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Mariners pushed to brink of elimination
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Seattle Mariners matched the 1906 Chicago Cubs once this October. They don't want to do it again. The Mariners, whose 116 regular-season victories this year tied those Cubs for the major league record, are one loss from equaling them in disappointment. "We've said all along what we've done in the past does not matter now," Mike Cameron said Saturday's 17-2 loss to Cleveland moved the mighty Mariners one game from elimination. Those 1906 Cubs bowed out quickly, too, losing the World Series that year 4-2 to the crosstown White Sox. "We've been great all year, but what stands out now is we got to find out a way to win a ballgame," Cameron said. Mariners manager Lou Piniella remained confident in his team's ability, but said he will change his lineup Sunday against Game 1 winner Bartolo Colon. How? "I'm not sure," Piniella said. "But we're going to change it around some." Before Game 3, Piniella had said, "If we pitch and catch, we'll be OK." Seattle did neither, allowing 19 hits and making three errors. "Obviously, we have to play our game, which is pitching and defense," reliever Norm Charlton said. "One reason we won so many games is our ability to leave a loss behind and come back and play hard. Tomorrow, we better do it." First baseman John Olerud dismissed the margin of defeat in Game 3. "A game like this, you just say, 'Hey, it wasn't our day,'" Olerud said. "A close game probably hurts more." The Mariners are no strangers to having to rebound after a tough loss at Jacobs Field. After losing 15-14 in 11 innings to Cleveland's improbable comeback from a 14-2 deficit on Aug. 5, the Mariners won the next night. "If you've got any pride, and I'm sure we do, you come out and play," Cameron said. "We can't come out like we did today or the same thing will happen." It will be up to Seattle starter Freddy Garcia not to replicate the performance of Aaron Sele, who quickly squandered a 1-0 lead, giving up four runs and five hits in two innings. "It was very uncharacteristic of the way we've played all year," said Sele, 0-4 in postseason play in his career. "A loss is a loss, a one-run loss or a 50-run loss. It's a loss." Paul Abbott then came on and yielded eight more runs in three innings. "This was not the best time to do this," he said. "But we can't change anything. The day is over. Hey, we're still alive. And we've won two in a row many, many times this season."
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