Mariners lose to Rangers but have future on their minds
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By Geoff Baker
The Seattle Times
(MCT)
SEATTLE — The man whose Mariners came up short in their bid for an 84th win Friday night insists this season is only a beginning.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik held a season-ending gathering with reporters earlier in the day, saying the team has built "a foundation for the next several years" that should lead to better things. Zduriencik's squad later blew a late lead and lost, 7-4, to the Texas Rangers on Fan Appreciation Night at Safeco Field, guaranteeing Seattle will finish third in the American League West.
Still, Zduriencik said he's proud of how his players responded to the challenges he and his coaches put forth starting in spring training.
"They realized that accountability was going to be important," said Zduriencik, who didn't go into specifics of any moves he plans to make this offseason. "That preparation was going to be important. We've said many times that it's a nine-inning game and it's 27 outs. And that you have to play the game to the max. You have to prepare yourself so that when you step out there on the field — the game starts at 7 o'clock, but preparing yourself for this game goes way beyond that."
The Mariners showed some resilience early Friday, overcoming a 3-0 deficit with three fourth-inning runs. Adrian Beltre drove in the first run and then Mike Carp singled — one of his three hits on the night — to bring home two more.
Jose Lopez then ended Brandon McCarthy's night with a single to right field in the fifth to bring home Josh Wilson with the go-ahead run. Ian Snell looked poised to pick up the win, throwing six innings of three-run ball and leaving with a 4-3 lead.
But Mark Lowe yielded a tying single to Michael Young in the eighth and David Aardsma the go-ahead single to Taylor Teagarden with two outs in the ninth. Texas tacked on two more in that final inning.
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(c) 2009, The Seattle Times.
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