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Friday, Jul. 21 10:05pm ET
Mariners blast Rangers at Safeco | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Paul Abbott did more than pinch himself during Seattle's seven-run first inning. The Mariners' starting pitcher picked up a bat and started swinging it. "I went inside and did some stretching. Then I went and hit off the tee," Abbott said after the Mariners' 12-3 victory over the Texas Rangers Friday night. Hitting off the tee? Abbott had two hits, including a double, in interleague play, but he won't hit again this season unless the Mariners get into the World Series. "I just needed to stay focused," he said with a smile. "I just needed to stick with my game plan." Carlos Guillen singled twice in the first inning and, Jay Buhner and Mark McLemore homered in a five-run third as Seattle built up a 12-0 lead for Abbott (6-3), who had a shutout until Frank Catalonotto led off the sixth with a homer. The Mariners combined four hits, four walks and an error in knocking out Matt Perisho (2-3) in the opening inning. "The only problem with getting seven runs in the first inning is there's a chance your starting pitcher loses his concentration," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. "If that happens, he can let the other team back into it." Texas played without catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Manager Johnny Oates decided his slumping All-Star a night off. The last-place Rangers now are 10 1/2 games back of division-leading Seattle in the AL West. Rickey Henderson and Guillen started the Mariners first with singles, and Edgar Martinez and John Olerud added RBI singles. After Jay Buhner flied out, Perisho walked three straight batters. Doug Davis relieved and walked Henderson with the bases loaded to put Seattle ahead 5-0. Guillen singled home a run and another scored on the play on second baseman Catalonotto's throwing error. "I just lost my cool," Perisho said. "Against a first-place team in the situation we are in, it wasn't a very good time for me to lose my cool." The Mariners got a two-run homer from McLemore and a three-run homer from Buhner, his 16th, off Davis in the third to go ahead 12-0. McLemore signed with the Mariners as a free agent this winter after playing in Texas from 1995-99. With the Rangers, he played on three division-winning clubs. "I'm very intense every day," McLemore said. "I like to win. I like to play the game hard. The only way I know how to play is to win. We've got a lot of guys on this team who are very intense, too." Guillen finished with four hits. David Segui hit his 10th homer off Brett Tomko in the Texas eighth. Abbott improved his career record to 4-0 against Texas and raised his record to 5-1 in his last nine starts. He pitched seven innings and gave up two runs on six hits and three walks. Perisho lost to Seattle for the second time this month and dropped his third straight decision. Making their first visit to Safeco Field, which opened July 15, 1999, the Rangers got to see its retractable roof close in the bottom of the second following a cloudburst that sent many in the crowd of 44,765 scurrying for cover. The rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning. Texas became the last AL team to visit Safeco. The Rangers were the last team to play in the now imploded Kingdome on June 27, 1999. Game notesRodriguez has a five-game hitting streak, but is 6-for-31 on Texas' current road trip. He played in 88 of the Rangers' first 93 games, and Oates said the catcher will play Saturday and Sunday. "He's played almost every game for us," Oates said. "And he's been dragging a little bit." ... All-Star SS Alex Rodriguez is close to getting back in the Mariners' lineup. Rodriguez, who is on the DL with a sprained right knee, took ground balls and, did some hitting and some running before Friday night's game. Afterward, Rodriguez and trainer Rick Griffin agreed that Rodriguez has a chance to play at home Monday night against Oakland. "By Monday, I'll be in the lineup," Rodriguez said. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Texas Clubhouse Seattle Clubhouse RECAPS Chi. White Sox 8 Boston 5
Seattle 12
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