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RECAP
TORONTO (AP) – Ichiro Suzuki is leading the Seattle Mariners to
the best record in baseball.
|  | | Bret Boone starts this double play, and also homers in the Mariners' victory. |
Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 19 games – and also was
hit by two pitches – as the Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5
Sunday for their fifth straight victory.
The Mariners swept the three-game series and lead the majors
with a 28-9 record.
"Things are going so well for us right now you just don't know
where the ceiling is," Seattle starter Jamie Moyer said. "It just
seems like it's endless right now."
Suzuki, who scored three runs, doubled on the first pitch of the
game and later tripled and singled.
"He's trying to prove something," Moyer said. "I'm sure he
feels he's got a lot riding on his shoulders being the first
Japanese position player to come over here."
Suzuki matched Toronto's Jose Cruz Jr. for the longest hitting
streak in the majors this season, and leads baseball with 62 hits.
"I didn't know about that," Suzuki said through an
interpreter. "(Teammate Kazuhiro) Sasaki told me."
Suzuki was hit by a pitch from Esteban Loaiza (4-4) in the
second. Suzuki was hit in the arm by Pedro Borbon in the seventh
inning, and trotted to first base while plate umpire Paul Schrieber
warned both dugouts.
Seattle manager Lou Piniella said he didn't think it was on
purpose.
A seven-time batting champion in Japan, Suzuki raised his
average to .360. He has hit safely in 35 of Seattle's 37 games.
"He's the best leadoff hitter in baseball," said Toronto's Dan
Plesac, who struck out Suzuki in the ninth. "The more you see him,
the more you like him."
Bret Boone hit a two-run homer for the Mariners, who have beaten
the Blue Jays in 11 of their last 12 games at SkyDome. They sent
Toronto to its season-high sixth loss in a row.
Toronto has lost seven in a row at home and nine of 11 overall.
"We've had an awful homestand," Plesac said. "We have to
pitch better. We're not giving our offense a chance to get us in
games. It seemed like this whole homestand we were playing catch up
from the first inning on."
Sasaki pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances.
After Seattle's Charles Gipson singled in the sixth and advanced
to third on Suzuki's single, Mark McLemore singled to give Seattle
a 6-5 lead.
Suzuki scored Seattle's seventh run after Edgar Martinez hit a
fly ball in foul territory to right fielder Raul Mondesi.
Mondesi threw home, and Suzuki retreated to third. But catcher
Alberto Castillo threw to third baseman Tony Batista, who let the
ball sail past him for an error, allowing Suzuki to score.
Moyer (6-1) gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings. He
struck out three and walked one.
Suzuki led off with a double and scored on Martinez's single.
Martinez advanced to second on a grounder, and then scored on
shortstop Alex Gonzalez's throwing error.
Vernon Wells tied it with a two-run homer off Moyer in the
second, but Boone homered in the third.
Suzuki tripled in the fourth and scored on McLemore's single.
"It's like clockwork," McLemore said. "He gets on base two or
three times a day, and that's what you want from your leadoff
hitter."
Toronto's Luis Lopez homered in the bottom half, and Gonzalez
tied it at 5 in the fifth with a two-run homer.
Loaiza gave up seven runs – six earned – on 11 hits.
Game notes
The game featured a bizarre twist in the seventh when
Seattle's Tom Lampkin hit a one-hopper to Batista, the third
baseman, who tagged out Al Martin and threw to first for a double
play. Third-base umpire Jerry Layne, however, thought Batista
caught the ball on the fly and ruled it a triple play. Piniella
came running from the dugout, and as the umpires talked over the
call, the Blue Jays went to their dugout and Lampkin returned to
the batter's box. Crew chief Ed Montague then overruled Layne and
the Blue Jays returned to the field ... Martinez scored his 1,000th
career run.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 5
Oakland 4
Tampa Bay 7
Cleveland 0
Anaheim 14
Detroit 2
Baltimore 10
NY Yankees 5
Seattle 7
Toronto 5
Chi. White Sox 6
Texas 3
Minnesota 7
Kansas City 3
Milwaukee 4
Pittsburgh 1
St. Louis 13
Chicago Cubs 4
Montreal 14
Colorado 10
San Francisco 6
NY Mets 3
Los Angeles 3
Atlanta 1
Arizona 6
Philadelphia 1
Florida 10
San Diego 4
Houston 4
Cincinnati 3
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