Seattle Sweeps Chicago

S E A T T L E, Oct. 6, 2000 -- The Seattle Mariners used a squeeze to sweep.

Shutting down the highest-scoring team in the majors for thethird straight game, the wild card Mariners beat the Chicago WhiteSox 2-1 on pinch-hitter Carlos Guillen’s bunt single in the bottomof the ninth inning today to win their AL playoff series.

The Mariners, who didn’t clinch their playoff spot until thefinal day of the regular season, won with one out when pinch-runnerRickey Henderson scored on Guillen’s safety-squeeze bunt.

John Olerud led off the inning with a hard liner off the stomachof Kelly Wunsch. The reliever scrambled to pick up the ball, butthrew it wildly past first baseman Frank Thomas.

Olerud reached second on a play scored as a single and an error.Henderson, baseball’s career stolen base king and second on theall-time runs list, replaced Olerud, and Keith Foulke relievedWunsch.

Henderson moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Stan Javier andDavid Bell drew a four-pitch walk.

Guillen, making his first appearance of the series, batted forJoe Oliver.

Clutch HitWith Chicago’s infield and outfield playing in, Guillen draggeda sharp bunt between the mound and first base. When the ball rolledpast a lunging Thomas, Henderson easily scored.

“That was me,” Guillen said. “I just wanted to try to hit theball hard.”

Guillen was one of the players the Mariners received from theHouston Astros in the trade for ace Randy Johnson on July 31, 1998.

The 3-0 sweep in the opening round — achieved in the year theMariners traded Ken Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati — sent the Marinersinto the AL championship series for the first time since 1995. Theywill play the winner of the Oakland-Yankees series.

Bullpen Shines AgainSeattle’s bullpen again was the star of the game.

Jose Paniagua got the victory by striking out Magglio Ordonezfor the final out in the ninth. Arthur Rhodes pitched 1 1-3scoreless innings before Paniagua entered.

Wunsch, who was doubled over in pain in the dugout, took theloss.

The White Sox, who scored 978 runs this season — more than sixper game — managed only seven runs and 17 hits in the series.

Chicago finished with a batting average of .185 (17-for-92) inthe series. The White Sox batted .286 in the regular season.

“The Chicago team has a lot of explosive bats. They can put alot of runs on the board. Our bullpen and starting pitching —that’s been our story all year long,” Olerud said.

In the first playoff game ever at Safeco Field, the AL’s bestroad team managed only three hits off Aaron Sele, Rhodes andPaniagua. The White Sox also hit into three double plays.

Thomas, Chicago’s best hitter, was 0-for-9 with four walks inthe series. He was 0-for-2 with two walks today.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the second when Harold Bainesled off with a double and eventually scored on Herbert Perry’ssacrifice fly. Baines barely slid under Oliver at the plate.

The Mariners tied it in the fourth on Javier’s RBI single. RaulIbanez opened with a single, Alex Rodriguez sacrificed and Javiersingled with two outs off second baseman Ray Durham’s glove.

Sele, a 17-game winner who was 4-0 in September, continued hisstrong pitching. He allowed three hits and three walks.

“The guys played great behind me. They turned some tough doubleplays. We tried to keep it close and let the offense come around,”Sele said.

Chicago’s James Baldwin, who pitched despite a case of painfultendinitis in his right shoulder, struck out Javier to end thesixth after walking Edgar Martinez and Olerud with two out in theinning.

Baldwin gave the White Sox a strong six innings, leaving aftergiving three hits and three walks. He threw 92 pitches in hislongest appearance since Aug. 12, when he went seven inningsagainst Tampa Bay.

Flawless FieldingThe Mariners got flawless fielding, getting the defensive playsof the game from first baseman Olerud in the fifth and thirdbaseman Bell in the sixth.

Seattle turned in double plays in the first, fourth and eighth.Second baseman Mark McLemore ended the eighth with a nice play,making a swipe tag of pinch-runner Tony Graffanino and thenthrowing out pinch-hitter Paul Konerko at first.