M’s playing role of spoilers
OAKLAND, Calif. — Had it not been for a crazy bounce, Ichiro Suzuki would have added another hit to his astonishing total.
Suzuki had two hits to move within three of tying the season record, and the Seattle Mariners pounded Oakland starter Tim Hudson in a 7-2 victory Tuesday night that dropped the Athletics into a first-place tie with Anaheim. The Angels won 8-2 at Texas.
In his second at-bat, Suzuki hit a sharp liner that went off Hudson’s back and bounced in front of shortstop Bobby Crosby, who had to make a tough play to get Suzuki at first. Had Hudson not gotten in the way, it would’ve been a line drive up the middle.
“Of course when that ball hit Hudson, he acted like it didn’t even hit him. He didn’t show any pain,” Suzuki said. “Even though he’s the enemy, he’s a great pitcher and someone I really like.”
Oakland dropped out of sole possession of first place for the first time in 54 days, since the team was a half-game behind Texas on Aug. 5.
Bret Boone hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Reed had a double among his three hits and also drove in a run. Gil Meche (7-6) won his third straight decision to beat the A’s for the first time in nine career starts.
Greg Dobbs added two hits and two RBIs for Seattle, trying to avoid the club’s first 100-loss season since 1983. The A’s have lost six of eight.
“Once we figure out how to pitch to Reed and Dobbs, we’ll be in good shape,” Hudson said. “We’re not supermen out there. All those darn September call-ups, that’s our kryptonite, I guess. Five games left and we’re all knotted up. We need to win three of five and they need to lose three of five.”
Suzuki led off the game with a double to right-center, then singled to start the fifth. He finished 2 for 5 and needs four hits in Seattle’s final five games to break George Sisler’s 84-year-old record of 257 hits in a season.
“Five games left and it’s been a good season for me. I hope I don’t regret anything and go out there and finish it off,” Suzuki said.
Suzuki had a .211 career average entering against Hudson (12-6), who has just one win in his past five starts. Suzuki has an eight-game hitting streak — all on the road — and is batting .486 (18-for-37) during the stretch.
The Mariners tagged Hudson for three runs on four hits in the first inning — Suzuki’s double, Edgar Martinez’s RBI single to center, a double by Raul Ibanez and Reed’s run-scoring single. The right-hander allowed seven runs on 11 hits in six innings.
Meche allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He didn’t know until recently that he’d never beaten the A’s.