M's clinch AL West Flag by splitting 2 with Milwaukee

GAME 1 - County Stadium
Pineiro vs Caldwell
Mariners 8, Brewers 2

The hometown fans surely thought this game was in the bag with ace lefty Mike Caldwell on the hill.  Milwaukee's crafty lefty never got it going and after 4 innings of play the M's had a 5-1 lead and never looked back.  Joel Pineiro (6-2, 1.96) was stellar fanning 7 and giving up just 2 in 7 innings.  Dan Wilson was the man going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's and a bomb.  The M's inch closer to the AL West flag.  The Brew Crew now needs to win the next 3 to take the division.

GAME 2
Moyer vs Sorensen
Brewers 3, Mariners 2

Just in the nick of time Lary Sorensen was resurrected from the dead after 3 brutal stars in his last 4 outings.  Sorensen baffled the M's for 8 1/3 innings before giving way to Bob McClure who got the final2 batters to secure the 1 run win.  Milwaukee rallied back fro a 2-1 deficit with 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th then made them stand up the rest of the way.  A lead off homer by Cecil Cooper tied the game, but a 2 out rally was needed to net the next tally.  MVP candidate "Stormin' Gorman Thomas doubled off the wall then scored on Sal Bando's single.  The game was a nail biter down to the final out.  After Edgar Martinez led off the 9th with a double Cameron grounded out to third.  Pinch hitter Bloomquist was given an intentional pass to create a DP scenario.  McClure came on and did his magic by getting pinch hitter Ruben "High" Sierra to fly out to left and pinch hitter Desi Relaford to ground to short to end it.

GAME 3
Augustine vs Halama
Brewers 11, Mariners 5

A typically Jerry Augustine run fest saw the M's on the short side of the ledger.  Seattle used 6 pitchers and Milwaukee made each and everyone of them pay to erase an early 3-1 M's lead.  Gorman Thomas, who looks more and more like an MVP each day, hit 2 long balls to bust the game open and tie Joe DiMaggio for the league lead with 22 each.  Thomas had 4 RBI's.  Every Brewer had a hit with Don Money and Charlie Moore each having 3.  Larry Hisle and Edgar Martinez each had a round tripper.  The latter knocked in 3 with his clout in a losing effort.

GAME 4
Travers vs Garcia
Mariners 6, Brewers 4

Once again Freddy Garcia (8-1, 3.93), who gets the most run support in the league, strolled to victory and the division title behind an offense that posted 6 runs.  Milwaukee lefty Bill Travers was the victim of 3 errors as 4 of the 6 runs that he allowed were of the unearned variety.  John Olerud's (2-3, 2 RBI, 3 R) 2 homers were the difference maker.  Sasaki posted his 15th save as the M's celebrated the AL West division title in grand style on their home field.  Congrats to manager Andy Weinrib on a super season piloting the M's to the Division Crown.