TORONTO – Now, they’re getting cocky.
Riding a four-game winning streak that matched their longest of the season, the Seattle Mariners came north of the border and spotted the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-0 lead Tuesday.
Then, as if pretending to be mortal, Ichiro Suzuki started the game going 0-for-2.
Either the Blue Jays bought it and relaxed or the Mariners have found the ability to win, Seattle rallying to beat Toronto 7-5.
Oh, and Ichiro?
He had hits in his last three at-bats, drove in two runs and ended August with 56 hits for the month – something no player had done since Roy Weatherly had as many in July, 1936.
Alex Rodriguez had held the Mariners record with 54 hits in August of 1996. Ichiro tied it in the fifth inning, broke it in the seventh and added a little extra to the mark in the eighth inning.
With one month and 31 games left on the schedule, Ichiro has 212 hits – 45 behind the major league single-season record held by George Sisler since 1920.
“Ichiro is a hitter who puts pressure on the other team,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You can’t defend him, he hits the ball eveywhere.”
What’s happening now won’t change Seattle’s standing in the American League West, but if they can keep their offense, defense and bullpen rolling like this in September, AL West contenders could have trouble.
“The last five games, the rotation hasn’t helped much – I think we’ve been behind early in every game,” starter Jamie Moyer said. “But we’re coming back on teams. We’ve been able to control the damage a little and let the guys come back.”
Come back, the Mariners did. Come back, they had to.
Moyer allowed back-to-back home runs in the third inning, breaking the franchise record for home runs allowed in a season – he’s now given up 36 and hasn’t won a game since June.
Down 4-0, the Mariners comeback reflected a new-look roster with a decidedly younger feel:
* No. 9 hitter rookie shortstop Jose Lopez hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning
* Lopez, Ichiro and Randy Winn singled in the seventh inning, pushing home two runs that gave the Mariners a 5-4 lead.
* Tied at 5, rookie Bucky Jacobsen doubled in the eighth inning and was replaced by Willie Bloomquist. Jolbert Cabrera walked and Seattle pulled off a double steal.
Dan Wilson followed with an RBI single to put Seattle ahead and Ichiro singled home an insurance run.
From there, the kids in the bulllpen took over. Scott Atchison got the win with 11/3 scoreless innings. George Sherrill got the first two outs of the ninth ininng, retiring Carlos Delgado and then Eric Hinske, and J.J. Putz got the final out for his sixth save. All three are rookies.
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