2035-PLAYOFS SEA

PIT
SD

ATL
CHI


MIN
BOS

NY
SEA



MARINERS STATS
PLAYER                 AVG  HR  RBI
VILLEGAS              .312   16   79
SALAZAR               .312   12   59
CONNER                .306   21   80
ALMONTE             .262   27   97
NAVARRO             .308   24  106
DECLAN                 .310  16   97
BENTLER                .293  20   79
BINGHAM              .278   4    21
McDONOUGH       .269   7    55

REDD                      .297   2    9
ROMERO                .257    5   33
SANTOS                  .184    0    6
SHEA                      .266    7    47


WALBECK        17-9  3.25
RAMIREZ          8-8   4.05
LORENZ           19-9  3.24
TORREZ            6-3   3.60
KILLIAN            3-2   4.69

BEEBE                5-10  4.83
CISNEROS         12-11 4.96
ALICEA              8-2    4.52
BRUNO              6-8    5.34
JAMESON          4-5    4.42
PALMEIRO        2-1    5.03
METZ                 0-2    2.27  32 SVS


NEW YORK - A GAME PLAN IS OFTEN EASIER TO TALK ABOUT THAN PUT INTO PLAY.

THE MARINERS FOUND THAT OUT IN GAME ONE OF THE ALDS AT YANKEE STADIUM.

FACING GIL PADILLA, MULTIPLE MVP AND CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER, SEATTLE HAD IMPLEMENTED A GAME PLAN BASED ON A STRATEGY DEVISED BY HEAD ADVANCE SCOUT STEVE FINLEY.

ON TWO DIFFERENT OUTINGS, THE EX-MAJOR LEAGUER HAD NOTICED PADILLA HAD CHANGED HIS OWN GAME PLAN WHEN HE FACED THE TWO TEAMS, WHICH FINLEY REFUSED TO IDENTIFY.

"SUFFICE TO SAY, THEY WERE SIMILAR OFFENSIVELY TO US," FINLEY ALLOWED. "IT'S NO SECRET NOW: WE FIGURED PADILLA WAS GOING TO THROW MUCH MORE OFF-SPEED STUFF TO US THAN HE NORMALLY DOES."

BUT WITH THE MARINERS LOOKING FASTBALL SECOND, THEY STILL WENT SCORELESS THROUGH THREE INNINGS AND FOUND THEMSELVES TRAILING PADILLA 2-0.

"THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AGAINST A GUY LIKE PADILLA," SAID DH TODD BENTLER. "BUT WE ALL REMINDED OURSELVES TO TAKE AN EXTRA BREATH AND SLOW DOWN."

IT WORKED.

LEADOFF HITTER EDUARDO VILLEGAS WAITED ON A CHANGE-UP AND DOUBLED DOWN THE LEFT-FIELD LINE TO START THE FOURTH. EARL DECLAN MOVED VILLEGAS TO THIRD WITH A FIRST-BASE GROUND OUT, THEN AAARON CONNER GROUNDED TO SECOND TO MAKE IT 2-1.

IN THE FIFTH INNING, THE WAITING GAME REALLY PAID OFF TO START THE FRAME. BOTH RAY ALMONTE AND BENTLER DRILLED OFF-SPEED HOMERS AND SUDDENLY THE Ms WERE IN FRONT 3-2.

NEW YORK GOT A RUN BACK IN ITS HALF OFF STARTER TOMMY WALBECK (1-0, 6 IP, 7 HITS AND 3 RUNS).

TWO SEVENTH INNING RUNS OPENED A 5-3 CUSHION FOR SEATTLE AND STELLAR RELIEF PITCHING BY NO. 4 STARTER EDUARDO TORREZ (2.1 IP, ONE HIT) ALLOWED 40-YEAR-OLD CLOSER RODGER METZ TO GET A PAIR OF OUTS AND THE SAVE.


FRIDAY, OCT. 6
GAME ONE      1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9  R  H  E
MARINERS        0 0 0  1 2 0  2 0 0  5  8   1
YANKEES          1 1 0  0 1 0  0 0 0  3  9   2

SEA

                                               AB R H BI
52  VILLEGAS  C                  4  1  1  0
38  DECLAN  CF                   4  0  0  0
43  CONNER  DH                 4  0  0  1
30  NAVARRO  LF               4  1  1  0
21  ALMONTE  3B              4   1  2  1
25  BENTLER  DH               4   2   2  2
16  SALAZAR  1B                4  0   1  1
56  BINGHAM  2B              3   0   0  0
34  McDONOUGH  SS        2  0   0  0
17  ROMERO  PH-S            1  0   1   0

20  WALBECK  P