After a rare slump, Ichiro Suzuki has pushed his batting average back over .300. And that's what he likes to see.
Suzuki hit a three-run homer and Jamie Moyer pitched into the eighth inning, leading the Seattle Mariners over the New York Mets 5-0 Friday.
Suzuki, a two-time batting champion who set the single-season record for hits last year, had been slumping for the past month. His average finally dipped below .300 on June 11 for the first time since May 12 of last season. But he has had consecutive multihit games for the first time since May 11-13 and is now batting .301.
"When you look at the scoreboard at the first number and it's a 3 instead of a 2," Suzuki said through a translator, ``it makes you feel better as a hitter.''
Facing Japanese countryman Kazuhisa Ishii for the first time in a regular-season major league game, Suzuki connected in the second inning. He added a run-scoring single in the sixth, giving him a season-high four RBIs, and finished with three hits.
"That was a big three-run home run early in the game to give us some breathing room. His last two or three games Ichiro has swung the bat better. And Jamie was just outstanding," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said.
The 42-year-old Moyer (6-2) allowed six hits in 7 2-3 innings for his 198th career win. He is 5-1 lifetime against the Mets. His only loss against them came 17 years ago, on Aug. 2, 1988, with the Chicago Cubs.
Suzuki and Ishii did not face each other often in Japan because they played in different leagues. Suzuki had one career hit in five at-bats against Ishii, with a walk and a hit by pitch. In an exhibition game three years ago, Suzuki was 2-for-2 with a walk when Ishii pitched for the Dodgers.
"Since I did not face him too much I didn't have a lot of information on him," Suzuki said. "I just made the adjustments as the game went on."
Ishii (1-6) got in trouble in the second when he hit Mike Morse with an 0-2 pitch. Pat Borders sent Morse to third with a two-out double and Suzuki homered into the right-field corner, one row into the seats. It was his second home run in three games and fifth this season.
giants 4, tigers 0
Jason Schmidt pitched eight strong innings, and Tyler Walker got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth by striking out three straight batters to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Detroit Tigers 4-0.
"I tried to not overthrow and to just stay calm," Schmidt said after his longest outing of the season.
Schmidt (4-3), who allowed seven hits, didn't allow a runner to reach third until Placido Polanco, Dmitri Young and Rondell White singled in the ninth. Walker relieved and struck out Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Monroe and Chris Shelton for his 10th save.
"The ace is back and the closer is here," San Francisco manager Felipe Alou declared.
Mike Matheny hit a two-run single for San Francisco. Nate Robertson (2-5) gave up four runs and eight hits -- including four doubles -- in seven innings.
Cardinals 6, Devil Rays 4
At St. Petersburg, Florida, Mark Mulder allowed three runs over seven innings, helping St. Louis beat Tampa Bay for his first win in more than three weeks.
Mulder (8-4) gave up four hits, two of them home runs to Jorge Cantu, and got 17 groundball outs to stop a personal three-game losing streak and improve to 7-0 in eight career starts against the Devil Rays.
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