Hargrove Goes Out a Winner: Guillen's RBI Single in Ninth Gives Seattle Eighth Win in Row

Jul 02, 05:57 AM

Current Headlines: By Ryan Divish, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Jul. 2--Usually, the eruptions of emotion that spew forth from Jose Guillen are directed toward his managers, not in support of them.

But on Sunday, the sometimes surly Mariners right fielder called on his seemingly endless supply of fury and intensity to make sure that manager Mike Hargrove -- one of the few to understand the temperamental Guillen -- ended his managerial run with the Mariners, and possibly his career, with a victory.

Guillen's sharp single past a lunging Troy Glaus at third base scored Adrian Beltre from second in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mariners a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Seattle completed its second straight sweep of American League East teams and notched its eighth consecutive win to push its record to 45-33, 12 games over .500.

But much of the accomplishment was overshadowed by Hargrove's pregame announcement that he would resign when it was over.

"Shocked would be the best way to sum it up," said Mariners closer J.J Putz about the team's emotions when Hargrove delivered the news a few hours before the game.

And that was Hargrove's main worry, how his players would handle his decision and all the ramifications that would follow.

"Yesterday, when we decided to tell the team before the game, I was real worried because I didn't want them to become distracted and not concentrate on winning and doing their jobs," Hargrove said.

But behind yet another strong outing from starting pitcher Jeff Weaver and Guillen's game-tying solo home run in the eighth and his game-winning single in the ninth, Hargrove's worries can now turn to his truckload of upcoming free time.

"These guys did great," Hargrove said. "And I can't ask for anything any better."

After being mauled by his teammates, Guillen then delivered a bear hug to Hargrove.

"We have a good relationship," Guillen said. "He really understands me."

It's not a common situation for Guillen, who has a much-publicized and ongoing feud with Mike Scioscia, who managed Guillen during his stay with the Angels.

"There's not a lot of managers that I've gotten along with in the past few years," Guillen admitted. "(Hargrove) was one that really understood me and what I'm about."

Perhaps that's why Guillen was a tempest of emotion throughout the game.

In the second inning, Guillen fired a laser of a throw from right field to cut down Toronto's Matt Stairs, who was trying to stretch a single into a double. The play garnered a raised arm, a pumped fist and an emphatic point to Weaver from Guillen.

In the sixth, after being a hit by a pitch, Guillen showed an extra gear as he advanced all the way to third on Ben Broussard's single to right. After safely diving head first into third, Guillen rose to his knees, shouted and waved his arms in "safe" motion.

"I don't think you've seen me run like that," Guillen said. "I just had so much energy today. I need to have that every day."

While those plays reflected on his attitude, it was the solo home run to right in the eighth that changed the game.

Guillen swatted the first pitch he saw from Casey Janssen, sending a line drive over the wall in right-center.

"I knew it was gone the second I hit it," Guillen said with a grin.

He made it quite obvious as he stood and watched it for a few seconds before thinking of taking a couple steps toward first. And before he began his trot, he began yelling emphatically toward the Mariners dugout.

"I was screaming, "Let's go! Let's go!" Guillen said. "I really wanted to get that win for (Hargrove)."

He won it himself in the ninth. His single scored Beltre, who had led off with a walk and advanced to second on Raul Ibanez's single to right.

Of course, for the Mariners to be in the game, it took one another strong outing from Weaver, a player Hargrove steadfastly stood by despite early struggles.

"I think belief doesn't just come from one guy in this club house," Weaver said. "But it definitely helps when it starts at the top because then it filters down. And he always believed in me even when it wasn't easy to."

The once-maligned and oft-booed Weaver was serenaded with cheers as he walked off the field in the eighth having just worked a 1-2-3 inning. His only blemish on the day came in the seventh when he served up Frank Thomas' 501st career home run -- a majestic shot over the visitors' bullpen.

"It was a good slider," Weaver said. "He hadn't been swinging at the first pitch all game, but he went after that one."

"Jeff Weaver was absolutely outstanding," Hargrove said.

Putz (1-0) came in and worked a scoreless ninth to get the win, striking out Thomas and Lind and getting some help from Adrian Beltre, who beat out a bunch of Steve Bartman wannabes to make a tough catch in the stands along the third-base line.

The Mariners now begin the post-Hargrove era today in Kansas City with a chance for their ninth straight win. But on Sunday, even after the win, the man they called "Grover" was all they seemed to care about.

"He's going to be missed," Putz said.

Up next for the Mariners

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Today through Wednesday Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City

Scouting report: It's tough to figure out the Royals. They swept the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, but returned home to drop two of three games to the free-falling Chicago White Sox. Even with a 34-48 record this season, it's still an improvement over a year ago. The Royals lost a chance to gain ground on the White Sox and move closer to pulling out of their seemingly permanent spot in the AL Central basement. The Royals are one of the worst hitting teams in the league with a .256 average, and they've scored the third-fewest runs of any team in the AL. It only gets a touch better in pitching, where the team sports a 4.55 ERA, fourth-worst in the AL, though they are just ahead of Seattle.

Players to watch: Alex Gordon has broken out of his rookie funk and is hitting .383 in his past 21 games. The Royals' lone representative in this year's all-star game is none other than former Mariner Gil Meche, who has a 5-6 record but a solid 3.28 ERA.

Record vs. Mariners: The Mariners are 5-1 against the Royals. Seattle took two of three games against KC at Safeco in April. The Mariners followed that up with a three-game sweep of the Royals at Kauffman in May.

Did you know? The Royals lead the league in being hit by pitches with 51, with Gordon being hit 11 times. They are on pace to break the team record of 76 in a single season and possibly the AL record of 92 set by Toronto in 1996. StartMariners pitcherRoyals pitcherTV

Today5:10 p.m.Hernandez (4-4, 4.33)Meche (5-6, 3.28)FSNTue.5:10 p.m.Feierabend (1-2, 6.46)De La Rosa (5-9, 5.38) FSN

Wed.5:10 p.m.Washburn (7-6, 4.03)Bannister (5-4, 3.58)FSN

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