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Seattle finds a way to win again
SEATTLE (AP) -- Jeff Nelson almost cried. "There were a lot of emotions," the Seattle Mariners reliever said. "You had to start thinking of something else or you'd start crying on the mound. It was just incredible." Nelson was one of eight Mariners to play for the winning American League team in Seattle's first All-Star Game since 1979, a 4-1 victory over the National League on Tuesday night. "It was a great day for the Mariners," said Nelson, who said pitching in his first All-Star Game was a bigger thrill for him than pitching in four World Series for the New York Yankees. Seattle's Freddy Garcia threw seven pitches in the third inning to become the winning pitcher in his first All-Star Game, Nelson pitched a scoreless seventh and Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki worked a perfect ninth for a save in his first All-Star appearance. Mike Cameron, who became the AL's 25th player Sunday as a replacement for the injured Greg Vaughn, had a double in the sixth inning, one of eight hits by the AL. Ichiro Suzuki, Sasaki's countryman and teammate in Seattle, outraced Randy Johnson to the bag for a single in the first inning and then stole second. Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez were the AL's starting second baseman and designated hitter. Nelson said he almost let his emotions get the better of him when the players were introduced before the game. He had to fight himself when he got a strong ovation. "I didn't want to be tearing up on camera," he said. Nelson won four World Series rings with the Yankees before signing with the Mariners as a free agent this winter because he wanted to return to the Seattle area, where he makes his home. "This was definitely the top," Nelson said. "To make an All-Star team is unheard of for a middle reliever. This was something that I'll never forget." Garcia, 24, pitched the third inning in relief of AL starter Roger Clemens. "It feels good," he said. "I'm excited. It's real nice. I was a little nervous, but I just tried to throw the ball down the middle." Sasaki, who has 66 saves in his 1 1/2 seasons with the Mariners, pitched in the ninth as the fans' flashing cameras recorded the game's final minutes. "I'm just relieved that everything went OK and that it came out OK," Sasaki said. "When I was warming up in the bullpen, I was really wild. I was really nervous about if I could throw strikes on the mound. But when I actually got to the mound, I was relaxed and everything went OK." Mariners hitters went 2-for-12, with Suzuki and Cameron each going 1-for-3, and Boone, Olerud and Martinez going 0-for-2. "My adrenaline was really flowing out there," Cameron said. "It's definitely about as exciting as it can get." The Mariners hitters weren't happy to see Randy Johnson, who won the AL Cy Young Award when he was with Seattle in 1995, start the game in place of Arizona teammate Curt Schilling. "It's hard enough to see here when the game starts at 5 p.m.," Boone said. "It wasn't the best vision facing Randy." Martinez played in his sixth All-Star Game. He said it was his best because it was in Seattle, where he has played his entire career. "You never get tired of playing in this game," he said. "You feel good being with the best players in the league and the best pitchers from the other league." For Olerud, it was fitting the AL won the game in Seattle, with Garcia getting the victory and Sasaki getting the save. The Mariners finished the All-Star break with a major league-leading 63 wins. "That's been the way the season has been going for us," he said. "Everything has gone right for us this year."
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