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| MARINERS DROP NAIL-BITER ON OPENING DAY |
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GUNDERSON HIGH SCHOOL, SAN JOSE, CA--The San Jose Mariners launched their fifth season with a re-tooled roster, and a positive outlook with the fresh start. They walked away with much to look forward to on the season, but without a win, dropping a close one to the equally re-tooled Red Sox, 8-7.
A pair of doubles, a hit batsman, and a ground ball single in the bottom of the first greeted Mariners' opening day starter Mark Rodriguez rather rudely, after Rodriguez's highly effective pre-season on the mound.
An error and two walks loaded the bases with no out in the Sox's half of the second, but a 1-2-3 double play helped to minimize the damage, as a base hit scored an unearned run, the only run of the inning.
The Mariners finally got on the board in the top of the fourth. Tony Scarpa led off with a walk, and was followed by a Neil Homer single. Steve Tougas walked to load the bases with no out. Rodriguez helped his own cause with an RBI single, scoring Scarpa with the M's first run of the season. RBI groundouts by Tony Lorensen and Tom Glass completed the 3-run inning.
Another run by the Sox increased their lead to 5-3. The Mariners tied things up in the top of the sixth. After two outs, Scarpa started another rally by reaching and advancing to second on an infield throwing error. Homer followed with an RBI double, and came around to score when Tougas reached on an error.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez was dealing on the mound, keeping his team in the game after a rocky start. The Mariners finally took their first lead of the season in the 7th when Lorensen doubled to lead off, and scored on an RBI single by Ignascio "Bobby" Camarena.
The lead was short-lived, though, as the Sox registered 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th against a tiring Rodriguez, taking a 2-run lead, 8-6.
The M's got back to within one run in the 8th, when, after two outs, Homer got hit by a pitch, Tougas reached again on error, and Rodriguez walked to load the bases. Lorensen then worked a bases-loaded walk to drive in the run.
After Angel Aguirre relieved and pitched the Mariners to their first one-two-three inning of the day, the M's made things interesting with a pair of walks in the ninth, but left both men stranded, as the Sox survived the day with an 8-7 victory.
The Mariners take next week off to celebrate Mothers' Day, then return the following week for a doubleheader at Challenger Middle School against the Yankees.
Updated by Scott Gentile, Mon May 14, 2012 @ 2:34 AM 0 Comments |
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| Thu May 17, 2012 |
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