M's bash Twins 10-3 with 15-hit attack
Posted: Tuesday September 15, 1998 12:46 AM
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Nice move: Suzuki was recalled from Class AAA Tacoma on September 1, to pick up his first major league win AP |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It was the kind of game that Lou Piniella thought he
might see more often this year.
Seattle slapped 15 hits off three pitchers and increased its major
league-leading home run total to 222 on Monday night, going deep twice in a
10-3 win over the Minnesota Twins.
But Mariners' manager wasn't thinking offense.
"The story of the game was a rookie pitcher throwing well and getting his
first major league win," Piniella after Mac Suzuki pitched 6 1-3 strong
innings.
Suzuki (1-1), recalled from Class AAA Tacoma on September 1, allowed just
three runs -- two earned -- and five hits, striking out eight and walking
four.
"This is the first season I have ever thrown more than 100 innings," the
23-year old Suzuki said. "I got tired in the sixth and seventh."
Suzuki, the first Japanese-born player in the majors who didn't play
professionally in Japan, was making his just his third major league start.
"His starts have mirrored each other," Piniella said. "It has been three
quality starts. It gives us something to think about for next spring. But
then again, we have a few pitchers working on next spring. He showed some
poise tonight. We're very pleased with this effort. He has a nice curve and
his split finger pitch is improving every time."
Suzuki is the eighth different starter for the Mariners this year. A
converted reliever, he was 9-10 with a 4.37 ERA in 131 innings with the
Rainiers.
"Suzuki dominated the game," Twins manager Tom Kelly said. "He made us
swing at bad balls and we looked bad doing it."
Russ Davis,
who had three hits and scored three times, hit a three-run homer in a
five-run sixth inning that broke a 3-3 tie.
"We've had the offense going most of the season," Davis said. "Offense is
not a problem with this team. Tonight, we got good pitching and that made
things a lot easier."
Ken Griffey
Jr., who leads the AL with 51 homers, went 0-for-5. His next RBI will
be the 1,000th of his career. At 29 years, 9 months, Griffey would become
the fourth youngest to reach that level if he drives in another run this
season.
Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig are the only players to reach it at a
younger age.
Before a crowd of just 9,711 in the Metrodome, Minnesota lost its fifth
straight and dropped to 2-8 against Seattle this season.
With the score 3-all, Edgar
Martinez put the Mariners ahead with his 27th homer, a 412-foot drive
off Brad Radke
(11-14).
Raul Ibanez and Dan Wilson
singled and Davis tied a career high with his 20th homer. That finished
Radke, who lost for the sixth time in his last seven decisions.
"I didn't get the ball down enough," Radke said. "Every time I made a
mistake tonight, they hit it hard. "That's a great-hitting team. It's a
shame their pitching hasn't been good or they would be in first place."
Alex
Rodriguez added a sacrifice fly off Dan Serafini for an 8-3 lead.
Seattle scored two more in the eighth on Carlos Guillen's RBI double and
Rodriguez's run-scoring single.
Paul
Molitor singled in the first inning to stretch his hitting streak to
14, his longest since a 19-gamer for Milwaukee in 1989.
David Ortiz singled in a run for Minnesota in the first, but the Mariners
went ahead 3-1 in the second on a two-run double by former Twin Ryan
Radmanovich and Shane Monohan's run-scoring single.
Minnesota tied the score in the third on an RBI double to left by Todd Walker.
Monohan slipped on water trying to get the ball, allowing a second run to
score on the play.
Notes: Marty Cordova
snapped an 0-for-29 slump with a first-inning single. ... Rodriguez's next
home run will tie him with Rico Petrocelli of Boston for most in a season
by an AL shortstop. Petrocelli hit 40 in 1969. ... The Mariners have won
five straight at the Metrodome this season and 18 of their last 21 games in
Minneapolis.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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