More of the same
Greg Beacham | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 6 months AGO
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Erick Aybar and Bobby Abreu drove in three runs apiece, Joel Pineiro won his seventh straight decision, and the Los Angeles Angels returned from hosting the All-Star game with an 8-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
Howie Kendrick had a run-scoring double for the Angels, who stumbled into the break with eight losses in 10 games, including a 1-6 road trip on which they were outscored 44-14. Los Angeles pounded out 16 hits against the Mariners, with every starter except All-Star cleanup hitter Torii Hunter getting at least one.
All-Star Ichiro Suzuki hit a three-run double and threw out the speedy Aybar at the plate for the last-place Mariners, who have lost 10 of 12.
Seattle has lost eight of 10 to its AL West rivals this season.
Aybar and Jeff Mathis had three hits apiece as the Angels methodically pounded Seattle starter Doug Fister (3-5), who gave up 12 hits and six runs while pitching into the sixth inning of his fourth consecutive loss.
Pineiro (10-6) had no such problems while giving up six hits over seven innings. After a slow start to his first season with the Angels, the right-hander had won six consecutive starts before getting a no-decision last Friday in Oakland despite leaving with a 5-3 lead after seven innings.
The former Mariners starter got into trouble only in the fifth, giving up four straight hits capped by Suzuki's double in the gap. Pineiro has started each of the Angels' last three victories while becoming their first 10-game winner this season, beating All-Star ace Jered Weaver.
After Aybar led off the first with a single and scored on Abreu's double, the Angels went up 4-0 in the second with five consecutive one-out hits. Aybar's drive to right scored two runs, but Suzuki threw him out when he attempted to score from first on Kendrick's double.
Suzuki, who has a 14-game hitting streak, also attempted to score from third on Franklin Gutierrez's sharp grounder in the fifth, but Mathis tagged him out at the plate.
Hunter, likely still weary after serving as the Angels' unofficial All-Star host, went 0 for 5.
NOTES: Pineiro won a career-best eight straight decisions in 2003. ... Before the game, Seattle signed veteran RHP Jamey Wright and promoted LHP Chris Seddon from Triple-A Tacoma. The 35-year-old Wright debuted for his eighth major league team in the seventh inning, allowing Mathis' RBI single. ... The Mariners got rid of former All-Star Chad Cordero, who declined a Triple-A assignment and became a free agent. Seddon could start Monday, but manager Don Wakamatsu hasn't decided yet. ... Wakamatsu also said LHP Erik Bedard felt discomfort in his throwing shoulder while playing catch, although the club didn't yet know the seriousness of the bad news. Bedard, who hasn't played in the majors in nearly a year, had surgery on a torn labrum last August. He developed inflammation in his shoulder last week, shortly before the Mariners hoped he would make his season debut. ... Mariners 1B Russell Branyan sat out after banging his toe into a table in his hotel Thursday morning.
ARTICLES BY GREG BEACHAM
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