Seattle takes 3 of 4 from Minnesota in an exciting series

Game 1-   Minnesota takes a 3-0 lead in the 1st on a 3 run Homer from Bob Allison and extends the lead to 6-0 with 3 runs in the 2nd.  The 3rd inning is where things really get interesting.  Raul Ibanez gets hit by a pitch from Jim Kaat to lead off the inning.  After a couple fly balls and an Ichiro walk, Yuniesky Betancourt singles in Ibanez.  Jose Vidro gets hit by a pitch and Jose Guillen walks scoring Ichiro.  Adrian Beltre gets hit by a pitch and the benches clear.  Jim Kaat is ejected.  Ed Palmquist replaces him.  Palmquist hits Kenji Johjima with the first pitch and the benches clear again.  Palmquist is ejected and replaced by Gerry Arrigo.  The Seattle lineup is back to Ibanez and he hits a base clearing double to put Seattle ahead 7-6 but he gets thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple.  Seattle gets another in the 4th and 2 more in the 5th to make it a 10-6 lead.  It stays that way until the top of the 8th inning when the Mariners bring in Ryan Rowland-Smith to pitch.  A single by Jim Lemon flowd by 2 walks and an error cuts the lead to 10-7.  Lenny Green steps up with the bases loaded and hits a 3-run double into the gap to tie the game 10-10.  Sean Green replaces Rowland-Smith and gets the 2nd out but then Harmon Killebrew doubles in Green and puts Minnesota ahead 11-10.  Seattle would go down in order in the bottom of the 8th and Minnesota the same in the top of the 9th.  Ichiro walks to lead off the bottom of the 9th.  Betancourt lines a single left and Vidro walks to load the bases. With the infield in Guillen knocks a base hit over their heads for the game winner.  Seattle 12 Minnesota 11

Game 2-    After the barnburner in game 1,  there are no runs here until the 5th when Seattle gets on the board with an Ichiro double and a Betancourt base hit.  Minnesota would come back in the 6th with 2 runs after an error and a timely hit by Killebrew.  Minnesota extends their lead to 4-1 in the 8th after an RBI double by Green and a sac fly from Killebrew.   Beltre hits a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 8th to cut the lead to 4-3.  Minnesota cant take advantage of a Lemon double in the top of the 9th and Seattle gets another 2 run bomb from Ibanez in bottom of the 9th to win the game.  Seattle 6 Minnesota 4

Game 3- Jarrod Washburn, Brendan Morrow and JJ Putz combine to shut out Minnesota 3-0.  Camilo Pascual pitches valiantly in defeat only giving up a solo shot to Ibanez in the 2nd and a manufactured run in the 5th.  Seattle 3 Minnesota 0

Game 4-  Minnesota pitching takes over in the final game with Jack Kralick dominating 8 innings and Ray Moore closing out the shout in the 9th.  Bill Tuttle leads the offense for Minnesota going 3-3 with a run and an RBI.  Minnesota 4 Seattle 0

Good Series Marvin

--submitted by Andy Sexton--