SeaTimes (AP): M's continue futility at NL parks

[Steven Chan, quoting The Associated Press]

M's continue futility at NL parks
---------------------------------
By The Associated Press
The Seattle Times
Monday June 8, 1998

SAN FRANCISCO - Danny Darwin kept the majors' best home-run-hitting
team in the yard and Rich Aurilia homered in his first at-bat against
Randy Johnson as the San Francisco Giants won their 10th straight by
beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 Monday night.

It is San Francisco's longest winning streak since an 11-game run in
1991. Seattle lost for the eighth time in nine interleague games at NL
parks.

The 42-year-old Darwin (6-3) allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings
against the slumping Mariners, who fell a season-low nine-games below
..500 (27-36). Darwin struck out three and walked one in winning for
the fifth time in his last six decisions.

Rich Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his first save. Joey Cora
appeared to beat out an infield hit to open the inning but was called
out by first base umpire Sam Holbrook. Cora and Seattle Manager Lou
Piniella argued the call heatedly and were ejected. Rodriguez struck
out Ken Griffey Jr., who went 0 for 5, to end the game.

Johnson (5-5), raised in nearby Livermore, made his first appearance
at San Franciso and struck out 10, the 88th time he has fanned 10 or
more batters. Johnson, who walked three, went seven innings and
allowed four runs on six hits.

The Giants trailed 1-0 when they struck for three runs in the third,
starting with Aurilia's fifth homer. Aurilia, who has faced Johnson in
spring training, connected on a 2-2 pitch and drove it over the
left-field fence.

Brian Johnson then reached on third baseman Russ Davis' fielding error
and Bill Mueller singled. After Barry Bonds walked, Jeff Kent hit a
two-run double to put San Francisco up 3-1.

Bonds' had a run-scoring single in the sixth but the Mariners narrowed
the gap in the seventh.

Cora led off with a single, his fourth of the game, and Jeff Huson
also singled. Darwin retired Griffey on a ground out and was relieved
by Steve Reed. Alex Rodriguez singled with one out to drive in two
runs but Reed then got Dan Wilson to pop out and Rodriguez was caught
stealing to end the inning.

Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the second on Davis' run-scoring double.

Notes: Seattle's Jay Buhner, disabled with an inflammation in his left
knee, was scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment at Tacoma on
Tuesday night and might rejoin the Mariners on Thursday when they play
at Oakland. ... Johnson, who hadn't batted since 1989 while with
Montreal, went 0 for 3. But he hit a couple of homers during pregame
batting practice, drawing cheers from the crowd. ... The Mariners will
be spending a week in the Bay area, going on to Oakland on Thursday to
start a four-game series with the Athletics. ... Switch-hitting Giants
first baseman J.T. Snow, who suffered a fractured left eye socket when
he was hit by a pitch from Johnson in a spring training game a year
ago, didn't face him. San Francisco Manager Dusty Baker said before
the game the beaning had nothing to do with his decision to start
Charlie Hayes, noting Snow's nine lifetime strikeouts and .190 batting
average against Johnson. ... Brian Johnson's fourth inning double
extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... The last time Seattle was
more than nine games under .500 was at the end of the 1994 season
(49-63).

-------------------------------

Seattle AB..R..H.BI.BB.SO..Avg.
JCora 2b  5  1  4  0  0  0  .281
Huson 1b  4  1  1  0  0  0  .200
d-Amaral ph  1  0  0  0  0  0  .260
Griffey Jr cf  5  0  0  0  0  1  .286
ARodriguez ss  3  0  2  2  1  0  .292
DWilson c  4  0  1  0  0  0  .249
Ducey rf  4  1  1  0  0  2  .250
GHill lf  4  0  1  0  0  0  .294
1-Gipson pr-lf  0  0  0  0  0  0  .200
RDavis 3b  4  0  1  1  0  1  .257
RJohnson p  3  0  0  0  0  1  .000
a-EMartinez ph  1  0  0  0  0  0  .302
Timlin p  0  0  0  0  0  0   ---
Spoljaric p  0  0  0  0  0  0   ---
Totals 38..3.11..3..1..5......

San Francisco AB..R..H.BI.BB.SO..Avg.
ADiaz cf  4  1  1  0  0  0  .133
DHamilton cf  0  0  0  0  0  0  .303
Mueller 3b  2  1  1  0  2  0  .311
Bonds lf  3  0  1  1  1  0  .310
JKent 2b  4  0  1  2  0  1  .292
Hayes 1b  3  0  0  0  0  2  .311
b-Snow ph-1b  1  0  0  0  0  0  .193
Javier rf  4  0  1  0  0  2  .239
Aurilia ss  4  1  2  1  0  1  .308
BJohnson c  3  1  1  0  0  1  .250
c-Mayne ph-c  1  0  0  0  0  0  .271
Darwin p  3  0  0  0  0  3  .042
SReed p  0  0  0  0  0  0  .500
RRodriguez p  0  0  0  0  0  0  .333
Totals 32..4..8..4..3.10......

Seattle 010.000.200--3.11..1
San Francisco 003.010.00x--4..8..1

a-grounded out for Johnson in the 8th. b-popped out for Hayes in the
8th. c-flied out for Johnson in the 8th. d-grounded out for Huson in
the 9th.

1-ran for Hill in the 8th.

E--RDavis (15), Darwin (2). LOB--Seattle 9, San Francisco 7.
2B--DWilson (11), Ducey (10), GHill (14), RDavis (10), JKent (22),
BJohnson (3). HR--Aurilia (5) off RJohnson. RBIs--ARodriguez 2 (48),
RDavis (40), Bonds (49), JKent 2 (48), Aurilia (25). SB--ARodriguez
(13). CS--ARodriguez (5), Mueller (1).

Runners left in scoring position--Seattle 5 (Huson, DWilson, Ducey,
GHill, EMartinez); San Francisco 6 (Hayes 2, Javier 2, Mayne, Darwin).

Runners moved up--Huson, Griffey Jr, RDavis, JKent.

Seattle ..IP.....H..R.ER.BB.SO..NP..ERA
RJohnson L, 5-5   7      6  4  2  3 10 102  5.34
Timlin     2-3  2  0  0  0  0  18  4.15
Spoljaric     1-3  0  0  0  0  0   2  5.08

San Francisco ..IP.....H..R.ER.BB.SO..NP..ERA
Darwin W, 6-3   6 1-3  9  3  3  1  3  92  4.54
SReed   1 2-3  2  0  0  0  1  22  1.23
RRodriguez S, 1   1      0  0  0  0  1   9  3.27

Inherited runners-scored--Spoljaric 2-0, SReed 2-2.

Umpires--Home, Rieker; First, Holbrook; Second, Wendelstedt; Third,
Layne.

T--2:38. A--34,166 (62,000).

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This article has been posted, independent of The Seattle Times Company
and The Associated Press, © Copyright 1998. All rights reserved.

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