American League
Ichiro Suzuki was asked whether there's any Japanese expression comparable to the American superstition that strange things happen when there's a full moon.
PHOTO: AFP
"No, we don't say that," Suzuki said through a translator, looking puzzled.
He didn't have to say it because his manager did.
Suzuki and Randy Winn each tripled and finished with three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored as the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-6 in a wild back-and-forth contest Wednesday night.
"It wasn't one of the crisper-played games, even though there were no errors. I don't know what to say about it ... You're looking for a full moon out there," Seattle manager Bob Melvin said.
The Mariners were subdued afterward, even after a big night for the top of Seattle's order. Bret Boone drove in three runs to boost his season total to 95 -- third-best in the American League.
Suzuki was as good as ever, scattering his singles and speeding around the bases for a sixth-inning triple.
"It's almost as if he looks out there and sees where he wants to hit the ball based on where you're playing," Toronto manager Carlos Tosca said. "It is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen."
Seattle had 17 hits, including 13 singles, and capitalized on 10 walks by five Toronto pitchers.
The Mariners stretched their American League West lead over Oakland to four games after the Athletics lost at home to Boston.
The Mariners led 2-0 after Suzuki's leadoff single and Winn's triple to left-center. Boone grounded out, driving in Winn. Rey Sanchez made it 4-0 in the third, driving in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Suzuki added a sacrifice fly to give the Mariners a 5-0 lead.
"We swung the bats well," Melvin said. "Not that it wasn't good -- it just wasn't the greatest tempo for a game.
Julio Mateo (3-0) got the victory after relieving starting pitcher Ryan Franklin with two outs in the fourth. Mateo pitched 3 1-3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.
"Mateo came in and did what he's done all year, and he got rewarded for it," Melvin said.
Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, who came off the disabled list Tuesday after missing two months with cracked ribs, was cheered when he took the mound in the eighth and retired the side in order.
"I was just having fun," Sasaki said through a translator. "When I left the bullpen to go to the mound, that's when the cheers started and it hit me. I started to get nervous."
Winn sprayed three singles and sprinted around the bases for his first-inning triple.
"You get those guys going around the bases, and they're fun to watch," Melvin said.
It was back-and-forth through the middle innings, but the Mariners went ahead for good at 9-6 by scoring four runs in the fifth off lefty Jason Kershner (0-2), the third Toronto pitcher.
Mark McLemore led off the fifth with a single and Suzuki drew a walk, setting up RBI singles by Winn, Boone and John Olerud. The Mariners scored another run on a wild pitch by Kershner.
Devil Rays 6, Orioles 5
After Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella was ejected during a hat-kicking tirade in the ninth inning, the Devil Rays beat Baltimore 6-5 on Travis Lee's RBI double in the 10th Wednesday.
Carl Crawford had three of Tampa Bay's team-record six stolen bases. The last-place Devil Rays completed a three-game sweep and improved to 16-11 since the All-Star break.
Brian Roberts led off the inning with a single and Luis Matos followed with a single. Matos took a wide turn after his hit and had to hustle back to first -- and when second-base umpire Jerry Layne called him safe, Piniella flew into a rage.
Piniella charged out of the first-base dugout, threw his hat and started arguing.
"I told Jerry he was out position, and he didn't appreciate it," Piniella said. "That and a couple of expletives."
Baltimore made it 5-all when Roberts scored on a double-play grounder by B.J. Surhoff.
In the Tampa Bay 10th, Rocco Baldelli singled with one out off B.J. Ryan (3-1) and scored easily on Lee's opposite-field double to left. Lance Carter (6-3) struck out two during a perfect 10th for the victory.
Royals 11, Yankees 0
In Kansas City, Missouri, Kevin Appier reintroduced himself to the Kauffman Stadium crowd with six innings of three-hit ball as Kansas City routed New York and won their first home series from the Yankees since 1993.
Mike Sweeney drove in four runs and Brent Mayne had four hits and two RBIs for the Royals. By taking two of the three games, the surprise leaders in the American League Central won their first home series from the Yankees since Sept. 10-12, 1993.
The Yankees have lost four of five. This was their most lopsided loss of the year.
National League
Moises Alou hit a three-run homer and Chicago's bullpen didn't allow a run over the final 4 2-3 innings as the Cubs beat the Houston Astros 6-4 Wednesday.
"Last year was a terrible year for me and the team," Alou said. "I was hurting most of the time and we were playing badly. It was a nightmare ...This year is different."
Houston lefty Jeriome Robertson (11-6), bidding to become the first rookie this season with 12 wins, entered the fifth with a 4-3 lead before giving up singles to Kenny Lofton and Alex Gonzalez.
Dan Miceli relieved and struck out Sammy Sosa before Alou lofted a long drive to left for his 18th homer, sending the Cubs ahead 6-4.
Cubs starter Shawn Estes lost control in the fifth, walking in the tying run before Lance Berkman greeted reliever Mark Guthrie (1-3) with a one-out sacrifice fly to make it 4-3. But Guthrie got the final out of the inning and Antonio Alfonseca, Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Remlinger and Joe Borowski combined to hold Houston scoreless the rest of the way. Borowski pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 26 chances.
Mets 9, Giants 2
In New York, Mike Piazza homered and drove in five runs in his long-awaited return to the lineup, propelling New York over San Francisco.
Steve Trachsel shut down Barry Bonds and the Giants, but Piazza was the star of the show.
Playing his first game since severely straining his groin May, he connected for a two-run shot off Jerome Williams in the third inning. It was Piazza's eighth homer of the season.
Expos 6, Rockies 5
In Montreal, Brian Schnieder and Javier Vazquez provided the power for Montreal in a win over Colorado after an electrical failure briefly plunged the ballpark into complete darkness.
Schneider hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and Vazquez had an RBI triple in the fourth after a delay of 1 hour, 16 minutes.
Todd Helton hit his 26th homer, a two-run shot in the fifth.
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