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  Tuesday, Jun. 6 10:05pm ET
Tomko's interleague record grows to 7-0
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

SEATTLE (AP) -- Brett Tomko was pitching at home in an interleague game, and that turned into trouble for the Colorado Rockies.

Tomko pitched five strong innings and John Olerud drove in two runs as the Seattle Mariners beat the Colorado 4-1 Tuesday night.

Tomko (4-2) gave up one run, five hits, struck out four and walked two to improve to 7-0 in interleague play.

"I wish every game I pitched was an interleague game," said Tomko, whose previous interleague experience was against AL teams during his first three years in Cincinnati.

The Mariners' fifth starter is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts at Safeco Field. Tomko's overall ERA is 5.24.

"My stuff has been good this year at Safeco so far," Tomko said. "I feel real comfortable here. In Cincinnati I threw well at home, too. I can't explain it."

Todd Helton went 1-for-3 for Colorado, lowering his major league-leading average to .408.

Olerud gave the Mariners all the runs they needed with a two-run, first-inning single off Brian Bohanon (2-4).

Bohanon, who started the year as the Rockies No. 3 starter but was sent to the bullpen, gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.

Tomko allowed a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Jeffrey Hammonds. The Rockies just missed getting three more runs that inning when Jeff Cirillo's ball bounced off the top of the right-field fence with runners on first and second. Cirillo was tagged out near second base on the play as the runners had to hold.

"We should have been more aware of what was in front of us," Rockies manager Buddy Bell said. "It was just a screwed-up play." Tomko was glad to escape the inning with just one run allowed.

"I probably had about three innings worth of pitches in that inning, but I worked out of it," he said. "That's the biggest difference this year versus last year -- I'm avoiding the big inning."

Seattle added a run in the fifth on an Edgar Martinez RBI single, his major league-leading 63rd of the year. Dan Wilson added a solo homer in the sixth.

Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

The Mariners outfield came up with back-to-back defensive gems in the sixth inning to help reliever Rob Ramsay. Helton led off with a single to right field but was thrown out stretching by right fielder Jay Buhner.

Hammonds, the next batter, singled to left but was thrown out by Seattle left fielder Stan Javier.

"That really was exciting," Mariners manager Lou Pinella said. "Two balls off the wall and two perfect throws. But it wasn't just tonight. Our defense has played great all year."

Ramsay walked the next two batters and was replaced by Jose Paniagua, who retired Darren Bragg. Paniagua pitched 1 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit, striking out three and walking one.

Game notes
Seattle's Rickey Henderson left the game in the fourth inning with a stiff neck. Henderson left Friday's game with the same ailment and missed Saturday's game with a stomach virus ... Cirillo is 9-for-20 against Tomko ... Mariners starters have given up one earned run in the past three games spanning 17 1/3 innings.

 


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