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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Even though they're ahead, the Seattle Mariners
are keeping their eyes on the Oakland Athletics.
Freddy Garcia won his third straight start in September and the
Mariners stayed one game ahead of the A's in the AL West with a
11-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
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Times are tough
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The Mariners are 9-19 since Aug. 11 and, during this stretch, have scored 140 runs while allowing 170. Below is a rundown of how some of their top players
have performed:
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A. Rodriguez: .284, 6 HR, 26 RBI
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E. Martinez: .298, 7 HR, 27 RBI
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J. Olerud: .277, 0 HR, 10 RBI
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M. Cameron: .225, 2 HR, 10 RBI
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R. Henderson: .254, 0 HR, 8 RBI
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P.Abbott: 2-2, 4.90 ERA, 19 BB, 17 SO
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F.Garcia: 3-2, 2.38 ERA, 21 BB, 25 SO
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J.Halama: 1-4, 6.74 ERA, 8 BB, 16 SO
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J. Moyer: 1-4, 6.00 ERA, 19 BB, 20 SO
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A. Sele: 2-4, 6.74 ERA, 14 BB, 26 SO
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"Are we scoreboard watching? What do you think?" Stan Javier
said with a smile. "We've been watching Oakland for a long time.
This is a fun time. It's a pennant race. It's a situation you want
to be in."
Joe Oliver went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI for the
Mariners, 7-5 this month after going 11-17 in August.
Edgar Martinez, 3-for-5 with three RBI, hit his 34th homer, a
two-run drive in the eighth off Ricky Bottalico, who also allowed a
two-run homer to Carlos Guillen in the ninth.
"There's so many games left," said Javier, who was inserted
into the lineup when Rickey Henderson couldn't play because of a
bruised hip he suffered in the outfield in Monday night's 6-3
loss to the Royals.
"We want to win as many as you can and hope you get hot, while
they get cold," Javier said. "I'm sure they're thinking the same
thing down there."
|  | | Freddy Garcia's key to beating the Royals? He loaded the bases with none out in the sixth but got out of it without allowing a run. |
Garcia (7-4), coming off wins at Toronto and Boston, allowed
three runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, including a pair of
solo home runs by Mike Sweeney and another by Johnny Damon.
"He's pitching very well right now," Mariners manager Lou
Piniella said. "We're going to need that down the stretch. You've
got to have starters who keep you in the ballgame and Freddy's
certainly doing that."
Dan Reichert (8-6) lost for the first time in 11 starts since
July 16, giving up four runs, nine hits and four walks in five
innings. He had won his previous five decisions.
Seattle, just 10-19 since taking a seven-game division lead Aug. 11, plays a four-game series against Oakland at Safeco Field beginning next Thursday.
"We've got to win ballgames," Piniella said. "Forget what
Oakland or anybody else does. We've got to win ballgames."
Sweeney, who had his second two-homer game of the season and the
sixth of his career, put the Royals ahead in the first with his first
homer of the game.
Seattle took a 4-1 lead in the second on Oliver's two-run
double, Javier's RBI grounder and Martinez's run-scoring single.
Sweeney hit his 27th homer in the fourth, extending his career
high, and the Royals loaded the bases in the sixth on a walk to
Damon and singles by Rey Sanchez and Sweeney, who with 133 RBI
tied the Royals record set by Hal McRae in 1982.
Garcia escaped when Jermaine Dye grounded back to the mound for
a 1-2-3 double play and Joe Randa hit an inning-ending groundout.
"That was big for us," Garcia said. "After we got the double
play, I threw a sinker inside (to Randa) and he hit the ball to
third base. That was big for us, too."
Kansas City manager Tony Muser and the Royals thought Garcia
turned the game there.
"He took a chance with a pitch and showed guts out there,"
Damon said.
Javier tripled home a run and scored on John Olerud's single to
make it 6-2 against rookie Kris Wilson in the sixth. Oliver hit an
RBI double in the seventh.
Damon homered in the eighth off Garcia, giving him a career-high
78 RBI.
Garcia shrugged when asked about allowing three home runs.
"I threw good pitches and they hit good pitches," he said.
"There was nothing I could do."
Game notes
Sweeney also homered twice April 7 against Minnesota. ...
Seattle's Al Martin was out after he was hit by Oliver's grounder
to third in the fifth. ... Henderson (bruised left hip) and 2B Mark
McLemore (strained left hamstring) didn't play. Piniella said
neither Henderson nor McLemore will play Wednesday night, but they
might be ready Friday night when the Mariners open a road trip in
Baltimore. ... If Seattle and Oakland tie for the division title, a
one-game playoff would be held at Safeco Field, according to a coin
flip won by the Mariners on Tuesday.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
Athletics pop Twins with Giambi's two home runs
RECAPS
Texas 9
Baltimore 1
Texas 6
Baltimore 5
(2nd game)
Boston 8
Cleveland 6
NY Yankees 10
Toronto 2
Detroit 10
Chi. White Sox 3
Anaheim 5
Tampa Bay 2
Oakland 5
Minnesota 3
Seattle 11
Kansas City 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Cincinnati 1
Montreal 1
Philadelphia 0
St. Louis 11
Pittsburgh 1
NY Mets 10
Milwaukee 2
Florida 5
Atlanta 4
San Francisco 9
Houston 5
Arizona 5
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 6
San Diego 3
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