Seattle Mariners-Oakland Athletics: Cheers and Jeers from Series No. 8

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Jeer: Rob Johnson blows the game in the ninth inning when Ichiro attempted to gun down the game winning run at home plate, the runner who was out by 20 or so feet got to gently walk across the plate as Rob Johnson forgot to field the throw completely. Sigh. Where was Jose Lopez to field that throw and take three games into his hands? Just kidding…slightly.

Cheer: Game three took 15 innings and featured two Mariner comebacks!

Jeer: To get two comebacks in one game you have to give up the lead at least twice.

Cheer: Seattle catcher Kenji Johjima who returned in game one, became the early hero in game three by tying the game up in the ninth inning with a solo shot home run.

Jeer: After Miguel Batista pitched all right for two innings; he allowed three runs in the 13th inning to the Oakland line up dashing the hopes and dreams of Mariners fans.

Cheer: Not to be undone the Mariners matched the Oakland surge with three runs of their own in the bottom half after a bases loaded Franklin Gutierrez walk (his third walk of the game!) Yuniesky Betancourt fielder’s choice, and an Ichiro single!

Jeer: Jose Lopez with a chance to make the night his, fouled out to the short stop to end the rally.

Cheer: In the 15th the Mariners and Jose Lopez get another shot at redemption. Gutierrez singled, Yuniesky Betancourt bunted and reached on error and thus moved Gutierrez to third. Ichiro was intentionally walked, and then Jose Lopez with no outs was at the plate. 

Lopez drove the 1-2 pitch straight up into the air into shallow center field and it fell in between the drawn in infield, and the apparently slow reaction of Oakland’s centerfielder defensive replacement Rajai Davis. The Mariners won again and Jose was nearly tackled by Ichiro in pure excitement!

These are our Mariners 15-10 on the season, two and a half games ahead of the Rangers, and four games ahead of the Angels. Some other notes I would love to point out, these Mariners are walking to get on base, five, four, and seven walks respectively in the three games.

Anytime the Mariners can get two out of three with the back end of the rotation against a division rival is a cause for celebration. Up next is a goofy two game series against division foe Texas Rangers, Go Seattle Mariners!

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