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Mariners 7, Angels 6, 12 innings

By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Since the Anaheim Angels' regulars wrapped up the team's first playoff appearance since 1986, manager Mike Scioscia could send out a fresh crew for the opener of the weekend series against Seattle.

``We were trying to win, but with different guys,'' Scioscia said Friday night after the Mariners beat the Angels 7-6 on Edgar Martinez's homer leading off the 12th inning.

``I was interested in getting guys off their feet and getting some other guys playing time. We'll definitely have everybody back in there Sunday so they don't lose their edge,'' the Angels' manager said.

Anaheim wrapped up the AL wild-card berth with a win in Texas on Thursday. The Angels also eliminated the defending AL West champion Mariners from the postseason with that win.

Although it was Jarrod Washburn's turn to pitch, the Angels' ace got Friday night off, along with many of his teammates.

Washburn is expected to pitch Tuesday when Anaheim begins the playoffs at New York against the Yankees.

``We talked after we clinched it and Jarrod felt better about throwing in the bullpen tonight rather than being in the game,'' Scioscia said.

The Angels also rested Tim Salmon, David Eckstein, Darin Erstad, Bengie Molina and Scott Spiezio. Left fielder Garret Anderson was in the lineup as the DH.

Seattle manager Lou Piniella also rested, but for a different reason. He served a one-game suspension for a base-throwing tantrum in a Sept. 18 loss to Texas.

Bench coach John McLaren filled in against the Angels and said, ``the guys went out and played hard and played to win. It's just another example of a Lou Piniella team. We keep playing till the end.

``He (Piniella) told me to have fun, and I did. We played aggressive, like his style of ball, and it was a fun game. I've been with Lou 11 years, and that's just a trademark of his ballclub play hard until the last out. I've never seen a game where we haven't played hard,'' McLaren said.

Martinez's 18th homer, a shot into the seats in right-center, came on Lou Pote's first pitch of the inning after Pote (0-2) shut out the Mariners for two innings.

John Halama (6-5) blanked the Angels on two hits over the final four innings.

Orlando Palmeiro tied it 6-6 with an RBI single off Aaron Taylor during a three-run Anaheim rally in the eighth. Brad Fullmer led off the inning with his 18th homer, and Benji Gil singled in another run to cut the deficit to one.

Before a loud and lively sellout crowd of 43,452 mostly clad in Angels' red, Anaheim's Scot Shields started in place of Washburn and gave up two runs on four hits in three innings.

Seattle starter Freddy Garcia allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings.

Martinez had three hits and three RBIs for Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki and Willie Bloomquist also had three hits apiece for the Mariners, who built a 6-3 pad in the seventh on John Olerud's RBI single and Scott Podsednik's run-scoring groundout.< ^Notes:@ The Angels' scheduled workout Monday at Yankee Stadium is tentative, depending on whether the Yankees have to play a makeup game that day to determine the AL's best record. ... CF Suzuki will be among major league All-Stars who will participate in a seven-game, four-city tour in Japan Nov. 9-17. He played against the major league All-Stars in 1996 and 1998 during his nine-year career with the Orix Blue Wave. ... LF Podsednik got a shower in the sixth inning when, going after a foul in the seats, he crashed into a fan holding a cup. ... In a pregame ceremony, Scioscia presented Anderson with the Gene Autry Trophy as the Angels' 2002 MVP.

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