No Business Wins

By Patrick

A no business win is a term that I made up at some point in my sports fanhood. The definition of a no business win is as follows: a victory recorded by a team that essentially lost the game already or had absolutely no chance on paper coming in. Norfolk State had a no business win of the second kind against Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament this year. When Michigan beat Notre Dame on a last second touchdown pass after giving up the go ahead score with just 30 seconds left, the scored a NBW. 

Last night in Toronto, the Seattle Mariners won a sweet, sweet no business win against the Blue Jays.

With the game tied in the eighth, Tom Wilhelmsen got absolutely jacked by Eric Thames and then allowed another run on a sac fly after he threw away a pick off throw. The M's were dead and buried. Francisco Cordero looked poised to slam the door. The Mariners had given the game their best shot and on a night where they didn't get a hit in the first five innings, they had lost. Mariner fans wouldn't have been too mad, since Ricky Romero should beat the M's most of the time.

The Michael Saunders went deep. Wow, it's nice that the Condor finally showed some pop. He crushed that pitch. Just maimed it to deep center. But the M's still trailed, and didn't show any clear signs of drawing even. 

Then the game ended. Or it should have. Kyle Seager hit a two hopper to Brett Lawrie, who had plenty of time to throw. The throw bounced, but Adam Lind should have still made the scoop. The ball went into his glove, and then by some minor miracle, it bounced out again. Seager reached first on the error. 

Inexplicably, J.P. Arencibia elected to try and pick pinch runner Moony Kawasaki off of first. Adam Lind agreed with me about the pickoff, since it went wide and rolled all the way to right field wall. Kawasaki advanced to third, and Ackley, who was batting at the time was intentionally walked.

Captain Clutch John Jaso stepped in to pinch hit for Brendan Ryan, and dropped a line drive into centerfield. In a particularly Mariner-like play however, Dustin Ackley was gunned down at home, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth tied, instead of with the Mariners ahead.

The collective bat missing prowess of Tom Wilhelmsen and Charlie Furbush erased the Blue Jays in the ninth. A sick hammer curve from Wilhelmsen retired Jose Bautista, and Furbush had a slick K to end the inning. 

Then the tenth happened. The M's loaded the bases with three singles from Smoak, Montero, and Liddi consecutively. In stepped Michael Saunders. The rye bread and mustard was on ice, but I don't think anyone could have honestly expected Saunders to jack another one. 

But that he did; Saunders blew the game open with a grand salami that tasted pretty bitter for the Blue Jays, who had this game won. The Mariners hit the defibrillator on this contest, with a little help from Brett Lawrie and Adam Lind, and they finished it off in grand fashion. 

What an incredible win. As Dave Sims said over and over in between very short breaths (he needs to breathe more), what a game! The Mariners battled early struggles to win the game with potent offense and power hitting. Michael Saunders woke up in a big way in the ninth and tenth with home runs in consecutive at bats to save the game. And the M's got a little help from the Blue Jays, who will rue losing this one in September. 

In the book of no business wins, this one ranks pretty high. However, good teams always seem to pull off no business wins of the first kind on their way to successful seasons. I know it's early, but let a guy dream. Go M's.