Garcia leads M’s past Angels, 5-1

Published 9:00 pm Monday, September 10, 2001

By Beth Harris

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Freddy Garcia allowed three hits in eight shutout innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Anaheim Angels 5-1 Monday night.

The Mariners (104-40), who have a chance to break the major league record of 116 wins in a season, won their fifth straight and lowered their magic number for clinching the AL West to two.

Garcia (16-5) matched his season high with eight strikeouts and walked none. He has given up a total of three runs in his last four starts, and hasn’t allowed a run in his last three starts in the Los Angeles area. Garcia pitched a 5-0 shutout at Anaheim on July 1 and blanked the Dodgers 13-0 in another shutout five days later.

He gave up a leadoff single to Darin Erstad in the first inning, then retired 10 in a row, striking out the side in the third. Garret Anderson doubled down the right-field line in the fourth and Tim Salmon singled in the fifth before Garcia retired 12 in a row.

Troy Glaus hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth off Arthur Rhodes, who completed the six-hitter. With runners at the corners, Charles Gipson made a diving catcher on Salmon’s liner to left.

David Bell keyed Seattle’s 13-hit attack by driving in three runs, including two with a double in the second inning.

The Mariners took a 3-0 lead on Mark McLemore’s RBI double in the fifth before he was ejected for arguing with second base umpire Lance Barksdale, who called McLemore out on a steal attempt. McLemore ripped off his helmet and got in Barksdale’s face before manager Lou Piniella came out to restrain his player.

Seattle added two runs in the eighth with Bell’s double off the left-field fence and a single by Carlos Guillen, who replaced McLemore.

Ismael Valdes (9-10) gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Notes: Seattle RF Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4 with an intentional walk, making him 0-for-8 in his last two games. He was 0-for-4 against Baltimore on Sunday. … It was McLemore’s second ejection and the sixth for Seattle this season. … The Mariners’ 54th road win puts them within one of the AL record and within six of the major league record, set by the Chicago Cubs in 1906. … Anaheim C Shawn Wooten, scheduled to have arthoscopic surgery on his left wrist Tuesday, had the surgery postponed indefinitely because of a stomach ailment. … Anaheim RHP Brian Cooper made his first major league relief appearance in the eighth after being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sept. 4. He loaded the bases with a walk to Bret Boone, then got Edgar Martinez to pop out to end the inning.

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