Baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest have been (except for the 1995 season) been subjected to a virtually uninterrupted parade of ineptitude, mediocrity, and uninspired performance, so when there’s something to celebrate, it deserves mention.
Last night, the Mariners played the Los Angeles Dodgers in what promised to be a fairly forgettable interleague game. The Mariners won 1-0, but it wasn’t the score that attracted nationwide attention. Kevin Millwood and five Mariners relief pitchers combined on create one of the rarest events in baseball- a combined no-hitter.
The Mariners may be destined for yet another season on obscurity in Major League Baseball’s equivalent of Siberia…but they deserve their moment in the spotlight. When I was living in Houston, Roy Oswalt and five Astros relievers no-hit the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium. You just don’t see this sort of thing but once in a very great while…no-hitters are usually accomplished by an individual pitcher over a nine-inning game.
It’s nice to see a young and developing Mariners team have a moment in the sun…and any time you can beat a team from L.A., it’s a good night.
