May 9

Roll call: Scott Magner, Steve Milton, Jamie Moyer, and the hated New York Yankees

Final Score: Yankees 7, Mariners 6: Roof = open

What a day. On perhaps the most perfect day for baseball I’ve ever seen in Seattle, a game was scheduled against the hated New york Yankees.

The Mariners even showed up to play. After last night’s drubbing, the hometown nine gave their best for exactly 4 innings. The Second of which saw an amazing 6 clutch hits, including a big time homerun by Dan Wilson (yay, Dan!). The amazing part being that all of them came with 0 outs.

It was the kind of outing Jamie Moyer needed, a solid showing of Mariner power to give the insurance for the win. Steve returns from his familial obligations at the start of the 3rd, and we settle down for some good pitching from a well-supported Moyer.

But the Yankees cashed in their own policy. For many years, I have known of the existence of the “Yankees Win” button installed in the Stadium. Usually, Joe Torre only breaks the switch’s emergency cover during the playoffs, but he snuck it into SAFECO Field when no-one was looking, and pressed it during the fourth inning.

Pay-Rod jacks one into the Left field seats, and circles the bases to a renewed chorus of boo-birds. Moyer settles things back down, but the worst is yet too come.

All Mariner Power seems to have been focused in the 2nd. While hits fall in the rest of the afternoon, no-one scores again, save for those in Yankee Uniforms. The Hated Jason Giambi drives one deep into right-center, picking up three. Moyer survives the inning, but he’s done.

Then the real pain begins. Julio Mateo comes in next, and gives up two runs, taking the win from Moyer, and erasing all of my roto points on the day. Plus, it’s 6 all now, and the Mariners don’t seem to be so good at breaking ties lately. At least not in under three hours.

Maybe the M’s will hold on. Maybe they’ll plate a clutch run.

Then again, maybe not. A series of hits off Rafael Soriano, and a blown double-play call move Pay-Rod to third base, from whence he easily scores off a deep sacrifice fly by Matsui.

Game over for the Mariners, they fail to get a man on base with their last 6 outs.

On the Bright side, Steve actually made it to the game, and enjoyed it. It was a nice afternoon for a round of golf, and spending it watching baseball was a close second. Oh, well. Maybe next time.
Bleeping Yankees. Maybe there’s something to this inflated payroll thing.

Record = Scott 6-8, Steve 0-1. No love for Edgar, but Dan Wilson proves again he’s still got the right stuff.