Pete Carroll’s Seahawks squandered a season opener they should have won, Steve Sarkisian’s Huskies predictably got inhaled at LSU, Washington State needed a wide receiver as a defensive replacement to ensure Mike Leach’s first win with the Cougars, and the Sounders won a thriller at CenturyLink Field. This Was The Week That Was:
SEPT. 3-9, 2012
- GOOD WEEK — Eddie Johnson of the Sounders not only scored one of the prettiest goals of the year Saturday, a header in the 89th minute that gave Seattle a 2-1 win over Chivas, he broke Fredy Montero’s single-season record for goals with his 12th and 13th. Nearly as good as Johnson’s goal was the pass that set him up: a cross from Montero. “The pass was tremendous,” said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid . . . Luis Jimenez, a Mariners rookie, not only made his major league debut at age 30 after spending 13 years in the minors, he also got his first hit Tuesday and guaranteed himself a major league pension when he turns 55.
- BAD WEEK — All of Washington’s elaborate preparations for its Saturday night match-up at No. 3 LSU amounted to a waste of time as the Tigers humiliated the Huskies 41-3 in front of a national TV audience. UW not only failed to score a touchdown for the first time since Oct. 30, 2010 (against Stanford), it had exactly zero rushing yards on 17 attempts through three quarters. So much for this season’s theme: “Take The Next Step.”
- PLAY OF THE WEEK — Eddie Johnson’s header in the 89th minute, off a nifty cross from Fredy Montero, undressed Goat goalkeeper Dan Kennedy and gave the Sounders a 2-1 victory over Chivas USA and the club’s first win of the season after conceding the opening goal. Johnson also scored Seattle’s other goal.
- STAT OF THE WEEK — The Seattle Storm scored 101 points in a 101-74 rout of the Tulsa Shock Thursday, and point guard Sue Bird, the franchise leader in assists, did not record a single one in 46 minutes of play even though the Storm set a franchise record with 29 assists.
- EX-SEATTLE JOCKS OF THE WEEK — With an ownership change imminent in Cleveland, Browns president Mike Holmgren, the former Seahawks head coach, said he was aware that he could be ousted, but that he hopes to work through his $8 million per year contract, which expires in 2014. “I’ve never quit anything in my life,” said Holmgren . . . Ex-Mariner R.A. Dickey of the Mets became the first 18-game winner in the majors, defeating the Cardinals 6-2 Wednesday . . .Ex-Mariner Adrian Beltre (2005-09) continued his tear by going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in a 7-6 Texas win at Kansas City . . . Ex-Mariner Alex Rodriguez (1994-00) belted his 300th home run — as a Yankee — in New York’s 8-5 win over the Orioles . . . The Los Angeles Lakers hired former Sonics coach Bernie Bickerstaff (1985-90) as an assistant on the staff of Mike Brown . . . By finishing in a tie for 10th at the BMW Championship, Ryan Moore of Puyallup made the field of 30 for the Tour Championship. He began the BMW in Carmel, IN., in 35th place and advanced to No. 28. Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor began the BMW in 30th place in the FedEx points championship, but a bogey on the final hole Sunday dropped him to 31st.
- SUNDAY, Sept. 9 — Thanks to a couple of pass interference calls on Arizona, the Seahawks get six plays inside the Cardinals 15-yard line inside of two minutes to play with a chance to win, but fail to convert and lose 20-16. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson does himself no embarrassment in his first NFL start, but his receivers can’t come up with a big catch with the game on the line . . . Jason Vargas makes one mistake, a fastball up in the zone, and Jonny Gomes makes him pay with a three-run homer that is the difference in the A’s 4-2 victory. In the three-game sweep, the Mariners score four runs on 2-for-21 hitting with runners in scoring position.
- SATURDAY, Sept. 8 — Sounders finally win a game after conceding the first goal (eighth minute) when Eddie Johnson bangs in a pair, including the game winner in the 89th minute, to give Seattle a 2-1 win over Chivas USA. Johnson’s two goals gives him 13, which breaks Fredy Montero’s mark of 12 set in 2009 and matched in 2011 . . . Louisiana State overwhelms Washington 41-3 in front of 92,804 in Baton Rouge, largely by outrushing UW 242 yards to 26. Worse, UW loses OT Erik Kohler (kneecap), DE Talia Crichton (concussion) and WR Kevin Smith (knee) . . . The WSU Cougars take what seems to be a comfortable, 17-point lead into the final six minutes against Eastern Washington, but then have to insert WR Marquess Wilson to help bat down a Hail Mary pass in the end zone that would have given the Eagles a victory at Martin Stadium. “Hats off to Eastern,” says WSU quarterback Jeff Tuel after WSU’s 24-20 win . . . The Oakland A’s take a second consecutive 6-1 win over the Mariners, beating up on Hisashi Iwakuma, who had not allowed more than one earned run in any of his previous four starts.
- FRIDAY, Sept. 7 — The Oakland Athletics rough up Felix Hernandez, probably ending his Cy Young candidacy, with a 6-1 victory in what amounts to Felix’s worst outing since May, just 4.2 innings and five earned runs allowed. A’s catcher George Kottaras delivers the big blow when he golfs a Hernandez slider well beyond the right-field wall for a three-run homer . . . Puyallup’s Ryan Moore shoots a second straight 66 and finds himself one shot off the pace in the BMW Championship at Carmel, IN.
- THURSDAY, Sept. 6 — The Storm finally get a game out of Lauren Jackson — 23 points in just 14 minutes of play — and break the franchise record with 29 assists in a 101-74 rout of the Tulsa Shock. The Storm use a 13-0 run in the second half to break open the game.
- WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 — Dustin Ackley’s single with the bases loaded in the fourth inning drives in two runs, all that Kevin Millwood and the Mariners need to beat the Red Sox 2-1. Ackley improves to 7-for-12 in bases-loaded situations and Millwood wins for the first time since July 28.
- TUESDAY, Sept. 4 — Cody Ross’s three-run bomb off Blake Beavan sends the Mariners to a 4-3 loss to Boston, which snaps an eight-game losing streak . . . Lorenzo Romar’s Washington Huskies escape with a 67-66 victory over Ruil in Paris as part of the team’s European tour. Scott Suggs and C.J. Wilcox lead the Huskies with 13 points each before fouling out.
- MONDAY, Sept. 3 — Trailing 1-0, the Mariners erupt for four runs in the fourth inning and, behind Jason Vargas, hand the Red Sox their eighth consecutive loss, 4-1. Vargas allows four hits, including two infield singles, after the first inning and notches a career-high 14th win. “When you’re able to control what you’re doing and not get frustrated it makes everything a little easier,” Vargas says . . . UW football coach Steve Sarkisian confirms the team’s worst fear, that RB Jesse Callier, injured in the San Diego State game, tore the ACL in his right knee and will miss the season.
- 5
2: Mariners have had AL Pitchers of Month in back-to-back months twice: Hernandez/Washburn, June-July, ’09; Vargas/Hernandez, July-August, ’12.
- 4
67: When the Mariners recorded their 67th win Wednesday, they matched their 2011 total in wins with 24 games to play. - 3
Mariners rookie Luis Jimenez, who made his major league debut Tuesday at the age of 30, speaks three languages — Spanish, English and Portuguese. - 2
26: Rushing yards by Washington Saturday at LSU, second-lowest total of the Steve Sarkisian era (lowest: 19 yards vs. Stanford Oct. 30, 2010). - 1
“King” Felix Hernandez went 4-0, 1.08 in August, when he was the MLB Pitcher of the Month. So far in September, Hernandez is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA.
READS OF THE WEEK
READS OF THE WEEK
Thiel: No Seahawks Miracle, But Wilson Does Okay: The Hollywood ending missed. By an inch. Several times. The story for Seattle Sunday loomed as a knockout rookie quarterback, starting first regular-season game of his NFL career, leads Seahawks to game-winning score in final moments . . . MORE
Thiel: No Surprises, Huskies Way Overmatched: Too big. Too fast. Too hot. Too loud. Too bad for the Washington Huskies. The top of the Southeastern Conference, the residence of Louisiana State University of Football, is no place for an average Pac-12 Conference team . . . MORE
Thiel: Hey, Huskies, Some Tips For Surviving LSU: The Huskies are attempting a hard thing. In degree of difficulty, beating the Louisiana State University of Football in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night in September is second only to drinking an ocean . . . MORE
Thiel: On Third Down, Rook Wilson Can’t Go T-Jack: No single reason explains why Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback of the Seahawks. But there is a single stat from a single game that explains a lot about why Tarvaris Jackson is no longer the Seattle QB . . . MORE
Wayback Machine: ‘The Hoosier Thunderbolt’: The photograph above, from July 17, 1932, shows a collection of baseball old timers, a few of them Northwest legends, who gathered at Civic Field to participate in a charity game, proceeds from which would be used to aid old ball players down on their luck. The players represented the State All-Stars and Seattle-All Stars, although many had no connection to Washington state or Seattle . . . MORE
Thiel: Huskies Lose Key Players For LSU Game: For its first road game in the Southeastern Conference in 29 years, the University of Washington football team gets to visit top-ranked Louisiana State short-handed. This is more than going into a gunfight with a knife. This is going into Russian winter in thongs . . . MORE
That Was The Week That Was: The Washington football team opened in less-than-dazzling fashion, defeating San Diego State 21-12, but the Washington State Cougars looked as if they were still coached by Paul Wulff instead of Mike Leach. The Mariners, salvaging part of a three-game series with the Angels with a 2-1 win Sunday, made a push to reach the .500 mark, and the Seahawks settled on a 53-man roster . . . sort of. Sounders had the toughest week: They traveled 11,200 miles to earn one point . . . MORE
SAID
“It’s going to be rough. It’s not going to be an easy task. But I’m going to continue doing what I do and continue to lead. And it’s not over. This season is not over. It’s just begun” — Keith Price, UW quarterback, on the loss of RB Jesse Callier with an ACL tear in his right knee
“We’ve made improvements over earlier in the season. We’ve kind of turned the page as far as a hitting standpoint. We’re coming up with some big hits in big situations. We may not be scoring seven or eight runs a game but we’re getting it done when it needs to be done” — Dustin Ackley, Mariners, after hitting a bases-loaded single Wednesday that enabled Seattle to beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1
“I’ve been lucky at some good schools, most of the wins are here at Washington, and I’ve had so many good players. Those players got the 500 wins. I didn’t suit up” — Jim McLaughlin, UW volleyball coach, after recording his 500th career victory Thursday
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s any question about it. We’ve got to be a team that puts ’em away” — Mike Leach, WSU coach, after the Cougars squandered a 17-point lead in the final six minutes and barely eked out a 24-20 win over Eastern Washington at Martin Stadium
“I couldn’t ask for a better team to share that with. They’re the reason why I’m getting my goals. All the hard work we put in week and week out, it’s paying off. It’s a humbling moment” — Eddie Johnson, Sounders, after setting a single-season franchise record for goals (13) in the club’s 2-1 win over Chivas Saturday
“Their athleticism and speed showed up” — Steve Sarkisian, UW football coach, after Louisiana State overwhelmed Washington 41-3 Saturday in Baton Rouge
