Mariner Bullpen Fails to Hold Five-Run Lead Against Red Sox

Mo Vaughn strode to the plate--bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, a roaring crowd at Boston’s home opener.

With one stroke, Vaughn could win a game his team had trailed, 7-2, after eight innings and show once more why Red Sox fans believe the team should re-sign him.

“It was a tremendous moment,” he said.

And he was up to it, hitting a grand slam against the last of Seattle’s four shaky relievers to give Boston a 9-7 victory Friday over the Mariners.

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Boston’s John Valentin said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

In eight innings, Mariner starter Randy Johnson struck out 15 and gave up only two hits.

In the ninth, the Red Sox had seven runners. Every batter in the inning scored as the team ended a three-game losing streak in which it totaled just three runs.

Rich Garces (1-0) got the last two outs in the ninth for the win. Mike Timlin (0-1) was the loser.

“It’s really sad,” said Heathcliff Slocumb, Seattle’s first reliever of the game. “Randy did his job. He deserved to win.”

But the Mariner bullpen couldn’t get an out after Manager Lou Piniella lifted Johnson, who had thrown 131 pitches.

With a 7-2 lead, Slocumb gave up a single to Troy O’Leary, a walk to Mark Lemke and a run-scoring double to Darren Bragg. Tony Fossas walked Mike Benjamin to load the bases. Timlin came in and gave up a single by Nomar Garciaparra and hit Valentin with a pitch, making the score 7-5.

Lefty Paul Spoljaric entered to face Vaughn, who had struck out three times against Johnson. This time, he won the game on Spoljaric’s second pitch with a 392-foot shot into the right-field seats.

“That’s what a professional is,” Vaughn said. “You don’t get caught up in the whole day. You get caught up in each separate at bat.”

Texas 4, Toronto 3--The Rangers overcame two home runs by Jose Canseco, taking advantage of third baseman Ed Sprague’s error to score three times in the seventh inning at Arlington, Texas.

Canseco hit solo home runs in the fourth and ninth innings. He has four home runs this season, all against Texas, and 28 career multi-homer games.

Trailing 2-1, the Rangers loaded the bases in the seventh against Dan Plesac on pinch-hitter Roberto Kelly’s double, a walk to Mark McLemore and Rusty Greer’s single.

Blue Jay Manager Tim Johnson brought in right-hander Paul Quantrill to face Juan Gonzalez, and the move looked good when the Texas star chopped the ball to third.

But the easy one-hopper glanced off the glove of Sprague and went into foul territory, allowing Kelly and McLemore to score.

Gonzalez was credited with an RBI, giving him 13 in eight games.

Rick Helling (2-0) gave up six hits in eight innings to beat the Blue Jays for the second time in a week. He struck out four and walked one.

Kansas City 5, Minnesota 4--Terry Pendleton’s two-out single capped a three-run Royal rally in the ninth inning at Kansas City, Mo.

Shane Halter opened the inning with a single off Rick Aguilera and moved to third on Shane Mack’s single.

After Mack stole second, Johnny Damon’s sacrifice fly made the score 4-3 and sent Mack to third.

Jose Offerman, who went three for four with two RBIs, doubled to tie it. After Hal Morris was intentionally walked, Offerman stole third. Jeff King struck out, but Pendleton lined an 0-and-2 pitch up the middle.

Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 0--Robin Ventura went four for four with a triple and two doubles, leading Mike Sirotka and the White Sox at Chicago.

Ventura scored two runs, and also made a key defensive play from third base.

Sirotka gave up four hits and tied a career high with eight strikeouts. Matt Karchner pitched the ninth for his second save.

Tony Saunders, the first pick in the expansion draft from the Florida Marlins, made his second start of the season for the Devil Rays and gave up eight hits and two earned runs in six innings.

He walked four and struck out three.

Detroit 7, Baltimore 1--Brian Hunter, Bobby Higginson and Damion Easley homered and Tim Worrell got his first AL victory at Detroit, ending the Orioles’ winning streak at seven.

Hunter and Higginson hit solo homers off Doug Drabek in the first inning, and the Tigers broke it open with three in the fifth.

Brady Anderson homered for Baltimore.

Baltimore, which hadn’t lost since opening day, was bidding to become the third Oriole team to start a season 8-1, matching the 1966 and 1996 clubs.

Worrell, who spent the first four years of his major league career in the National League, gave up five hits and three walks, striking out three in seven innings.