Big Win

As I subject myself to torturous Wednesday evenings attempting to make shots or even get the ball, I missed the first six innings of the Mariners game yesterday evening. The game stood 5-2 when I commenced my viewing/laundary. As I took a load or two down to the hell room of clothes washing, Felix decided to give up a two-run jack to Garrett Anderson as he hung a slider completely.

Uh oh. Felix meltdown time.

In Toronto two starts ago Felix battled toe-to-toe with Roy Halladay for about five innings and then he imploded. After putting a few on base, Felix needed a strikeout. And he got it. Only the umpire didn't call it a strike. Felix looked so visibly upset that Kenji Johjima actually went out to the mound along with Adrian Beltre. The next pitch led to a two run single. The next pitch? A slider hung for the longest home run Troy Glaus had hit since 1997.

So when Felix hung one to Anderson, I expected the worst.

Only Felix got better. He started dominating. Two strikeouts and a ground out to end the seventh. Strikeout. Strikout. Ground out in the eighth. Felix looked great and with the insurance runs, the game was over. J.J. time.

Not only has J.J. converted 31 out of 32 saves with a sub 1.00 ERA, he also got closer music. Like all awesome closers, J.J. needed a signature song. Thunderstuck. Awesome.

Only something weird happened. J.J. blew it. Big time. After a Orlando Cabrera single and advancing to second on indifference (uh, why is it indifference if he scores on a hit?), Vlad knocked him in. A double play on the next at bat and the game appeared over. But a single and Gary Matthews two run homer later and the game was tied. Awful.

7-7 and feeling as if the loss was inevitable.

K-Rod for another inning and then Shields. The Angels also had Justin Spier back from the disabled list and I knew this battle of bullpens would be difficult. While the Mariners bullpen is strong, the Angels just worried me.

1-2-3 in the 9th. Uh oh.

Sean Green faced two on and one out only to retire both Cabrera and Vlad. Wow.

Then the Mariners had it. After a double by Johjima and Willie Fing Bloomquist (pinch running) advancing to third on a wild pitch, Jose Lopez only needed to hit the ball hard. Or as it turns out, just hit the ball.

John MacLaren put the squeeze on and Lopez missed a fastball right down the middle. If he simply bunted the ball anywhere, Willie Fing would have scored and the game would be over.

Now the M's were destined to lose.

With two on and one out again, Brandon Morrow entered the game. Of course he walked someone and the bases were loaded with one out. Strikeout. Whew. Reggie Willits time. So annoying. Morrow goes 3-2 and I figure there is no way out. Willits just fouls balls off, he never strikes out apparently. And he keeps fouling. Morrow can't throw strikes this many times in a row. Yet he does and Willits grounds out! Huh? I don't know but I will take it.

Two on and two out for the M's. Raul Ibanez is up. Time to get laundary. No way he gets a hit. Yep. I hate him.

After Morrow and Eric O'Flaherty retired the Angels in the 12th, the M's got another shot. And they won in maybe the cheapest way possible.

With two strikes, Beltre hits a grounder in the hole that Cabrera can't do anything with. Nice start. Big Richie Sexson strikes out and the crowd boos. Eat it Richie. Then Jamie Burke turns into a pitch and gets hit. Best case scenario. Two on, one out. Jose Lopez with a chance to redeem himself. And he promptly hits the ball of the plate for an infield single. Bases loaded and Yuni time. Single. Win. Joy.

A loss would have changed the season, I am convinced. Five games back, a blown game. Too much to handle. Now only three games back and momentum. Adam Jones changes everything. Time for the World Series.