Mariners bag Orioles

The ninth inning began on Friday night with the Mariners ahead by two runs. Still, Eddie Guardado did not stir in the Seattle bullpen.
At some point between Guardado's blown save Wednesday afternoon and the start of Friday's game, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove determined that his closer needed "a couple days off." The reason, Hargrove said, was a "feast-or-famine" summer that saw Guardado pitch in five of Seattle's past seven games.
The fact that Friday night's feature presentation included two teams that began a combined 35 games out of first place might have had something to do with that, as well.
"It was the best way to go," Hargrove said, "and certainly the most nerve-racking."
Whatever the precise reason, Hargrove's ad hoc committee nearly pushed his patience straight into Elliott Bay. Entrusted with a two-run lead, George Sherrill surrendered a leadoff home run to Jay Gibbons. The Orioles advanced the tying run to second base against J.J. Putz, before the right-hander retired David Newhan and Eric Byrnes for a narrow escape in Seattle's intricate 3-2 triumph over the Orioles before 27,429 at Safeco Field.
Guardado's reaction in the bullpen included a fist pump and enthusiastic, "Atta boy!" Hargrove said Guardado should be available tonight.
Meanwhile, Jamie Moyer (12-6) continued his inspired summer of pitching in SoDo. The trusty left-hander allowed only one run in 7 1/3 innings.
Moyer remained unbeaten in 15 home starts, a remarkable feat at age 42.
He is, in fact, the only pitcher in the major leagues with a 9-0 home record.
"A coincidence," he said.
Sure it was. Moyer was almost predestined for victory. He began Friday with a 15-3 record and 3.02 ERA in 27 career games against Baltimore, one of his former teams. His .833 win percentage is second all-time to Tim Hudson among pitchers with 10 or more decisions against the Orioles.
The Mariners had never lost in Moyer's seven previous starts against Baltimore at Safeco Field. He was 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA in those games.
And so on.
Moyer retired the first nine batters he faced. Three struck out -- all looking -- none at pitches faster than the 81-mph curveball Miguel Tejada watched for the final out of the first. Javy Lopez and Luis Matos watched changeups at 75 and 74, respectively.
Later, he was helped by two fine defensive plays by rookie Seattle outfielders.
In a seventh-inning collision worthy of Qwest Field, Jeremy Reed surged headlong toward the wall, leapt at the track, and crashed with the force of an alley-closing free safety in pursuit of Javy Lopez's trouble-making gapper. He snared it as he rose, and held on as his glove dipped over the wall.
He held on, even after his torso rocked the padding with a thud.
Jamal Strong had charged after him from left field, yelling, "Fence! Fence! Fence!" Perhaps Reed did not hear him. Or maybe he did.
"He hit that wall at full speed," Strong said. "It was amazing. I was just coming in behind him, in case that ball popped out."
Strong's rescue came one inning later, when he cut down the would-be tying run in the person of Brian Roberts, the speedy leadoff man.
With two out, Strong charged a hard single by Tejada, and zipped a low, one-hop throw to Yorvit Torrealba at the plate. Torrealba blocked the inside portion of the plate and pushed Roberts to the outside. He tagged him on his shoulder, just in time.
Roberts disagreed. So did Baltimore interim manager Sam Perlozzo, who argued to the point of ejection.
Strong, meanwhile, looked like he does such things all the time -- when, in fact, he could recall only one similar play in Tacoma this season. And that was in center field. Never before in his baseball career had Strong made a similar play from left field, according to his recollection.
"That might've been the first time," he said.
That, coupled with another Seattle run in the bottom of the eighth, seemed to seal the game for the Mariners, despite Baltimore's best efforts in the ninth.

Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/