the Mariners finally won the game at 3:42 AM check this ------------------------------- http://espn.go.com/mlb/2000/20000801/recap/bossea.html ----------------------------------------- SEATTLE (ESPN.com news services) -- Al Martin, the newest member of the Seattle Mariners, was asked what he thought of American League baseball now that he had one game under his belt. Mike Cameron didn't even enter the game until the 11th. He homered in the 19th. "Ask me when I've played in a nine-inning game," he said. Mike Cameron ended the Mariners' longest home game ever when he homered leading off the 19th inning, giving Seattle a 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox early Wednesday. The game started Tuesday night at 10:08 p.m. ET and ended Wednesday at 3:42 a.m. Cameron connected on the 12th pitch from Jeff Fassero (7-5), ending the longest game in the majors since Minnesota beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 in 22 innings on Aug. 31, 1993. Leading off the 19th, Fassero put Cameron into an 0-2 hole immediately. He threw a ball, then Cameron fouled off five straight pitches. Fassero, a former Mariner, threw another ball before Cameron nearly won the game with his next offering. But the ball sailed just to the right of the foul pole down the right-field line. Cameron fouled off yet another pitch before depositing the next one into the seats. "That may have been the best at-bat I've had all year," Cameron said. Martin's debut with Seattle was one to remember, even though he went hitless and didn't notice the standing ovation he got for his diving catch in the first inning because of a bad case of nerves. "That game was pretty special to me," said Martin, who went 0-for-5 with a walk before leaving the game for pinch-hitter Jay Buhner in the 15th. "I'm just glad we won." The Red Sox overcame a four-run lead in the series opener Monday night. The Mariners overcame a four-run deficit in the second game to stay three games ahead of Oakland in the AL West. Acquired from San Diego 30 minutes before the trade deadline Monday, Martin arrived at Safeco Field to find himself in the starting lineup. He batted second, and played center field for the first time since 1993 with Pittsburgh. Cameron thought he had the night off but entered as a pinch-runner for John Olerud in the 11th. "I ended up playing a whole game anyway," Cameron said. The Mariners held the Red Sox scoreless for the final 16 innings, even after Boston loaded the bases off Rob Ramsay in the top of the 19th on a walk to Scott Hatteberg, a double by Darren Lewis and an intentional walk to Mike Lansing. Kazuhiro Sasaki (2-5) replaced Ramsay and struck out Manny Alexander before getting Jason Varitek to pop out and end the threat. "Both bullpens did a great job," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. "You almost had the feeling that a home run was going to win the game, and that's exactly what happened." Before Cameron's homer, Boston's bullpen pitched 10 scoreless innings. Red Sox relievers had eight scoreless innings Monday night. "They did an outstanding job again," Boston manager Jimy Williams said. "They are an outstanding hitting baseball team over there and we matched them zero for zero quite a few innings." The Mariners' previous longest game by innings at home was a 17-inning game with Cleveland in the Kingdome on July 30, 1998. Their previous longest by time was 5:31 on May 5, 1991, against the New York Yankees in the Kingdome. On the road, the Mariners played 20-inning games on Aug. 3-4, 1981, at Boston, and April 13-14, 1982, at California. The Red Sox played their longest game since 1992, when they won 7-5 at Cleveland, also in 19 innings. Boston's longest road game in history came in Seattle, a 5-3 win over the Pilots on July 27, 1969, at Sicks Stadium. ----------------------------------- ------------------ President of the Rockets/Raiders Fan Club [This message has been edited by moestavern19 (edited August 02, 2000).]
