Putz v. Ordonez: Anatomy of an At-Bat

If you saw the end of the M's 3-2 win last night you got a rare treat--the AL's best closer (J.J. Putz) against the AL's best hitter (Magglio Ordonez), with two outs and the tying run on second. Here's how it went down:

Pitch 1: Johjima set up low and away, and Putz, who had trouble keeping the ball down to the first three hitters, threw a mistake--a fastball waist-high in the middle of the plate. Luckily, Ordonez swung through it (the fact that it was 98 mph helped).

Pitch 2 (0-1): Johjima set up low and away again, and again, Putz missed up with a fastball. This time, Ordonez took for ball one.

Pitch 3 (1-1): Johjima sets up low and away again, and Putz misses again, but not by as much. It's a 98 mph fastball on the corner, it's waist-high. Ordonez takes it for strike two.

Pitch 4 (1-2): Johjima sets up low and away again, and Putz finally hits the target. This was the most amazing part of the at-bat for us, that Ordonez, who was clearly looking for the splitter, was able to flick his bat out at the last minute and foul off a 97 mph fastball on the outside corner at his knees. Remarkable. The guy isn't hitting .365 through luck.

Pitch 5 (1-2): Johjima sets up low and away again, and Putz throws the splitter. Ordonez fouls it off.

Pitch 6 (1-2): Johjima sets a very high target, coming out of his crouch. Putz throws a bullseye, a fastball up that shifts Ordonez hitting eye (he'd seen two straight low pitches in a row). Ordonez swings through it. It's Putz' 45th K of the year and his 25th save.

Your Mariners, ladies and gentlemen, are 50-36--the fifth-best record in baseball.