Pennant primer: LoMo's HR defines playoff race
It was all set up for Seattle – a lock, a gift, a gimme.
But after eight innings, all that was looming was the growing threat of a loss could have been the most crushing of the season for the Mariners.
Logan Morrison's three-run ninth-inning homer is the type of big swing that defines playoff races. But the 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels it provided was a swing of immeasurable proportions.
Consider the swing just from the moment Thursday's lineups were posted until the teams entered the ninth inning in a scoreless tie.
The Mariners were on the precipice of going from a game against Salt Lake to the feeling of salt being rubbed into a wound that could have been deadly to their playoff hopes.
And Seattle's loss on the same field Wednesday had played into the unexpected drama. That loss to the Angels and an Oakland loss later that night gave Los Angeles the AL West championship.
Hence, the traditional after-the-party lineup of mostly minor league call-ups Angels manager Mike Scioscia trotted out in lieu of his recovering revelers, er, regulars. He even scratched scheduled starter Jered Weaver for journeyman Wade LeBlanc.
Oh, and the Mariners certainly were sticking with Cy Young Award candidate Felix Hernandez. Can you scream, "Mismatch!?!"
Hernandez predictably did his part for seven shutout innings – three singles, no walks, 11 strikeouts – against the likes of Chris Cron, Luis Jimenez and Tony Campana. But the Mariners had just four hits of their own through eight innings against LeBlanc and three relievers.
The wild-card race was there to be rejoined in earnest. A win – that win that seemed so certain – would put Seattle one game behind reeling Oakland for the second wild card, not to mention 1 ½ behind Kansas City and two behind Detroit – the Central hopefuls going head-to-head this weekend with someone to be left scrapping for their wild-card lives.
Scioscia finally turned to one of his card-carrying, full-fledged late-inning guys in the ninth when Kevin Jepsen went to the mound. He got the first two outs before ex-Angel Kendrys Morales dumped a soft single into left field. No harm, no hassle – until James Jones pinch-ran.
Jepsen certainly was focused on the speedster, throwing away a pickoff attempt that provided the base Jones was threatening to steal. That led to an intentional walk to Kyle Seager but Jepsen didn't appear any less preoccupied – even after a visit from pitching coach Mike Butcher -- when he gave Morrison the 1-1 changeup that barely cleared the right-field wall.
The Mariners move on for a weekend series in Houston while the Central tandem goes at it and Oakland is at home against Philadelphia. And just in case anyone around Seattle hasn't learned their lesson yet – that's the Houston team that won two of three in Seattle last weekend.
Count on nothing. Expect anything.
***
PENNANT PRIMER
Days left in season: 10
Thursday's big mover: The Pittsburgh Pirates have done plenty on their own to take charge of the NL's second wild-card spot – 11 out of their last 13 in the short-term, a more imposing 72-52 that matches Washington for the NL's best since May 2. Now, the Pirates are experiencing those moments that indicate something special is going on. How else do you explain the game-saving, diving (it's not what you're picturing) out that short-circuited a Boston ninth-inning rally Thursday?
"Sometimes, you're just meant to win," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said after the Red Sox – down by a run – put runners on first and third to start the ninth. That's when Will Middlebrooks hit a bouncer along the third-base line. Pinch-runner Jemile Weeks dove back to third, but the ball hit his leg just before it would have gone foul. Because Weeks' leg was in fair territory, he was out. Closer Mark Melancon finished the inning the Pirates found themselves heading into a three-game weekend home showdown with Milwaukee with a sweep-proof 3 ½-game bulge over the Brewers for the second wild card.
Thursday's big loser: Milwaukee, of course, after a 13-inning loss in St. Louis as galling as Pittsburgh's victory was magical. The Brewers might not have been in extra innings had first Mark Reynolds not lost track of the outs in the eighth. The Cardinals trailed 2-0 with a runner on first and one out when A.J. Pierzynski hit a grounder to Reynolds. Instead of starting an almost certain double play with the slow-footed Pierzynski, Reynolds trotted to first base for the second – no, not third, Mark – out. It was still 2-0, but when these kinds of things go wrong, they go all the way wrong. Jonathan Broxton, who took over starter Kyle Lohse's four-hit shutout, let St. Louis tie it with two walks and two singles. Or course, one of the singles was an infield hit changed from the original out call after a replay review.
At that point, the outcome seemed so inevitable -- even if the Brewers needed five more innings to complete the loss.
Today's can't-miss game: Tigers at Royals. This is how it always ends in the AL Central. The White Sox have been here. The Indians have been here – twice. What about it, Kansas City?
The Royals host the first-place Tigers in the division's final showdown – three games this weekend. It starts tonight with Justin Verlander pitching for the Tigers, who lead the Royals by a half-game, against Jason Vargas. If the Verlander of three consecutive Detroit division titles shows up – the MVP-Cy Young-playoff hero version -- well, yawn. But if it's the 2014 JV version – he of a career-high 4.81 earned run average – than it could be the first indication there's a new order in the division.
Until then, here's a little history: Last year, the Tigers were 15-4 head-to-head against second-place Cleveland; the year before, 12-6 against runner-up Chicago; in 2011, 12-6 against the No. 2 Indians. And Detroit's combined August-September record against those teams – 20-4.
So far this season, the Tigers are 11-5 against Kansas City, including 2-1 this month.