| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- John Olerud came prepared to celebrate Sunday,
and Paul Abbott nearly gave the Seattle Mariners a celebration.
As Olerud handed out cigars in the clubhouse to mark the birth
of his daughter, Abbott explained to reporters how a 10-year
journeyman who's never pitched a complete game or a shutout came
within five outs of a no-hitter.
|  | | Paul Abbott didn't pitch a no-hitter, or a complete game, or a shutout -- but beating the Red Sox was all that really mattered. |
"You always shoot for a no-hitter," Abbott said Sunday after
combining with Jose Paniagua on a one-hitter to beat the Boston Red
Sox 5-0. "Once you give up a hit, you shoot for a shutout. Then
you shoot for a complete game. That's basically how you attack your
game plan."
Abbott (9-5) didn't get any of those, but he did have his first
scoreless outing of the season. He limited Boston to three
baserunners -- on two walks and an error -- before Rico Brogna hit a
hard grounder up the middle with one out in the eighth.
After Midre Cummings flied out to center, Abbott walked Scott
Hatteberg and Trot Nixon to load the bases and was replaced by
Paniagua.
"I think I just ran out of gas," Abbott said. "I got behind
Brogna and put him in a good spot to hit."
Nomar Garciaparra popped up to right field to end the eighth.
Paniagua retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth to finish the
combined one-hitter and earn his fourth save.
"Let's not forget the big out that Paniagua got in the bottom
of the eighth with the bases loaded," said manager Lou Piniella,
whose Mariners have won two straight but just five of their last
20. "We've had two really well-pitched games in a row. That's what
we needed."
Although he's never pitched a complete game in the majors,
Abbott has thrown two no-hitters in the minors -- sort of. He
pitched a no-hitter in a seven-inning Class-A game in 1988, and
also pitched 10 hitless innings in Triple-A in 1992 before ending
up with a no-decision.
But he's also made 10 trips to the disabled list while playing
for six organizations since he was drafted by Minnesota in 1985.
Maybe that's why he didn't appear nervous, even as he zeroed in on
the big zero.
"He had complete confidence. He carried himself the same way he
would in any other game," Mariners catcher Joe Oliver said. "I
couldn't tell he was thinking about it."
Abbott allowed eight runs in seven innings against the New York
Yankees on Monday -- his worst outing of the year. But after
tinkering with his mechanics on the side, he had no trouble with
the Red Sox.
Although the Red Sox are just two-games behind Cleveland in the
AL wild card race, they are 12th in the AL in runs and batting
average. After managing just three hits in a 4-1 loss to Seattle's
Freddie Garcia on Saturday, the Red Sox have just four hits in two
games.
"When a guy goes out and throws quality innings after quality
innings," Boston catcher Jason Varitek said, "it makes your job
that much tougher."
Mark McLemore went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Alex Rodriguez
was 2-for-3 with two walks and a two-run homer that made it 5-0 in
the ninth.
Tomo Ohka (3-3), who had won three consecutive decisions,
allowed two runs on six hits and four walks in six innings.
Stan Javier doubled with one out in the first, Rodriguez walked
and, one out later, Olerud doubled to score them both. Seattle
added one run off Rod Beck in the seventh when McLemore hit a
leadoff double and scored on Javier's double.
Abbott debuted in the
majors in 1990. He spent parts of the next three seasons in the
minors before he was signed by the Indians as a minor-league free
agent in '93.
He spent the next six years in the minors -- much of it on the
disabled list for elbow, shoulder and knee problems. Even the
Mariners, who signed him as a minor-league free agent in 1998,
waived him before re-signing him sending him to Triple-A before
last season.
Game notes
The Mariners have outscored their opponents 114-83 in the
first inning. They've scored more runs in the first than any other
inning. ... Seattle has never won a season series against Boston.
The Mariners lead the 2000 series 5-4. ... Brian Daubach missed his
fourth consecutive game since injuring his elbow during Tuesday
night's brawl with Tampa Bay. ... Manny Alexander, who started at
third base for the first time since Aug. 28, entered the game in a
4-for-22 slump. ... The Red Sox will retire Carlton Fisk's No. 27
on Monday.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
Boston's Saberhagen ends surgery comeback bid, calls it a season
RECAPS
Cleveland 12
Baltimore 11
Texas 4
Detroit 1
Minnesota 2
NY Yankees 1
Oakland 4
Toronto 3
Kansas City 8
Tampa Bay 2
Chi. White Sox 13
Anaheim 12
Seattle 5
Boston 0
Cincinnati 8
Montreal 1
St. Louis 4
NY Mets 3
Milwaukee 6
Colorado 4
Houston 9
Atlanta 3
Pittsburgh 8
San Diego 6
San Francisco 5
Chicago Cubs 2
Arizona 10
Florida 5
Los Angeles 6
Philadelphia 1
|
