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Martinez clubs Royals
Three-run shot in first backs Moyer in K.C.
Tuesday, June 13, 2000
By JOHN HICKEY
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Edgar Martinez has this trouble with buses.
He tends to miss them. Martinez likes to work out after games, whether he's done well or not. The Seattle designated hitter works on his legs, mostly, but mixes in some upper-body work as needed.
Then, when it's time for the team bus to take off, he has to run down traveling secretary Ron Spellecy and beg for a few moments grace.
"Either that, or I just take a cab," Martinez said last night after driving in four runs in the Mariners' third consecutive win, a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium that pushed Seattle back into first place in the American League West.
He's taking a lot of cabs these days, because the media wants more of Martinez's time after games. They want him to talk about hitting. He just wants to hit.
"I don't want to get too distracted by it," Martinez said. "It's good for me to go out, play, then forget about it."
And forget about the bus, too. The way Martinez is going, the Mariners are just going to have to get him a limo. But where do you find a limo big enough to hold a .379 batting average, 19 homers and a major league-best 68 RBIs?
Martinez has always been a hitter, but this year he has been a slugger, too. He has five more homers now than he had before the All-Star break a year ago, and the All-Star Game is a month away.
This has been a monster performance.
And the Godzilla of them all might have come in the first inning last night. Martinez, batting with two on and one out against Kansas City's Miguel Batista, hit a homer onto the grassy knoll in center field, a shot estimated at 444 feet.
Martinez doesn't usually hit for distance, but this year, all bets are off.
Before the night was over, he would add one more RBI on an infield grounder that scored Rickey Henderson from third base in the fifth. That was most of the Seattle offense, and it would be all that the Mariners pitching staff would need.
Jamie Moyer allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings, and Jose Paniagua and Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched scoreless relief, although Sasaki gave the Mariners a bit of a scare when Gregg Zaun flied out to the wall as the potential tying run with two out in the ninth inning.
"No problem," center fielder Mike Cameron said. "I knew I had it all the way."
The trouble was that manager Lou Piniella wasn't that sure.
"There's just enough room in this ballpark," Piniella said afterward, breaking into an expansive smile as the Mariners (33-27) moved six games over .500 with their best 60-game record ever and passed Oakland (34-29) for the West lead. "I just kept watching Cameron. It looked to me that he had a bead on it."
Cameron did, and Sasaki earned his 10th save. Cameron gave Sasaki the ball he caught for the final out, and Sasaki is adding it to his prized personal possessions because he's the first native Japanese player to record 10 saves in a major league career. The Angels' Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1997-current) and the Giants' Masanori Murakami (1964-65) both have nine career saves.
"I'm going to keep the ball," Sasaki said. "It's important to me."
And he's important to the Mariners. It's not that he hasn't been beaten up some -- he does have four losses -- but he's come back from his troubles to pitch effectively in the ninth inning, something the Mariners sorely need.
"I'm proud of him," Moyer said of Sasaki. "He's shown that he's a true professional, and he's really helped this club. I'm sure he is pitching the way he was pitching at his peak in Japan."
Moyer pitched last night the way he's done the last few years when he's been at his best for the Mariners. After a first-inning walk that led to a run, it was five consecutive scoreless innings, with Moyer getting the heart of the Kansas City lineup to pop up and strike out.
He tired in the seventh when Johnny Damon hit a two-out, two-run homer, but Moyer gave more evidence that he's beyond the shoulder injury that put him on the disabled list for six weeks.
"This was a big win for me, to be able to go out and get ahead of hitters and pitch my game," Moyer said. "That's a good lineup over there, and it's not easy to hold them down."
Which is exactly what the opposition is saying about Martinez, he of the missed buses. He doesn't miss many pitches, though, and he jumped all over a Batista slider for the homer that sent the Mariners on their way.
"I've been saying that this reminds me of the start I had in 1996, but I don't know now," Martinez said. "This is better than 1996. I never expected to have 19 homers at this point."
Not that he's complaining, mind you.
And, even at the expense of a limo, neither are the Mariners.
Kansas City first -- With one out, Jeff Reboulet walked. Mike Sweeney popped out to second. Jermaine Dye singled to right, Reboulet to third. Joe Randa singled to left, Reboulet scoring, Dye to second. Dave McCarty struck out. One run, two hits, two left. Score: Seattle 3, Kansas City 1.
Seattle third -- Rickey Henderson singled to right. McLemore singled to left, Henderson to second. Rodriguez struck out. Henderson stole third, McLemore stole second (double steal). Martinez grounded out to shortstop, Henderson scoring. John Olerud struck out. One run, two hits, one left. Score: Seattle 4, Kansas City 1.
Seattle fifth -- David Bell singled to center. Henderson grounded out to the pitcher, Bell to second. McLemore singled to center, Henderson scoring. Rodriguez struck out. McLemore caught stealing, catcher to second base. One run, two hits, none left. Score: Seattle 5, Kansas City 1.
Kansas City seventh -- Carlos Beltran doubled. Brian Johnson struck out. Rey Sanchez struck out. Johnny Damon homered to right-center, his sixth, on a 2-1 pitch. Jose Paniagua replaced Jamie Moyer. Reboulet struck out. Two runs, two hits, none left. Score: Seattle 5, Kansas City 3.
P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or johnhickey@seattle-pi.com
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER How they scored
Seattle first -- With one out, Mark McLemore walked. Alex Rodriguez walked, McLemore to second. Edgar Martinez homered to center, his 19th, on a 1-0 pitch, McLemore and Rodriguez scoring. John Olerud grounded out to second. Jay Buhner struck out. Three runs, one hit, none left. Score: Seattle 3, Kansas City 0.
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