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Sunday, Jul. 9 4:35pm ET
Moyer outduels Park; Mariners 51-35 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. called up Safeco Field after he got thrown out of his game in Cincinnati and got his ex-boss on the phone. "That was the first time I've talked to Junior since he left," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. "It was nice to talk to him."
The Mariners shut out the Dodgers for the second game in a row, following Saturday night's 11-0 rout. In two games, the Dodgers had 12 singles. The Mariners pushed their record to 16 games above .500 for the third time this season and increased their AL West lead over Oakland, which lost to Arizona 4-2 Sunday, to three games. It's the second time in 24 years the Mariners have led their division at the All-Star break. They were 4½ games ahead of Texas in 1997, when they won the AL West for the second time. At 51-35, the Mariners have the second-best record in the majors. The AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox are 55-32. "Losing Junior has nothing to do with it," Piniella said of the Mariners' start. "We've pitched well and we've played well defensively. That's a pretty good combination. Teams that can catch the ball and pitch are going to be in games." Piniella laughed when asked if Griffey, who forced a trade to the Reds in February, wants to come back to Seattle. "I don't want to get into that." Griffey wanted to talk to the Mariners' clubhouse people, Piniella said. Moyer (8-3), who spent seven weeks on the disabled list because of a strained muscle in the back of his left shoulder, gave up seven hits in seven innings. Improving to 6-2 since coming off the DL on June 2, Moyer struck out a season-high eight, while walking two. Moyer took exception when asked if he felt there was some magic taking place in Seattle. "I don't know if it's magic," he said. "When you say magic, you're insinuating that we don't have the talent, and this dressing room is full of talented people." Park (9-6) allowed three hits, all by Joe Oliver, but one was a two-run homer in the second inning. Oliver also doubled and singled. Oliver was Piniella's starting catcher on Cincinnati's 1990 World Series-winning team. He said the Mariners haven't won anything yet. "You just want to have a ring on your finger at the end of the year," he said. "It doesn't matter if you win 90 or 100 games. We've still got half a season to go. Some crazy things can happen." Park, 4-0 previously for the Dodgers in interleague play, went seven innings. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- with three walks and six strikeouts. "Chan Ho threw a great ballgame," Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. "He made only one bad pitch. He tried to sneak a fastball by Oliver." Edgar Martinez had Seattle's other hit, a single in the eighth off Antonio Osuna, to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Oliver hit his third homer of the season, a 391-foot shot into the Mariners' bullpen in left field, after right fielder Shawn Green dropped David Bell's line drive for an error. Moyer worked out of jams in the sixth and seventh. After Mike Metcalfe and Adrian Beltre opened the sixth with singles, Moyer got Green to fly out, struck out Gary Sheffield and got Eric Karros on an infield popout. With one out in the seventh, Kevin Elster and Todd Hollandsworth singled before Alex Cora flied out and Metcalfe struck out. Jose Paniagua replaced Moyer to start the eighth. Kazuhiro Sasaki got three outs for his 19th save in 21 opportunities and ninth in a row. The Mariners haven't lost a series in their last 11.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Los Angeles Clubhouse Seattle Clubhouse Big Unit posts pre-break record of career
RECAPS Boston 7 Atlanta 2
Chicago Cubs 9
Seattle 2
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