Seattle baseball fans may have seen a record when the Mariners get 5 straight hits with two outs

You’ll have to forgive Seattle baseball fans for getting a little emotional about their team after the Mariners came from behind to earn a 7-4 victory against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday (4-6-07).

The score and victory seem pretty pedestrian until you find out the Mariners trailed 4-3 with two outs in the eighth inning. It was a lot like Mudville with Casey coming up to bat. Only once in the previous 53 games has Seattle rallied after trailing in the eighth inning.

Then it was as if the heavens opened up in a night game and a great power from above said, “Twist the bat and I’ll give the ball eyes to see a friendly place to land.”

Before long, five straight two-out hits had the Mariners entering the ninth inning with a 7-4 lead.

The rally began with singles by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and all-purpose Willie Bloomquist, who played third base for starter Adrián Beltré and then moved to center field.

Then, regular designated hitter José Vitro, who was taking the night off due to a bruised finger, was pinch-hit and grounded into second baseman Brian Roberts’ glove and into center field to tie the game 4–4.

Seattle superstar center fielder Ichiro, the designated hitter in place of Vitro, had his third hit of the night, a solid single to left field that made it 5-4. By now, Mariner fans were teetering on mixed emotions: joy and happiness.

The lead and breakout hit came from second baseman José López, who provided useful insurance with a two-run double to right field to make it 7-4.

Entering Seattle lights closer JJ Putz, who recorded his 14th save in 14 attempts. Game over. Lights out and the Mariners left Safeco Field 29-25, the first time they’ve been 4 games over .500 in three years.

So what’s the problem in Seattle? Two things:

1) Maybe the major league franchise team in your hometown is coming from behind with five straight two-out hits in the eighth inning to win. This has NOT been happening in Seattle in at least 4 years, and maybe never. I am not sure if statistics are kept on this fact.

I’ve watched over 1,000 baseball games and I’ve never, ever seen a team come from behind to get five straight two-out hits in the eighth inning to win. There is usually a walk, a balk, a hit batter, or an error combined with fewer hits that allows a team to achieve a come-from-behind victory so late in the game.

2) Despite Seattle’s rainy history, it’s been a long time between rains when it comes to a winning Mariner team.

After a miraculous 1995 season in which the Mariners won their first American League Division Series against the New York Yankees in another miraculous 3-2 comeback (they lost the first two games and won the last three), Seattle supported the construction of Safeco Field, a state-of-the-art baseball stadium.

Local fans remember the Mariners winning the 1997 AL West title, the 2000 AL West title and the 2001 AL West title with a record finish of 116-46.

Seattle then had identical 93-69 seasons in 2002 and 2003, and continued to suck water out of the pond with three straight losing seasons, failing to even break .500. So Monday’s “miraculous” finish brought back memories and hope that the Mariners are once again on the rise back to the top of the heap.

Seattle is getting some wind in its sails on Puget Sound, and the blue skies of summer remind us why baseball is, and always will be, the summer pastime.

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley