Mariners unable to complete sweep

SEATTLE -- Rookie catcher Rene Rivera met some of the best fastballs he's ever seen Thursday night, and put up a terrific battle trying to hit one of them where no one on the field could catch it.
He didn't quite pull it off, striking out on a 98-mph heater thrown by Billy Wagner, ending a series finale that took 13 innings and nearly four hours to play. But the final at-bat effort was something positive that Rivera could take from a game the Mariners lost, 3-2, before 27,162 at Safeco Field.

"I knew he was going to be throwing me fastballs, and I just kept fouling them back," Rivera said. "I battled, but he got me."

With rookie shortstop Mike Morse standing on first base following his third hit of the game, Rivera battled Wagner to a full count before watching the final pitch of the game -- a fastball -- buzz past him.

"I thought it was a ball, up-and-in a little bit, and that's why I didn't swing," Rivera said. "But the umpire called it a strike. It was a good challenge, facing Billy Wagner. He's a big name in this game."

The strikeout ended a mostly well-played game that included two hits by Mariners leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki -- his first multiple-hit game this month -- and five hits by Phillies leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins.

The fifth one was a one-out triple in the 13th inning off Julio Mateo, leading to the tiebreaking run.

"The guy can fly and our outfield was in a 'no-double' depth, but he hit where no one could get to," manager Mike Hargrove said. "There aren't many in the ballpark that would have a triple on that, other than Jimmy Rollins."

It forced Hargrove to issue intentional walks to Kenny Lofton and Bobby Abreu and cross fingers that Tomas Perez, a late-game replacement, would hit the ball on the ground for either a double play or forceout at the plate. He did neither, lifting a long fly ball to right field that scored Rollins.

That run made the one Philly scored in the eighth inning even more important.

The Mariners had played superb defense the entire game. But, with the game tied at 1 and Lofton on first with two outs, Abreu hit a single up the middle, sending Lofton to third. Center fielder Jeremy Reed, who had made a dazzling catch to rob Jason Michaels of a hit in the second inning, made a casual throw back into the infield, and missed the cutoff man.

That allowed Lofton to score the go-ahead run.

"We got a little careless, and although that didn't beat us, it made things more difficult," Hargrove said.

"I know Jeremy didn't mean to do it, and I'm sure the next time he will be better. But it was a routine throw and he got reckless. If we learn from it, it's a good thing. If we don't learn from it, it's a bad thing. When something like that happens, it's like someone running their fingers down a blackboard."


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"I thought it was a ball, up-and-in a little bit, and that's why I didn't swing. But the umpire called it a strike. It was a good challenge, facing Billy Wagner. He's a big name in this game."
-- Rene Rivera, on the called third strike to end the game

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The agony of the play subsided a little in the bottom of the inning, when Raul Ibanez slugged a solo home run off Rheal Cormier to pull the Mariners even.

Seattle had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the ninth when they loaded the bases with two outs. But Richie Sexson struck out on three pitches, leaving Morse on third, Ichiro on second and Ibanez on first.

Morse had greeted right-handed relihever Ryan Madson with a single to center field and went to second on Rivera's sacrifice bunt. After the Phillies walked Ichiro intentionally, Randy Winn grounded out, moving both runners into scoring position. The Phils decided to put Ibanez on with another intentional pass, and the strategy worked.

Instead of driving in his 50th run of the season, Sexson struck out for 73rd time.

"It's frustrating," said Sexson, who hasn't driven in a run in five consecutive games and remains stuck on 49 RBIs this season.

Morse, who hit his first Major League home run Wednesday night, gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead in the second inning Thursday with a two-out double to right-center.

The ball eluded Lofton in center, allowing Dave Hansen, who hade singled with two outs, to score from first base.

The Mariners had a chance to increase their lead in the fifth when Rivera reached on a leadoff walk and attempted to reach third base on Ichiro's second hit, a single to right field. Rivera reached the base ahead of the throw, but couldn't maintain possession of it and was tagged out by David Bell.

Philadelphia tied the game in the sixth and was within a few inches of taking the lead.

Rollins led off with a single and moved to second on Lofton's bunt hit. A flyout to left field advanced Rollins to third and he scored on a wild pitch. After Jim Thome grounded out, Jason Michaels drilled a line drive to left field.

Winn sprinted to towards the fence, finally reached up and snagged the ball just as he reached the warning track to end the inning and keep the game tied.

The Mariners went into the series finale determined to complete their second three-game sweep of the season and first since mid-April against the Royals in Kansas City.

Instead, they had to settle for two out of three.

As if losing wasn't bad enough, the organization learned during the game that prize prospect Felix Hernandez, a right-handed pitcher, would miss his next start for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers because of mild bursitis in his right shoulder.

The 19-year-old right-hander has an 8-4 record and 2.54 ERA for the Rainiers.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/