Thursday, June 27, 2002
Mariners 1, Athletics 0
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Kazuhiro Sasaki became the fastest reliever to reach 100 career saves, but he wasn't thinking about setting a major league record. “I guess the fastest is a good thing, but this was a huge point in the first half of our season and I knew that,” Sasaki said after the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Jamie Moyer and a pair of relievers combined on a two-hitter, and Jeff Cirillo grounded an RBI single in the eighth inning for the Mariners.
Sasaki worked a hitless ninth for his 18th save in 21 opportunities this season. He has allowed one earned run in 28 appearances and 28 innings and his ERA is 0.32.
He got his 100th save in his 160th appearance, breaking the mark held by Billy Koch, who got his 100th save in his 192th game.
“It seems like whether it was my 100th save or my 50th save, it always has to be a tough situation like it was tonight, a one-run game,” Sasaki said through a translator.
In 2 1/2 seasons in Seattle, Sasaki has set Seattle's saves record, made the 2001 All-Star game and was the 2000 AL Rookie of the Year. In 10 seasons pitching for Yokohama, he set a record for saves in Japan.
“When I first came over and the closer was going to be Jose Mesa, I didn't even know if I was going to be a closer,” he said. “To be at this point right now, I'm very happy.”
Cirillo's one-out hit up the middle came off Chad Bradford (3-2) after Charles Gipson singled and stole second.
Cirillo, who began the season as a .311 career hitter, is hitting .254 in his first season in Seattle. But he's hitting .357 in his last 10 games.
“It felt good to get a big hit against a team that's right on our tail,” he said. “I was trying to go up the middle on him.”
Moyer blanked the Athletics on two hits for seven innings. Shigetoshi Hasegawa (4-1) pitched a hitless eighth.
The Mariners beat the A's 7-1 Tuesday night and now have shut out Oakland for 15 consecutive innings.
“They pitch and play defense,” the A's Adam Piatt said. “If you want a textbook team that pitches and plays defense, those are the guys you watch. It's tough to beat them.”
The Mariners are playing shorthanded. They're without second baseman Bret Boone (inflammation behind his left kneecap), utility player Mark McLemore (back spasms) and designated hitter Edgar Martinez (torn scar tissue behind his left knee).
“Whether we're shorthanded or not, it's important to win in your own division, especially against a team like Oakland, which came in here playing so well,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “But you know our guys hang in there and they play hard.”
Oakland's second straight loss to the AL West leaders dropped the A's into third place behind Anaheim. Rookie Aaron Harang gave up two hits in 6 1-3 scoreless innings.
Athletics manager Art Howe arrived at the game during the fifth after a flight back from St. Louis, where he attended a public memorial service for Darryl Kile. Howe was Kile's first manager in Houston.
Bench coach Ken Macha managed the A's until Howe returned. Howe made out his lineup Tuesday night before he left for St. Louis.
Howe said it was tough to get back to baseball after his day in St. Louis spent remembering Kile.
“It was well done, very emotional and sad,” he said. “It had a great turnout of players from around the league. It was really nice to see and shows you how much he was liked and respected.”
Seattle, which has pitched eight shutouts this season, won its third 1-0 game of the year. The Mariners have one 1-0 defeat.
The Mariners got their first hit when Ruben Sierra singled with two outs in the fourth off Harang. The A's got their first hit when Olmedo Saenz singled with one out in the fifth.
The Mariners got Desi Relaford as far as third in the fifth after he walked, Dan Wilson singled and Gipson hit into a fielder's choice. But Harang got Ichiro Suzuki to ground out to end the inning.
Mike Cameron got to third for Seattle in the seventh on a fielder's choice and a single by Relaford off Mike Venafro, but Bradford got Wilson to hit into a double play to end that threat.
Notes: SS Miguel Tejada played in his 347th consecutive game to tie the A's record set by Alfredo Griffin from April 9, 1985, to April 30, 1987. He last missed a game May 31, 2000. ... Suzuki, Seattle's Gold Glove RF, was his team's DH for the fourth game of the season. ... Oakland did not hit a home run for the second night in a row and now is 1-17 in games in which it is homerless.
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Mariners 1, Athletics 0 
