Wednesday, April 17, 2002
Mariners win ninth straight
The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — Mike Cameron hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the fifth inning as the Seattle Mariners won their ninth straight game with a 6-2 rain-shortened victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
The game was played in constant drizzle before a downpour forced a delay of 1 hour, 21 minutes with one out in the top of the fifth inning and the Mariners leading 5-2.
Another rain delay was called before the bottom of the seventh, but by that time the game was official and after another 72 minutes the game was called.
All of the Mariners' wins in their current streak have come on the road. Seattle has gone 12-3 overall this season, after setting American League records with 116 overall victories and 59 road wins last year.
Joel Pineiro (1-0), who relieved starter Freddy Garcia after the first rain delay, earned the win.
Jeremy Giambi homered in his first two at-bats for the A's, who have lost four of six. Cory Lidle (0-3), who lost to Texas twice to start the season, allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings.
Giambi's first career leadoff home run came on a 3-1 pitch from Garcia and flew over the right-field wall.
He homered again in the third inning, when he again took a 3-1 pitch from Garcia and knocked it over the fence in right center. It was Giambi's first career multihomer game.
The Mariners went ahead with a six-run, rain-interrupted fifth inning. Dan Wilson singled, went to second an out later on Ichiro Suzuki's single, and scored when Lidle made an errant throw to second on Jeff Cirillo's grounder.
Suzuki went to third on the same play when Terrence Long mishandled the ball in center, then scored on Bret Boone's single.
Lidle walked John Olerud to load the bases before reliever Chad Bradford took over. Mike Cameron doubled, scoring Cirillo and Boone, and Ruben Sierra's single scored Olerud.
The rain delay started during Carlos Guillen's at-bat. When play resumed, Guillen's sacrifice fly scored Cameron.
Cameron had fouled a ball off his left foot in the second inning, but he stayed in the game. The Mariners have been hit by the loss of designated hitter Edgar Martinez, who had surgery over the weekend to remove a ruptured hamstring tendon and is expected to be out more than a month.
Seattle had Cirillo back in the lineup Tuesday after missing two games because he was hit in the head in batting practice and required stitches.
The A's had David Justice back in their lineup. He missed Sunday's game with a sore right elbow.
Notes: During the second rain delay, at least five fans ran on to the field, some sliding on the wet tarp. Security guards quickly jumped into action. ... Suzuki grounded into a double play for the first time this season in the sixth inning. ... Seattle LHP John Halama, scheduled to pitch Friday, will be skipped in the rotation this time through and could pitch out of the bullpen during the series against Oakland. The Mariners have an off-day on Thursday. ... A's LHP Mark Mulder was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 12, with a strained left forearm. ... OF Jermaine Dye will complete his rehab assignment Friday and was expected to join the A's on Saturday.
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Mariners win ninth straight 
