One day after missing out on the All-Star game despite a sterling ERA this season, Jarrod Washburn served up one more reason why he may have been a snub.
Through nine innings, he was near-flawless, limiting the visiting Orioles to just one hit, no walks and no runs. It was the first one-hitter by a Mariner at Safeco Field and the first in Washburn's career.
The winning run, as it turned out, came on the Mariners second at-bat of the game as Russell Branyan sent a shot into deep center field for a solo home run. The M's (43-39) went on to win 5-0 today.
To continue...
The Mariners added to the lead with four runs in three innings, with newcomers Ryan Langerhans and Chris Woodward accounting three of those RBIs.
After struggling through three innings without a hit against Orioles starter Brad Bergesen, the Mariners broke through in the fifth with a run off just two hits.
Over the next two innings, they would load the bases and come away with three more runs, two of which came off a two-run double in the sixth off the bat of Woodward.
Washburn would finish with only three strikeouts, but his excellent command of the fastball and varied pitches relegated Orioles hitters to ground out after ground out and fly out after fly out.
Franklin Gutierrez was the only one to get multiple hits, going 3-for-4 in his ninth-straight game with a hit. During that span, his batting average has risen from .258 to .293 now.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Posts
