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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Seattle Mariners could hardly have expected
to win three straight in Baltimore, a city where they have long
endured failure and disappointment.
So, when the Mariners capped a three-game sweep of the Orioles
with a 3-2 victory Sunday, their elation extended beyond the fact
that they strengthened their hold on first place in the AL West.
|  | | Alex Rodriguez, center, hit his 38th home run Sunday, leaving him four shy of his career high set in 1998 and matched last season. |
"From now on, every game is paramount, every series is huge for
us," said Alex Rodriguez, whose eighth-inning homer broke a 1-1
tie. "For us to come in here, a place where we've been embarrassed
many times and not played well, it's great to get three."
It was the Mariners' first three-game sweep in Baltimore since
1990, when the Orioles played at Memorial Stadium and Rodriguez was
still in high school. Seattle, which came in with a seven-game
losing streak in Baltimore, outscored the Orioles 27-4.
"We're playing good, solid baseball," Seattle manager Lou
Piniella said. "I don't want to say anything about a sweep, but it
is nice to win three games here."
Freddy Garcia won his fourth straight start and John Olerud hit
a solo homer for the Mariners, who won their fifth straight and
increased their lead to 2½ games over second-place Oakland in the
AL West. The A's, whose series finale at Tampa Bay was postponed by
Hurricane Gordon, start a four-game series in Baltimore on Monday.
Garcia (8-4) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings.
He's 4-0 with a 1.53 ERA in September, allowing five runs in 29 1/3
innings -- all on solo homers.
"My sinker was working to both sides of the plate. It's my best
pitch, and it didn't let me down today," Garcia said.
After a home run by Baltimore's Greg Myers made it 1-1 in the
seventh, Stan Javier opened the eighth with a walk off Sidney
Ponson (8-12). One out later, Rodriguez hit his 38th homer.
"It felt real good to hit that home run, to finally catch up to
one of his fastballs," Rodriguez said.
Baltimore put runners on first and third with two outs in the
bottom half before Kazuhiro Sasaki struck out Melvin Mora.
Sasaki allowed a one-out RBI double to Mark Lewis in the ninth,
then struck out pinch-hitter Karim Garcia, walked Brady Anderson
intentionally and retired Jerry Hairston on a grounder to shortstop
for his 33rd save in 36 chances.
Baltimore, which hit .171 in the series, stranded nine runners
Sunday.
"We haven't been getting the big hits when we need them, and
when that happens, it makes it hard to win," Baltimore manager
Mike Hargrove said.
The Orioles' fifth loss in six games dropped them a season-high
17 games under .500 (66-83). Ponson struck out seven, but two
homers cost him dearly.
"Out of 112 pitches, he only misses his spots about four times.
Unfortunately, two of the misses went for home runs," Hargrove
said.
Olerud hit an 0-2 pitch into the right-field seats in the sixth
inning, his first homer since July 25, to stake the Mariners to a
1-0 lead.
Myers matched that in the seventh with a solo shot to
straightaway center, his first homer since May 18.
Game notes
Anderson walked four times, twice intentionally. ... The
last five series between the teams have been sweeps. ... Hairston
went 0-for-5 and is 0-for-23 in his last seven games. ... Seattle
won the season series 7-3 after losing the first three games.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
Baltimore Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 5
Boston 4
Cleveland 15
NY Yankees 4
Oakland 0
Tampa Bay 0
Seattle 3
Baltimore 2
Toronto 14
Chi. White Sox 1
Minnesota 1
Anaheim 0
Texas 6
Kansas City 5
Cincinnati 8
Milwaukee 4
Montreal 5
NY Mets 0
Philadelphia 6
Florida 5
St. Louis 4
Chicago Cubs 2
Houston 5
Pittsburgh 3
San Francisco 5
San Diego 1
Los Angeles 12
Colorado 6
Atlanta 7
Arizona 1
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