News
Ichiro goes yard twice; Mariners beat Sox
Seattle rallies from four-run deficit with big sixth inning
By Bob Sherwin / Special to MLB.com
05/16/09 2:36 AM ET
SEATTLE -- Anyone who has watched Ichiro Suzuki routinely pepper the right-field seats with baseballs during batting practice would have to wonder if he could hit home runs at any time during the game. It certainly seemed that way Friday, as he launched a pair of home runs at crucial times to propel the Mariners to a 5-4 comeback victory over Boston. He is the first to admit, however, that this was an aberration. "I am not Sadaharu Oh," said Ichiro, citing Japan's all-time home-run champion. "I do not have the ability to do things like that." It was Ichiro's fourth career multiple home run game and his first since July 30, 2005, against Cleveland.Asked why it happened Friday, he said, "Who knows? I guess in the universe mysterious things happen."
Ichiro hit his fourth home run on a night in which the Red Sox's huge slugger David Ortiz was benched because he hasn't hit a home run all season -- now 145 at-bats without one dating back to last season. "I guess two mysterious things happened in the universe tonight," Ichiro added. The Mariners were down, 4-0, in the fifth when Ichiro connected with a leadoff home run on a 2-0 pitch from Jon Lester (2-4) to make it 4-1. Then in the sixth, following Franklin Gutierrez's two-out, two-run single, Ichiro stroked a two-run shot on a 3-1 pitch from Lester over the right-center-field wall. Entering the game, Ichiro had just two hits in 10 career at-bats against Lester. Gutierrez had been 0-for-9 with six strikeouts against him. The center fielder's two-run single also snapped the Mariners' 0-for-10 string with runners in scoring position to start the game. "It's awfully nice to be home," said manager Don Wakamatsu after his team's 1-7 road trip. "The crowd (34,952) was electric tonight." The rally allowed Chris Jakubauskas (2-4) to earn the decision. He went six innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out four and walking two. The Red Sox had jumped on Jakubauskas for one run in both the first and second innings, then two in the third. Jacoby Ellsbury had a double, triple and single in his first three at-bats, with a run scored and an RBI. Wakamatsu said after the third inning that Jakubauskas "was a different pitcher. He came out there and shut them down. I was proud of him. He made the adjustments." When Jakubauskas came to the dugout after the third -- his team down, 4-0 -- Wakamatsu came up to him and said, "Get it done." He took that as a command. Perhaps it was only a coincidence that comedian Larry The Cable Guy had visited the team before the game. His favorite phase is "Git R Done." "It was a big-time gut check for me. I had to dig deeper," Jakubauskas said. "I was sick and tired of giving up runs. At that point, I did not care how, but I was going to get it done." After Mike Lowell's third-inning single, Jakubauskas allowed just one more hit over his final four innings. Sean White worked a scoreless seventh, Mark Lowe got through the eighth without trouble and David Aardsma finished the ninth to pick up his fourth save. Aardsma slipped into the closer's role after Wakamatsu decided to move erstwhile closer Brandon Morrow to a setup role after a couple of tough outings in Texas. "I haven't been told anything," Aardsma said. "I throw when they tell me to throw. As far as I'm concerned, Brandon is still our closer." Aardsma said this save was special, because it was against the Red Sox, who he played for last season. "By the fourth inning, my heart was racing," Aardsma said. "It's Boston. That adds a little bit." He had to work for hit. J.D. Drew stroked a two-out single, then Jason Bay lifted a fly ball to deep left field. "Off the bat, I thought it was a fly ball, because he hit it straight up," Aardsma said. "But it just kept carrying.'' Wladimir Balentien backed up to the wall before it disappeared into his glove.Bob Sherwin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
