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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Ichiro Suzuki beat the Baltimore Orioles with his
glove.
|  | | All game long, including this sliding catch for the final out, Ichiro Suzuki led the way for the Mariners with his bat and his glove.
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The rookie right fielder made three outstanding catches,
including the game-ending one of a sinking blooper that could have
scored the tying run, as the Mariners won 3-2 Tuesday night for
their sixth consecutive victory.
"It looked like he was probably the difference in the game,"
Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "He made plays that you don't
see many people make."
With the speedy Delino DeShields approaching third base, Suzuki
made a sliding catch of Jerry Hairston's ball into shallow right to
end the game.
"Each flyball had its own characteristic, but I was most proud
of the last one because it ended the ballgame," said Suzuki, who
won his seventh consecutive Gold Glove in Japan last season.
Freddy Garcia pitched seven strong innings and Mark McLemore
homered as the Mariners (38-12) moved a franchise-high 26 games
over .500. They're off to the best start in the majors after 50
games since the 1984 Detroit Tigers began the season 39-11.
Suzuki went 2-for-4, with an RBI and a double. Suzuki leads the
majors with 83 hits and is hitting .358, third best in the American League.
Suzuki's final catch capped the night. The Mariners thought
DeShields would have been out at the plate if he would have tried
to score, though. Suzuki has a strong throwing arm, but it would
have been hard for him to get up and throw out DeShields at the
plate in time.
"I did not think he would have scored because I would have
stopped the ball in front of me," Suzuki said.
Seattle manager Lou Piniella agreed with Suzuki.
"It was just a great play," Piniella said. "But I don't think
he would have scored because I think Ichiro would have kept the
ball in front of him."
Garcia (5-0) allowed two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in
seven innings.
Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 23
opportunities. He became the second reliever to get 20 saves in 50
games or less. Lee Smith had 20 saves in 46 games with the Orioles
in 1994.
McLemore gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead in the third with his
fourth homer of the season off Willis Roberts (5-4).
The Orioles, who are 0-8 at Safeco Field, tied the score with a
run in the fifth on singles by Melvin Mora and DeShields, and Brook
Fordyce's run-scoring groundout.
The Mariners scored twice in the bottom of the inning on four
singles. After hits by Carlos Guillen and David Bell, Suzuki and
Edgar Martinez hit run-scoring singles.
The Orioles scored an unearned run in the sixth after Brady
Anderson opened the inning with a single to center and Mike Cameron
committed a fielding error to allow Anderson to go to second.
Suzuki made a nice, running catch of Mike Bordick's ball in foul
territory and Anderson moved to third. Anderson scored on Chris
Richard's groundout.
Suzuki made first outstanding catch for the third out of the
third inning. He ran over and caught Anderson's long drive with a
sliding catch near the foul line.
"I just had to go into the corner," he said. "I was running,
but I was looking at the wall, too."
McLemore said Suzuki's teammates marvel how he plays the game.
"He's unbelievable," McLemore said. "The Wizard can just
play. When he's not doing it with his bat, which isn't very often,
he's doing it with his glove."
Roberts pitched an eight-hitter for his first career complete
game.
"He pitched absolutely well enough to win," Hargrove said.
"We just couldn't get him the runs."
Game notes
Piniella said before the game that he will be on Yankees
manager Joe Torre's AL All-Star coaching staff for the second
consecutive season. The game will be held July 10 at Safeco Field. ...
Lt. Shane Osborn, commander of the Navy spy plane crew held for 11
days in China, threw out the first pitch. Osborn was joined by nine
other members of the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station-based crew
for a special ceremony before the game. ... Suzuki had his major
league-leading 26th multi-hit game. ... The Orioles' Jeff Conine
matched his career high 13-game hitting streak. He hit in 13
consecutive games with Florida in 1994. ... The Mariners beat the
Orioles for the eighth time in a row.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Baltimore Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 6
Detroit 4
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 0
Texas 8
Kansas City 2
Minnesota 6
Anaheim 5
Tampa Bay 5
Oakland 1
Seattle 3
Baltimore 2
Chicago Cubs 10
Cincinnati 5
Florida 5
Pittsburgh 0
Philadelphia 7
NY Mets 3
Atlanta 7
Montreal 4
Milwaukee 7
St. Louis 0
San Diego 5
Houston 4
Colorado 7
Los Angeles 2
Arizona 1
San Francisco 0
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