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.
PHOTO: AFP
"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.
PHOTO: AFP
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.
Mark Grudzielanek, Abraham Nunez, David Eckstein, So Taguchi and Reggie Sanders drove in runs for the Cardinals in their first visit to Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay was the only team in the majors St. Louis had never faced before this series.
Travis Harper (1-5) replaced Devil Rays starter Scott Kazmir in the fifth and allowed three runs and five hits in four innings.
Indians 13, Diamondbacks 6
At Cleveland, Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore hit back-to-back homers, and Casey Blake had two hits and three RBIs during a 10-run third inning as Cleveland beat Arizona for their seventh straight win.
Arizona became the first team since the 1969 New York Mets to allow 10 runs in an inning in consecutive games. The Mets did it on one day -- during a July 30 doubleheader against the Houston Astros.
Travis Hafner had three RBIs and Coco Crisp went 3-for-5 for the Indians, who have won 10 of 11 and are 18-7 since May 21.
The support made things much easy for Cliff Lee (8-3), who wasn't particularly sharp but didn't have to be. The lefty gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings and improved to 18-4 in his career before the All-Star break.
Rockies 2, Orioles 1
At Baltimore, Todd Helton ended a lengthy home run drought, and Jason Jennings scattered six hits over seven innings to lead Colorado past Baltimore for its fifth road win of the season.
Former Orioles farmhand Eddy Garabito and Jorge Piedra each had three hits for the Rockies, who had lost six straight away games. Colorado was a major league worst 4-26 on the road before using a gritty performance by Jennings to end Baltimore's three-game winning streak.
Jennings (4-7) struck out seven and walked five to earn his third win in four decisions since May 21.
Helton homered off Daniel Cabrera (5-6) in the sixth for his first home run in 99 at-bats since May 14, ending a career-tying run 28-game drought.
Yankees 9, Cubs 6
At New York, Hideki Matsui hit a go-ahead homer and drove in five runs, and New York rallied late to keep the Chicago Cubs winless at Yankee Stadium.
The Cubs fell to 0-5 in the ballpark, having been swept in the World Series in 1932 and 1938. They had not been back in the Bronx for 67 years.
Chicago overcame an early four-run deficit and took a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning.
After Gary Sheffield's shot into the stands was reversed by umpires and called a foul ball -- correctly -- in the first inning, Matsui put one into the seats off Will Ohman (2-1) in the seventh to cap a three-run rally and send the Yankees to their fourth straight win.
Mike Stanton (1-1) got two outs, and Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Red Sox 6, Pirates 5
At Boston, Johnny Damon bounced a bases-loaded single through a drawn-in infield to break a ninth-inning tie, giving the Boston a victory over Pittsburgh in a rematch of the first World Series.
The Pirates had a runner thrown out at the plate in the eighth, and Boston had a runner on third with none out in the bottom half, but neither could break the 5-5 tie.
In the ninth, Kevin Millar ended an 11-pitch at-bat with a looper over first base that bounced into the seats for a double. Pinch-runner Kevin Youkilis went to third when Rick White (2-3) couldn't handle Jason Varitek's sacrifice bunt. Bill Mueller, who had a double and a triple with two RBIs, was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Mark Bellhorn, who hit a three-run homer in the second, grounded into a force at the plate. But Mike Gonzalez relieved and fell behind Damon 2-0 before he hit a 2-1 pitch up the middle.
Keith Foulke (4-3) struck out two in one inning to give Boston its fifth consecutive victory and send the Pirates to their fifth straight loss.
White Sox 6, Dodgers 0
At Chicago, Mark Buehrle won his seventh straight decision, pitching an eight-hit shutout to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Los Angeles in the first meeting in between the teams in Chicago since the 1959 World Series.
Buehrle (8-1) struck out six, walked none and didn't give up an extra-base hit in his second complete game of the season. It was his sixth career shutout, his first since last July 21 against Cleveland.
Los Angeles, which won the 1959 World Series in six games, lost its fourth straight and at 33-33 dropped to .500 for the first time since June 3.
Dodgers rookie D.J. Houlton (2-1) gave up four runs, five hits and four walks in six innings, allowing the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the first five innings.
Astros 7, Royals 0
At Kansas City, Missouri, Roger Clemens got his 333rd win with his 500th decision, dominating Kansas City once again.
Clemens (5-3) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked three, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.53. The Rocket, ninth on the careers wins list, has not surrendered a run in five road starts this year spanning 32 innings.
He won his ninth straight decision over the Royals, improving to 24-7 with a 2.17 ERA against them.
J.P. Howell (1-1), who broke Clemens' two-year strikeout record at the University of Texas before the Royals drafted him a a year ago, gave up four runs, five hits and three walks in six innings.
Morgan Ensberg and Eric Bruntlett hit solo homers, and Adam Everett and Lance Berkman each had two RBIs for the Astros. Houston, coming off three straight losses at Baltimore, improved to just 8-26 on the road.
Rangers 8, Nationals 1
At Arlington, Texas, Kenny Rogers pitched out of trouble all night to win his career-best ninth straight decision.
Hank Blalock hit a solo homer and two RBI singles, and Kevin Mench also connected for the Rangers, who from 1961-71 were the expansion Washington Senators -- the last team to play in the nation's capital until the Montreal Expos moved there this year.
Rogers (9-2) gave up eight hits and four walks in 6 1-3 innings, sending the NL East-leading Nationals to only their third loss in 18 games. Cristian Guzman led off the seventh with a home run, and Rogers faced only three more batters.
Rogers, 0-2 in his first four starts, lowered his AL-leading ERA to 1.98. Over his last 10 starts, the 40-year-old left-hander has allowed 12 runs in 71 innings, including 31 consecutive scoreless innings at one point.
John Patterson (3-2) allowed four runs and eight hits over five innings in his first loss since April 10 -- his first start.
Angels 3, Marlins 2, 11 innings
At Anaheim, Jeff DaVanon's RBI single in the 11th inning lifted the Angels past the Marlins.
Vladimir Guerrero greeted Florida's Jim Mecir with a single leading off the inning. After Garret Anderson flied out to the warning track in center, Mecir (1-2) hit Steve Finley with a pitch. DaVanon followed with a sharp liner to right-center field on a 3-2 pitch.
Los Angeles' Scot Shields (6-4) pitched a scoreless 11th inning.
The Angels tied it at 2 -- and spoiled a fine pitching performance by the Marlins' Brian Moehler -- with an unearned run in the ninth.
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