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Complete domination Sele throws seventh career shutout at Diamondbacks
Updated: Monday July 16, 2001 9:09 AM
SEATTLE (AP) -- Another win for Aaron Sele. Another chance for Seattle's modest right-hander to discuss the defense behind him and avoid taking much credit. Yet everyone else was happy to praise Sele on Sunday after he pitched a career-best two-hitter and retired 22 consecutive batters to lead the Mariners past the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0. Sele (11-1) struck out five and walked one in his first complete game of the season and seventh career shutout. "Any time you go out and contribute to a win it's important," Sele said. "The fact it was a complete game was nice." Mike Cameron and John Olerud hit solo home runs and Scott Podsednik lined a bases-loaded triple in his first major league at-bat as Seattle moved a season-best 41 games over .500. Podsednik was elated to receive a standing ovation from the 45,855 fans at Safeco Field after his hit, but didn't want to take the focus off Sele. "I had electricity flowing through me," said Podsednik, a 25-year-old outfielder. "But I don't want to take away from Sele's two-hit gem."
Seattle DH Edgar Martinez strained his left quadriceps muscle and is expected to miss at least a few days, manager Lou Piniella said. Martinez took off on a hit-and-run play in the first inning and grabbed his leg as Olerud fouled off the pitch. After being checked by trainers, Martinez stayed in the game. But Martinez left for a pinch hitter in the third. He will be re-evaluated Monday. In an interleague game between West division leaders, Sele won his third consecutive start and shut down Arizona star Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who entered the game as the National League's third-best hitter at .357, went 0-for-4 to drop his average to .353. "He throws a curveball about 72, a slider like 84 to 86 and then mixes in a fastball now and then about 88 to 92," Gonzalez said. "He just kept us off-balance all day." As far as numbers go, Sele said Sunday's performance was the best he's felt in his career. Fellow starter Paul Abbott won't argue. "It was a typical Aaron Sele day," Abbott said. "I saw his best curveball of the year and he had his location outside. When he has all that, he can throw great games. When he doesn't, he still pitches well." The Mariners have asked Sele to use his changeup more frequently, Piniella said. After giving up a second-inning single to designated hitter Erubiel Durazo, Sele did not allow another runner until David Dellucci reached on shortstop Mark McLemore's two-out error in the ninth. Podsednik caught Gonzalez's fly ball to left field to end it. It was the fifth shutout for the Mariners this season and the fourth time Arizona was shut out. Sele, who was 0-1 with four no-decisions in June, threw the 23rd individual two-hitter in Mariners history. The last to do it was Randy Johnson on June 2, 1997, in a 3-0 win against Toronto. Sele has matched teammate Freddy Garcia for the best record on the team and the second-best in baseball behind the New York Yankees' Roger Clemens. With Craig Counsell and Dellucci in the starting lineup, Arizona used all seven of its left-handed hitters against Sele. "He was real effective. When you throw the ball the way he did tonight, it doesn't matter who you send up there," said Arizona manager Bob Brenly. Cameron, a last-minute replacement in last week's All-Star Game at Safeco Field, homered over the left-field wall against Robert Ellis (6-4) in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Ellis gave up the home run to Olerud in the fifth that put the Mariners ahead 3-0. Podsednik's triple highlighted a five-run seventh. Olerud also drove in a run in with a single in the inning. Seattle leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-5 to extend his slump to 0-for-13. Going hitless for the third consecutive game, Suzuki had his batting average drop to .337. Suzuki said he has "no sense of my feeling of my hitting at the plate." "Everybody's human," Piniella said. "Anybody can struggle from time to time. He'll get it going again." Suzuki made a strong relay from right field, however, in the first inning to help cut down Gonzalez at the plate. Notes: Safeco Field opened two years ago Sunday. The Mariners are 101-66 in their new stadium for a .605 winning percentage. ... Arizona was the last team in the NL West that Seattle hadn't played. ... The five-run seventh inning was the largest against Arizona since May 12 vs. Philadelphia. ... Arizona's bullpen had allowed just one run in 23 innings in their prior nine games before giving up five runs in the seventh Sunday.
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