Four-year deal through the 2009 season. Sheffield's 22nd home run of the season put Detroit up 4-1 and helped spell the end of Seattle's four-game winning streak. The Mariners also dropped three games behind the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West and two back of the Cleveland Indians in the wild-card standings on a night both those teams were victorious.
The night began with the crowd in a far more festive mood, giving Ichiro a loud pregame ovation to celebrate a five-year contract extension that was this city's sports story of the day. Over in the opposing dugout, Sheffield was making news of a very different kind in multiple cities across the country after news leaked of a television interview he had given. In the interview, to be aired next Tuesday on HBO's "Real Sports," Sheffield states New York Yankees manager Joe Torre treated black players differently from whites when he was there.
Sheffield didn't back off from those comments before Friday's game. The rest of the night also went in decidedly different directions for the two newsmakers. While Sheffield's bat turned in the game's decisive blow, Ichiro struck out against Bonderman his first two times up and didn't get a hit until singling off reliever Bobby Seay in the eighth.
Ichiro ended the game looking on from the on-deck circle, as pinch-hitter Ben Broussard swung and missed at a full-count fastball from closer Todd Jones with two men on. Seattle had taken a series opener on Thursday night in which there had been even less room for mistakes. That game wound up decided by umpire Bruce Froemming's ruling what many say was incorrectly that shortstop Carlos Guillen failed to tag base runner Beltre out on a wacky fifth-inning scamper.
Sexson wound up scoring the decisive run all the way from third in that contest. But he and his teammates just couldn't get it done against Bonderman, who improved to 10-1 with a 3.50 earned-run average.
"He's got a sinker and a great slider," Sexson said. "He located it just off [the plate]. He's good, one of the really good ones.
You know we've got our work cut out for us there." Washburn did what he could to keep his team close, retiring Ordonez on a 4-6-3 double play to end the fifth inning after intentionally walking Sheffield to load the bases. But the throwing error by Betancourt to lead off the sixth led to an unearned insurance marker that made it a 5-2 game and dug too big a hole for the Mariners to climb out of.
"Good teams capitalize on mistakes," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "We did last night and they did tonight. Two very good ballclubs, two very good ballgames.
" Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or . Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.
com/Mariners Four-year deal through the 2009 season.
News RSS