Crown.
Giles leads the league in OBP, .455. And .621SLG, 1.076 OPS and .451 WOBA.
Luis Castillo leads the league with 90 Stolen Bases. Yes, our offence was fire!

Mariners vs Indians. Orioles vs Tigers. Mets vs Braves. Cardinals vs Dodgers.

October 1st
ALDS Game 1. Mariners win 5-1 with ease. Such a change from the last two years going behind.

October 2nd
Mariners win Game 2, 9-6. Closer but still a margin in our favour.

October 3rd
Game 3, the first one of the series in Cleveland. Steve Avery is tasked with winning the game for the Mariners. Jack McDowell has to save the Indiands season.
Castillo opens with a single, and then steals 2nd, because this is all he does. Giles knocks a bouncing double to center, and Castillo scores. 1-0, perfect start. ARod adds his own single, and Giles makes it 2-0 off our first two runners. Ortiz flies out, but Griffey puts up another double to left and ARods run makes it 3-0. Jose Cruz joins the base party on balls. Melvin Nieves decides to show off, hits a triple that gets lost in the back right corner, for Ken and Jose to make it 5-0 in the 1st.
Many Indiands fans pack it up and go home from there. The Mariners don't let up, eventually winning the game 12-3, sweeping the ALDS 3-0.

The minor curse is broken! Now for the next challenge, an ALCS match-up against the Orioles.

October 5th
Game 1 of the teams second ever ALCS, welcoming the Oriles to the Kingdome. Mariners win 13-7, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead through the first three innings, before the relievers struggled in garbage time late in the game.

October 6th
The Oriles fight back, taking a tight 4-5 victory. A few nerves in the fan base, but the majority hold confidence in this team going all the way.

October 8th
Game 3 and the series moves to Baltimore. Mariners crush 13-3. The bats on fire, the pitching full of stability and control.

October 9th
Oriles come back again 3-4. This is exposing our relative lack of pitching depth. If we can get Randy or Avery on the mound we are comfortable, other than that it's going to be a much harder fought game.

October 10th
Mariners back ontop 7-5 for the final game in Baltimore. Carrying a 3-2 series lead back to the Kingdome, the Emerald City is primed for fireworks... and hopefully not total heartbreak...
In the NLCS the Braves swept the Dodgers 4-0.

October 12th
The Kingdome is packed for Game 6. Sterling Hitchcock is pitching for the Mariners.
Castillo and Martinez both go out quickly, before Giles singles to get a man on base. ARod doubles through the centre right gap, allowing Giles to give the Mariners the usual 1-0 early lead. Ortiz then add his own RBI Double, to make it 2-0. Hitchcock looks a little nervous at moments on the mound, but holds the Orioles scoreless to raise the atmosphere.
Erick Karros piles on the pressure with a home run to right field, 3-0! However that pitching frailty arises, as the Orioles manage to load the bases with zero outs. Hitchcock tries his best to save the situation, but cannot pull off a miracle. A 2-RBI Double, followed by an RBI Single ties the game 3-3.
The 4th Inning goes scoreless. Into the 5th we rely on the experience of Edgar MArtinez, who eases the tension with a home run smash to take back the lead 4-3. Giles tags on his own homer, 5-3 and the crowd is back in party mood.
Edgar continues to take charge of the game, with a wonderful catch of a foul ball in the 6th Inning, showing he still has some wheels. In the 7th the Orioles sneak a run around the bases to close it back to 5-4. But Brian Giles responds with his second home run of the night, 6-4. ARod rounds the bases himself to extend it to 7-4. Time and morale are rapidly draining from the Orioles.
Roberto Hernandez replaces Hitchcock for the final two Innings. It's a disaster! Baltimore immediately secure three runs in the 8th to tie the game 7-7. No fielding could have stopped this, Hernandez was just pitching awfully. Mesa is in for the Oriles to close, and in a bad day for the relievers he surrenders two runs to give the Mariners back the lead 9-7. Giles pounces on the weakeness for third home run on the night, and another MArtinez moment of magic extendeds the game to 11-7.
Piniella sends out Ligtenbberg for the 9th Inning. No poor throws here, a strikeout, intentional walk then double play closes the game. A wild up and down conclusion to the ALCS.
Mariners win 11-7, and claim the series 4-2. We even had a game to spare!

The Seattle Mariners are heading for their first ever World Series vs the Atlanta Braves.

baseballlover312 wrote:
Very solid series, and you got to the the final stage. An AL pennant is nothing to sneeze at. But this kind of historic season requires a championship, so the most important work is still left.

As a fun point of interest before we begin, Dan Wilson is now the Catcher for the Braves.

Steve Avery vs John Smoltz on the mound. Pundits give the slight edge to Avery, and overall favour the Mariners to win in seven. The Kingdome is well over capacity, it feels like the entire city has packed in tonight.

It's a slow start from the Braves, recording just a single to open the game. Castillo groundouts to first. Giles draws a walk, ARod adds his own single, and so does Ortiz. The Mariners have managed to load the bases for just one out to begin the series. Old reliable Edgar Martinez lines up and gives it his all, but the ball drops just short of the wall into a waiting glove. But here is Mr Baseball, Mr Seattle, Ken Grffey Jr. A lovely chip shot over first base into open ground, bringing speedsters Giles and ARod home for a 2-0 fast lead. Jose Cruz reaches first off an error by Catcher Wilson, before Nieves flies out to centre. The Braves give up two runs, but it should have been a lot more.

Not to miss out on the wild action, the Braves come back in the 2nd Inning. Avery is wild, giving away enough hits for Atlanta to tie the game 2-2 in a blink of an eye. Piniella goes out to the mound to talk to Avery, but leaves him in the game. Aaaand he surrenders a third run before we chalk up the three outs. 2-3 Braves in a complete turn around.

Time to the M's to show this crowd what they are made of. Castillo with an infield single to get on base. Instead of giving Giles his 15th Walk of the playoffs, Smoltz just straight hits him with the pitch. David Ortiz, no messing around, nailing the ball over 410ft to centre field and a massive 3-Run homer. 5-3 and this game is officially insane!

It's all got too much, and the 3rd goes scoreless as both teams seem a little lost. In fact the 4th and 5th go without runs. Into the 6th, the Braves manage to load the bases, but it took two outs to do so, allowing Avery an easy save chance which he takes. Smoltz makes a mistake by walking Castillo, because he steals second before he can throw another pitch. Smoltz doesn't walk Giles, who says thank you with a double knocked into centre field, bringing Luis home to extend the lead 6-3. A change in pitcher does work to end the inning without more runs.

Omar Daal replace Avery for us to begin the 7th. The relievers are in better form, neither side giving away runs. However the 8th, not so much. Dan Wilson, that man again, tags a 2-Run homer to left field to slash the gap to 6-5.
Ivan Rodriguez, our new Catcher, singles. Castillo also singles, and Pudge makes third base. Giles connects, but its out at first allowing Castillo to second. ARod pops out on a foul hit. Two on base, two outs. Ortiz with his power fires high... long... long... dropping... dropping it's short of the wall... but it's dropped! Pudge and Castillo easily come home, 8-5 Mariners and release of tension in the dome is huge! Edgar Martinez starts the party with a home run as well, 9-5 Mariners to finish the 8th.

Kerry Ligtenberg steps in to close the game. Throw out at first. Griffey with a catch. Giles with a catch. Game! Seattle Mariners win 9-5 in a wild thriller of a game. A lot tonight owed to the bat of David Ortiz.