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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) – Seattle outfielder Mike Cameron remembers the
last time he won this often.
|  | | Carlos Guillen of the Mariners tries to turn the double play. |
"It's like Little League – winning every day," Cameron said.
"It's fun."
The Seattle Mariners won their eighth straight game – tying a
major league record with their 19th win in April – beating the
Chicago White Sox 8-3 Friday night behind a homer from John Olerud.
The Mariners have won 12 of 13 and at 19-4 are off to baseball's best start since Milwaukee won 20 of 23 to start the 1987 season. The 1997 Atlanta Braves were the only other team to win 19 games April.
"We're pitching, catching the ball and getting timely hitting," manager Lou Piniella said. "It's all been constant the first 23 games of the season."
The defending AL Central champion White Sox, who have lost 9 of 12, also lost slugger Frank Thomas, who left the game after spraining his right triceps diving for a ball. He'll have an MRI Saturday and be re-evaluated.
Aaron Sele (4-0) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven
innings for the win in the first meeting between the teams since
Seattle swept Chicago in the first round of last year's playoffs.
Sele said the Mariners aren't in awe of their start.
"We had a stretch last year when we played like this," Sele said. "The veteran players on this team know how to prepare. We know if you do that and play hard, you'll be in a position to win. We're not even thinking about a winning streak. It's not even May."
Kazuhiro Sasaki came on with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth. Sasaki struck out Harold Baines and got Ray Durham on a
popup for his 12th save – tying Lee Smith's April record set in
1994.
"I'm not thinking about the record at all," Sasaki said
through an interpreter. "It's a lot of fun right now because we're
playing so well. I'm just going with the flow."
After James Baldwin (0-1) retired the first two batters in the
second inning, the Mariners loaded the bases. Ichiro Suzuki hit a
grounder to first base and Thomas dove full-extension to his left
but couldn't catch the ball, which rolled away for a two-run
double, scoring Tom Lampkin and David Bell.
Thomas landed on his right arm, and remained on his stomach
before the trainer arrived.
Cameron then struck out, but Baldwin's pitch was wild and Carlos Guillen scored from third to make it 3-0.
Olerud led off the third with his fourth homer of the year to make it 4-0. Two outs later, Bell hit an RBI single, scoring Lampkin – who had three hits – making it 5-0.
Olerud added a sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring Cameron to make it 6-0.
Baldwin allowed six runs, seven hits and four walks in four
innings.
"I'm not going to make excuses," Baldwin said. "We should have kept the guys in the game and we didn't do that. Right now, we're going through some adversity. I find it all really hard to believe."
Jose Valentin hit his fifth home run, to right off Sele to get the White Sox on the board in the fourth. After Tony Graffanino
singled, Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer to left, his fourth, bringing Chicago within 6-3.
Seattle made it 7-3 when Al Martin scored on reliever Sean
Lowe's wild pitch in the fifth.
Bell hit an RBI single in the ninth off Kelly Wunsch to make it 8-3.
Game notes
Suzuki grounded into a double-play in the fifth, his first in 102 at-bats as a big leaguer. ... A White Sox spokesman
estimated that 35-40 additional press credentials were issued for
media specifically covering Suzuki. ... Cameron reached base five
times and stole three bases – tying a career-high – before being
caught in the eighth. ... Seattle also won eight straight last
Sept. 12-20. ... Seattle's 7-8-9 hitters reached base 10 times and
scored four runs in 14 plate appearances. ... After the game, the
Mariners activated pitcher Paul Abbott from the 15-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Anthony Sanders to Triple-A Tacoma. Abbott, who had a sore shoulder, will start Saturday's game.
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White Sox's Thomas strains triceps, leaves game vs. Mariners
RECAPS
Boston 9
Kansas City 2
Texas 11
Cleveland 9
Detroit 4
Tampa Bay 2
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 2
Toronto 12
Anaheim 4
Seattle 8
Chi. White Sox 3
Minnesota 6
Baltimore 3
Florida 9
Houston 8
Montreal 6
Milwaukee 1
St. Louis 9
NY Mets 0
Cincinnati 12
Colorado 9
Atlanta 9
Arizona 0
Pittsburgh 3
San Diego 0
Chicago Cubs 7
San Francisco 3
Los Angeles 4
Philadelphia 3
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