Mariners Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Chisox
C H I C A G O, Oct. 4, 2000 -- Paul Abbott pitched like a playoff veteran andSeattle’s bullpen was nearly unhittable once again. That’s why theroad-tough Mariners are headed home with a 2-0 lead over theChicago White Sox in their division series.
Shutting down Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas and Chicago’s high-scoring offense for a second straight game, the Mariners beat the White Sox 5-2today, putting the team with the AL’s best regular-seasonrecord on the verge of a quick exit.
Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Friday at Safeco Field inSeattle.
The Mariners won eight of their final nine road games in theregular season, including a wild card-clinching win at Anaheim lastSunday. And now they’ve carried it over into the postseason.
Seattle stung the White Sox 7-4 in the opener Tuesday when EdgarMartinez and John Olerud hit 10th-inning homers off Chicago relieface Keith Foulke.
Bullpen Stops White Sox Hitters
Abbott, who started the season in the bullpen, gave up just fivehits and two runs over 5 2-3 innings to win in his first postseasonappearance in a pro career that began in 1985.
Seattle’s bullpen took over as Arthur Rhodes, Jose Mesa andKazuhiro Sasaki didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way. Sasakistruck out the side in the ninth for his second save of the series.
On Tuesday, Mariners relievers gave up just three hits over 62-3 scoreless innings.
The White Sox, who led the majors in scoring, stranded eightrunners, giving them 18 in the first two games. Thomas was 0-for-4today and is hitless in seven series at-bats.
Chicago’s 3-4-5 hitters — Thomas, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee— were a combined 0-for-9 today after going 2-for-13 in theopener.
The White Sox have lost nine straight postseason home gamessince beating Los Angeles in Game 1 of the 1959 World Series.
Thomas, an MVP candidate who hit 43 homers and drove in 143 runsduring the season, came up with runners at first and second in theseventh but flied out against Mesa for the second out.
Mesa deflected Ordonez’s shot through the box, and Marinerssecond baseman Mark McLemore made a spectacular diving stop. Hesomehow flipped the ball to shortstop Alex Rodriguez, just beatingJose Valentin in a close play for a force to end another Chicagothreat.
Clutch Double by Martinez
Jay Buhner’s 400-foot homer to left in the fourth off losingpitcher Mike Sirotka gave Seattle a 3-2 lead.
Appearing in his 56th postseason game, Rickey Hendersonmanufactured a run for the Mariners in the fifth. He walked, movedup on a sacrifice and stole third. He then scored on Rodriguez’sslow roller to third as Herbert Perry elected to go to firstinstead of home.
In the next inning, Henderson left the game with a jammed leftindex finger after being shaken up sliding head-first into third.
The Mariners added an insurance in the ninth when McLemore drewa two-out walk, Raul Ibanez singled and Mike Cameron singled.Cameron, formerly of the White Sox, had two key hits and a stolenbase in Game 1.
The White Sox tied it at 2 in the third as Valentin bunted for asingle, stole second and went to third on catcher Dan Wilson’soverthrow. Valentin scored on Lee’s sacrifice fly with Buhnermaking a nice catch in deep right.
Game 1 hero Martinez doubled to start the second. Sirotka, who’dbeen initially scheduled to start the opener before hyperextendinghis elbow last week, hit Olerud with a pitch.
Buhner hit a grounder in the hole to short and Valentin, who had36 regular-season errors, fielded it but threw off-target and highto second for an error, loading the bases.
David Bell hit an RBI single and Wilson a sacrifice fly to putthe Mariners up 2-1.
The White Sox got consecutive doubles from their first twohitters Durham and Valentin but again couldn’t get a big inninggoing. They were 2-for-14 with men in scoring position in Game 1.
With Valentin at second, Thomas popped out. After Ordonezwalked, Abbott got Lee on a popup and Paul Konerko on a shortcomebacker, throwing him out even after he fell down fielding it.