M's blow chances, take blame - 美國職棒

M's blow chances, take blame
Players accept responsibility for gaffes as Twins send Seattle to fourth straight loss

Monday, May 29, 2006

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

MINNEAPOLIS -- In the hall outside the visitors' clubhouse at the Metrodome Sunday, the sound of mental anguish could be heard.

It was Eddie Guardado's. It should have been a 25-man Greek chorus, but Guardado, who took the 4-3, 10-inning loss Sunday, is the only player on the Seattle roster whose emotions are audible.

"I'm the only one in here who yells," Guardado said 45 minutes after Lew Ford hit a game-winning solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 10th.

Guardado's mistake to the light-hitting Ford was the game's decisive moment, but the Mariners had chance after chance after chance in this one.

A seventh-inning squeeze bunt try by Jose Lopez turned into an inning-ending double play.

Willie Bloomquist was thrown out trying to go to third base in the top of the ninth.

Ichiro Suzuki failed to tag up and go to third base in the 10th.

Seattle got the leadoff man into scoring position with no one out in the third, fourth and seventh innings without getting a run home.

Sure, Guardado took the loss, the Mariners' fourth in a row. But he didn't take it alone.

"I'm embarrassed; we should all be embarrassed," Guardado said. "You've got to take pride in what you do, competing in this uniform. We're all in this together. I include myself in that. I did terrible.

"We all did terrible. I know in the situation I've got to do better. Lew Ford. C'mon. As a team, we've all got to do better. It's a plain fact. Today we should have killed those guys, even with their best pitcher (Johan Santana) on the mound. We should have won this one by three runs."

And it never should have gone extra innings.

But Bloomquist was thrown out at third base in the ninth. He was trying to advance to third on a grounder to shortstop but was out on a close play.

"I point the finger at myself," Bloomquist said. "I've got to run smart. I didn't. There was a lot of opportunity for all of us to get the job done today."

The Mariners had a 5-2 homestand after being swept three games in Oakland May 16-18. There was a team meeting of 57 minutes after that one. It's almost hard to remember that now.

"Now that (winning homestand) goes by the wayside," Bloomquist said. "There's a sense of urgency. Guys are trying to do too much. I almost get tired of saying it, but we're still within striking distance.

"It's time to put up or shut up."

Whether they will be able to put Sunday's game, arguably the most unsettling performance of the year, behind them tonight against Texas will be the compelling story line of the week.

Ichiro's gaffe came in the 10th. He was on second base (Lopez was on first) with no one out when Raul Ibanez ripped a shot to deep right, and right fielder Michael Cuddyer had to beat a hasty retreat to get to the ball.

When Cuddyer turned to throw the ball back to the infield, he needn't have bothered. Ichiro had gone halfway to third base, and couldn't tag up. Thus, he couldn't score when the next hitter, Richie Sexson, flew out to the center field wall.

Ichiro pointed fingers only at himself.

"I second guess myself on that one," he said.

"I put too much thought into the score. If (he tags up), at worst I'm at third base with one out if the ball is caught, and if the ball isn't caught, the bases are full."

Third base coach Carlos Garcia said the line drive was a tough read. But the play had to be made.

"I knew he had to tag up and go to third," Garcia said. "Everybody in the stadium knew it."

Lopez's transgression was the most forgettable. For one thing, he came out of an 0-for-16 slump with a two-run homer off Santana in the first.

And in the fifth he put down a bunt that set up Ibanez's sacrifice fly that gave Seattle a 3-2 lead.

After Ichiro tripled with one out in the seventh, Lopez, the team's best bunter, was asked to put down a squeeze bunt with the score tied 3-all. Santana, who had pitched Lopez low all day, came in with an eye-high pitch, a monster to have to try to bunt.

"I had to jump to get it," Lopez said. "That's the only pitch like that he threw to me. It was hard to get down."

Lopez made contact at least, but he popped the ball up. Santana caught it on the fly and Ichiro was crossing the plate as Santana threw to third base for the inning-ending double play.

"This is the low point," Guardado said in summation. "We've got to play better or shut up."

Mum's the word.

這篇是今天凌晨那場比賽的賽後訪問，整理了今天為什麼無法把握得分機會，
其中有提到的Ichiro10局上跑壘的事情，今天好像蠻多報導都指向Ichiro的
跑壘失誤…
還有就是Lopez為什麼點成飛球…
若有強者大大要翻譯是最好的事了…

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耶律洪基：
蕭大王，你為大宋立下如此大功，高官厚祿，指日可待。
廾山 廾山
肅夆： 陛下，肅夆是契丹人，今日威迫陛下，成為契丹的大罪人，
此後有何面目立于天地之間？ 山
金庸：喬夆的死是必然的

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