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Just getting started Athletics top Mariners, take first series with SeattlePosted: Monday April 08, 2002 12:23 AMUpdated: Monday April 08, 2002 1:21 AM
SEATTLE (AP) - Eric Chavez had to talk his way back into the lineup. Rookie Carlos Pena hit his fourth home run, and Chavez returned from a three-game absence with a homer and three RBIs as the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 Sunday night. "I'll tell you, I'm very thankful I decided to put him in that lineup," Oakland manager Art Howe said. "I almost didn't play him." Tim Hudson (1-0) pitched six solid innings, allowing one run and four hits. The A's took two of three from their AL West rivals in a series matching teams that reached the playoffs the last two seasons. When the Mariners tied the major league record with 116 wins last year, they went 10 series into the season before losing one. Toronto won two of three at Safeco Field in early May. Pena, acquired in an offseason trade with Texas to take Jason Giambi's spot at first base, connected for a two-run shot off Jamie Moyer (0-1) in the fifth inning for a 2-1 lead.
Chavez, who missed the previous three games because of tightness in his lower back, made it 3-1 in the sixth with his second homer of the season. Chavez came into the game with a .364 career batting average (4-for-11) against Moyer. "That's probably one of the main reasons why I was in the lineup," Chavez said. "If I didn't have good numbers against him, Skip probably would have had me sit out another day." Chavez added a two-run double in the eighth off Arthur Rhodes. "I tried to get in the lineup yesterday, but the doctors weren't budging," he said. ""Today, I think Skip looked at the numbers. He wanted to give me an extra day off, but he said, 'Well, you've had pretty good success against [Moyer],' so he stuck me in there." David Justice singled in Oakland's sixth run after Chavez's second hit. Trailing 6-2, the Mariners made it close with three runs in the eighth on Ichiro Suzuki's two-run triple and Mark McLemore's sacrifice fly. Billy Koch, Oakland's seventh pitcher, got the final four outs for his second save. Koch walked the first two batters in the ninth, but Mike Cameron popped up a bunt attempt and Jeff Cirillo lined back to the mound for a game-ending double play. Cirillo, who was 1-for-5, stranded seven runners. He hit .143 (3-for-21) in his first week with the Mariners after coming over in an offseason trade with Colorado. Seattle manager Lou Piniella was asked if he was considering fiddling with his lineup. "Fiddling with it?" he replied. "I don't own a violin. What am I going to do? We just started the season. Let these guys play." The Mariners left 11 runners on base after stranding 10 Saturday night. "Tonight, it was a matter of not getting a hit at the right time." Piniella said. "We had people up there on the bases the whole game." Cirillo, a career .311 hitter, was visibly upset after the game. "I've had a lot of opportunities, a lot of opportunities," he said. "It's hard to explain. I'm sure I'll get a lot more opportunities." The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the third. Dan Wilson walked, went to second on Hudson's wild pitch and third on Carlos Guillen's single. Suzuki hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Wilson. The Mariners got an unearned run off Oakland's bullpen in the seventh, thanks to third baseman Olmedo Saenz's second error of the game. Suzuki reached on Saenz's fielding error, went to third on McLemore's single off Mike Venafro and scored on Bret Boone's single off Chad Bradford. With the bases loaded, Jeff Tam got Cameron to end the inning with a long drive to left that Jeremy Giambi ran down on the warning track. Hudson wiggled out of bases-loaded jams in the fourth and sixth. In the fourth, Hudson struck out Cirillo and got Wilson to fly out to center. In the sixth, Hudson got Cirillo and Wilson to hit into force plays after the Mariners loaded the bases on a throwing error by Saenz, a walk to John Olerud and an infield single by Cameron. "I got some lucky breaks tonight," Hudson said. "They had bases loaded a couple of times. I really had to bear down. That's a good-hitting ballclub. I was holding my breath pretty much the whole game." Moyer, a 20-game winner last season, gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings. He did not walk a batter. Notes: The Mariners were 43-6-4 in series last season, including 21-5 at home. ... The Mariners are off to a 3-3 start. They were 4-2 after six games last season. ... Howe said he hopes to have Chavez back at 3B for Oakland's series at Texas that opens Tuesday night. Chavez was used as the DH on Sunday night. ... A's RF Jermaine Dye, who started the season on the DL, ran almost full speed before Sunday night's game. Trainer Larry Davis said he hopes to have Dye run on the basepaths Tuesday if he recovers well from Sunday. Dye still is recovering after breaking his left leg with a foul ball Oct. 14 in the fourth game of the AL playoffs against the New York Yankees. ... Hudson walked four and struck out five.
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