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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Here’s A First: M’S Blank Foe

Associated Press

Paul Sorrento can’t wait to get to Texas.

He hit a two-run homer, the 15th of his career against the Rangers, Tuesday night and Chris Bosio and two relievers combined on a four-hitter to lead the Seattle Mariners to an 8-0 win over Texas and into a tie in the A.L. West.

“I haven’t been hitting much lately but it seems like I always have success against Texas,” Sorrento said. “It’s just one of those things. Sometimes a player has success against a certain team.”

Bosio (3-1) gave up only four singles and was relieved after throwing 89 pitches. Tim Davis and Bob Wells combined to hold Texas hitless the last three innings. It was the first shutout of the year for Seattle and the first against Texas.

“Texas can score but Paul got us going,” Bosio said. “I saw where Texas was a .294 hitting team and I knew we had to jump on them early.”

It was Seattle’s 20th win in its last 24 games against Texas. The Mariners were 10-3 against the Rangers last year.

“Sorrento got us out ahead early and that really helps a pitcher,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said.

The Mariners chased Texas starter Kevin Gross (3-3) with nine hits and five runs in 3-2/3 innings. In his last four starts, Gross has yielded 30 hits and 20 runs and has an ERA of 10.19 in 17-2/3 innings.

“It was not his best game,” said Texas manager Johnny Oates. “Give Bosio credit, he pitched well.”

Oates said he couldn’t figure out why Seattle controls Texas.

“I don’t have an answer to why Seattle has such dominance over us,” he said.

Sorrento hit a two-run homer and Rich Amaral delivered a run-scoring single in the second. It increased the Mariners’ major league record to 44 homers in April. Sorrento has 46 career RBIs against the Rangers.

The mariners scored another off Gross in the third on a double by Ken Griffey Jr. A single by Edgar Martinez, and Joey Cora’s sacrifice fly made it 5-0 in the fourth.

Seattle scored three more in the seventh off Mark Brandenburg on an RBI single by Dan Wilson and a two-run single by Cora.

Notes

Warren Newson was the designated hitter for the Rangers because Mickey Tettleton was nursing a pulled hamstring…This is the Rangers’ first scheduled two-day homestand since April 1984…Bosio is 10-5 lifetime against Texas…The Chicago White Sox had the previous April HR record with 38 in 1984.

Mariners 8, Rangers 0

Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Cora 2b 5 0 3 3 0 0 .239 Sojo ss 6 0 2 0 0 0 .300 Griffey Jr cf 4 1 2 0 2 0 .253 EMartinz dh 6 1 3 1 0 0 .347 Buhner rf 5 1 3 0 0 1 .301 Sorrento 1b 5 2 1 2 0 2 .229 Strange 3b 4 1 1 0 1 1 .250 DWilson c 5 2 2 1 0 2 .291 Amaral lf 4 0 2 1 0 0 .213 Totals 44 8 19 8 3 6

Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Hamilton cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .289 a-Bfrd ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .313 IRodriguez c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .321 WClark 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .295 JGonzalez rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .299 Newson dh 3 0 1 0 1 1 .211 Palmer 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .317 Greer lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .292 McLemre 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .291 Elster ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .279 Totals 32 0 4 0 2 5

Seattle 031 100 300 - 8 19 1 Texas 000 000 000 - 0 4 2

a-flied out for Hamilton in the 9th.

E-Sorrento (1), Palmer (1), Elster (2). LOBSeattle 14, Texas 7. 2B-Sojo (5), Griffey Jr (3), EMartinez (13), Buhner 2 (5), DWilson (3). HR-Sorrento (6) off KeGross. RBIsCora 3 (9), EMartinez (20), Sorrento 2 (19), DWilson (21), Amaral (3). CS-Sojo (2). S-Amaral. SF-Cora.

Runners left in scoring position-Seattle 7 (Sojo, EMartinez 3, Strange 3); Texas 2 (Greer, McLemore).

Runners moved up-Buhner, DWilson, Greer.

Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bosio W,3-1 6 4 0 0 2 1 89 3.09 TDavis 1-1/3 0 0 0 0 2 18 6.23 BWells 1-2/3 0 0 0 0 2 22 1.37

Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA KeGrss L,3-3 3-2/3 9 5 5 2 1 67 6.75 Brandenburg 3-1/3 7 3 0 0 4 49 1.23 Vosberg 1 2 0 0 0 0 17 2.25 Heredia 1 1 0 0 1 1 31 4.29

Inherited runners-scored-Brandenburg 2-0.

IBBoff KeGross (Griffey Jr) 1.

T-2:57. A-27,272 (49,178).