M's Soriano returns

SEATTLE - The outcome, a 5-3 Seattle Mariners loss to the Baltimore Orioles, was as irrelevant as any the M's will experience the rest of this month.
The season has boiled down to subplots worth hanging their hopes on for next season, and the Mariners enjoyed an important one Saturday night.
Rafael Soriano returned to the pitcher's mound.
It had been 16 months since he'd last pitched in a major league game, the victim of an elbow injury that required major surgery last August.
Soriano, in his first big league appearance since May 9, 2004, gave up two hits and a run in the ninth inning, a performance that brought both relief and raves to those who know his importance to the pitching staff.
"He doesn't have a surplus of innings this year," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "But he had the arm strength, the velocity and the command, and it was great to see."
Last year, Soriano was considered the Mariners' top right-handed setup reliever - and possibly their future closer - before the bad elbow struck him down. The young pitcher with the easy-going delivery and 97 mph fastball had never suffered an arm problem. When doctors told him he needed surgery, it scared him.
But he talked to other pitchers who'd come back from Tommy John surgery, among them Mariners left-hander Matt Thornton, and they eased his mind.
"They told me to work hard every day and I would come back better the next year," Soriano said. "I'm so happy. This is why I worked so hard every day to come back."
He isn't back to his pre-injury form, but Saturday's outing was impressive nonetheless. He struck out two, including Geronimo Gil on a 95 mph fastball, and showed good control with both his fastball and slider.
"He showed us a premium arm and he certainly will help us in our bullpen when he becomes 100 percent healthy," Price said.
Saturday also was comeback night for right-hander Scott Atchison, who appeared in the big leagues for the first time since suffering a strained right elbow in spring training. He gave up two hits in two scoreless innings.
"It was good for them to say my name in the bullpen again, to get that adrenaline rush going again and the nerves that come with every outing," said Atchison, who had a chance to make the team out of spring training before the injury hit him.
Manager Mike Hargrove missed it all, at least from his place in the Mariners' dugout. He was ejected in the first inning arguing with second base umpire Mike Winters after Ichiro Suzuki was called out on an attempted steal.
It was Hargrove's second ejection this season, and he spent the rest of the night watching the game on TV in the clubhouse.
What he saw was Orioles starting pitcher Rodrigo Lopez shut down the Mariners for seven innings while the O's roughed up M's starter Jeff Harris with two runs in the first inning and two in the third.
That 4-0 score stood until the eighth, when Richie Sexson hit his 34th home run this season, giving him 104 RBI and making it 4-3.
In the clubhouse, Hargrove stayed glued to the TV for the return of Soriano and Atchison, plus Suzuki's first four-hit game of the year. It pulled his average to .302, the first time he's been above .300 since Aug. 24, and gave him 177 hits with 21 games remaining. He's trying to reach the 200-hit mark for the fifth straight season.
Hargrove also fought the urge to find out any information on the Texas-Ohio State football game, an event of personal significance. He's a native of Texas but a longtime resident of Ohio.
He said he didn't even sneak a peek at the football game.
"But I TiVo'd it, and I'm going to watch it later," he said. "Please don't tell me the score."

Source: http://www.heraldnet.com/