Ichiro passes Edgar and the M’s win in interesting fashion again

Another interesting game for the Mariners who beat the A’s 5-2. The pitching stood out as the good with Jason Vargas picking up where he left off last year throwing 6 2/3 innings of one run ball. We had our first appearance of the bullpen with the skipper electing to go with the veterans with the game on the line. Chris Ray picked up the win despite giving up a run in the one inning he pitched, but Jamey Wright got the out he was asked to and Brandon League was able to pick up a save with just 13 pitches. Not a bad start for the pen. We will see what happens when the rookies get into a game.

Ichiro passed Edgar Martinez as the all time Mariners hits leader with an infield single to first that scored the go ahead run. It was Ichiro’s 2,247th hit of his Mariners and Major League Baseball career. When asked what it meant to him to pass his former teammate Ichiro replied,

“Today I broke his record, when you look at the numbers that is a fact. He is a hero back in Seattle. He is my hero as well. When you look at his existence he is a lot bigger than I am being a great human being as well.”

Ichiro has passed others in baseball and has always shown great reverence for those players. With Edgar the feelings run deeper because he knows him.

“I have played with Edgar for three years as well. That is precious, that is a treasure to me. That is what I honor as well.”

On the record breaking hit Jack Wilson slid into home and was slow to get up and looked like he was limping slightly on his way back to the dugout. Turns out his legs were fine, he just knocked the wind out of himself on the slide. Good new for someone who has a history of leg injuries.

Speaking of which, Eric Wedge rolled the dice a little sending Miguel Olivo in to pinch hit for Adam Moore in the eighth inning. Had Olivo who was kept out of the game partly because he is coming off of a groin injury and Wedge wants to make sure he gets extra rest because of this injured himself running the bases who would have caught the ninth?

Turns out Adam Kennedy was told before the game he would be the emergency catcher if need be. I asked him about this after the game.

“Skipper asked and I said sure,” he answered. “I have never done it before but I told him I would be ready if need be. Why not, right?”

Luckily it didn’t come to that although Olivo said after the game he is not favoring the leg. He has one speed and it is all out.

“When you run like that, when you make plays like that the team gets excited, like we are going to play baseball now.” Olivo said. We play hard. That is what you have seen the last two games. Myself, I come in with the groin injury but I am just running. If something is going to happen it will happen. That is just the way we play.”

Olivo will be catching tomorrow. I am wondering what we will see in the outfield. Eric Wedge has talked about taking opportunities to rest Milton Bradley’s legs and tomorrow may be a good day. I mentioned on the pre game show that Milton had been “communicating” with the fans in the left field stands Opening Day. It looked like he was being heckled and he was reacting. I didn’t see anything too extreme but he definitely was answering back in some fashion. I am going to guess that the skipper would prefer that he no be distracted by such things during the game.

I saw Wedge talking to Milton pre game and wondered if that was what the conversation was about. Tonight I didn’t see the interaction with the crowd but I did twice see Milton call over security guards and talk to them perhaps about what he was hearing. It will be interesting to see if he is in there tomorrow.