Guardado`s Wildness Allows Rangers to Win

Eddie Guardado Photo Courtesy: circlechange.com

SEATTLE - AP - Mariners closer Eddie Guardado's postgame message was as simple as his in-game problems. "I blew it, guys," Guardado told his teammates in their eerily quiet clubhouse immediately after he walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning — and then walked Phil Nevin to force in pinch-runner Gerald Laird with the go-ahead run.

But we had a tough battle," starting pitcher Joel Pineiro said Guardado told his teammates. "And we'll get them tomorrow."

Guardado (0-2) was appearing for the first time since allowing Mark Loretta's two-run, game-winning home run Sunday at Boston. And he imploded again.

He angrily pounded his thigh with his glove after his third walk, to Michael Young. Guardado briefly rallied, striking out Mark Teixeira for the second out.

But then the closer walked Nevin on five pitches — the fifth was far outside — to send the Mariners to their fourth loss in five games. Texas had its first winning AL road trip of at least nine games (5-4) since 2001.

"Eddie is a guy who usually comes right after you throwing strikes," Nevin said. "So I was swinging coming out of the gate. He just missed."

Francisco Cordero — pitching for the fourth straight game and one night after allowing Carl Everett's game-winning, three-run home run — finished the ninth for his third save. His second out was Everett, on a foul out.

"You don't do what he has done over a long period of time and not have some mental toughness," Texas manager Buck Showalter said of Cordero.

Guardado is getting a test of that.

"I don't even know when the last time I walked four guys, period," Guardado said.

The last time was June 12, 1995, as a starter for Minnesota at Anaheim.

"I wanted them just to hit the ball," he said. "They couldn't even do that because I was throwing so many ... balls."

Manager Mike Hargrove, unsolicited, announced the 35-year-old will remain his closer. Guardado saved 36 games in 41 chances last season, fourth most in team history.

"Eddie Guardado is a very good pitcher," Hargrove said. "He is our closer — and will remain our closer. Things will turn around for him. I have absolute confidence in him."

Guardado said what made his failure even more galling was that his team had rallied to tie the game with two outs in the eighth. Raul Ibanez tied the game 3-3 with a double off Brian Shouse. Rick Bauer (1-0) then came on to retire Richie Sexson and earn his first victory since Sept. 29, 2004, when he was a Baltimore starter.

Sunday against the Red Sox, the Mariners came from behind to take the lead in the top of the ninth before Guardado lost it in the bottom half.

Texas starter Vicente Padilla allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven five days after he had become the first major league pitcher in five years to give up home runs on three consecutive pitches, at Oakland.

Trailing 3-0, Ibanez hit a solo homer in the seventh. The Mariners then got two runs in the eighth on Jose Lopez's fielder's choice and Ibanez's double.

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