Sunday, May 27, 2001 (W: SEA 5 - KC 4 36-12)

The M's squeezed out another one tonight, as Sasaki blew a save in the bottom of the ninth, but the M's pulled it out 5-4 after an eleventh inning rally.

Former Mariner David McCarty hit a solo shot off of Sasaki with one out in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

In the eleventh, the M's played small ball, as Edgar singled, pinch runner Charles Gipson advanced to 2nd on a John Olerud single, and Bret Boone sacrifice bunted the runners ahead. The Royals elected to walk Ichiro to load the bases, and Mike Cameron came through with a deep sacrifice fly to center that Gipson scored on.

Norm Charlton worked a perfect tenth and eleventh to tally the victory.

With the victory, the M's are now 24 games above .500 for the first time in team history, and they're 21-5 on the road (kinda makes you wish a ceiling tile would fall, so the M's could play on the road all the time -- sorry, I live in LA, I don't care if I get to see them live at Safeco).

Raul Ibanez watch: Sasaki K'ed Ibanez, pinch hitting for the catcher again, this time in the bottom of the 9th. Ibanez is now hitting .143.

The M's are now 4-0 since Wednesday, when I got my Sports Illustrated with Ichiro on the cover. Jinx? What Jinx?

Cleveland lost, Minnesota won, so we're now four games up over Minnesota for the majors' best record.

Bob Finnigan had an article in today's Sunday Times about Olympic Hero Ryan Franklin. Despite his great performance this season, including Friday's career high 5-inning stint, the team has no plans to move him to the rotation, since Gil Meche and Ryan Anderson are on track to join the starting staff next season.

The same article mentions a few more former Mariners playing for the Royals: the "orignal Suzuki," relief pitcher Mak(oto), and tonight's starting second baseman, Wilson Delgado, who was traded from the M's back in May of 1995, along with Shawn Estes, for Solomon Torres, who is now out of baseball after being released by the Expos in January.

Finally, the M's are #3 in MLB for attendance, behind league leader Colorado (in LAST place in the NL West) and the Giants.