ARLINGTON, Texas, 26 September 2004 — Ichiro Suzuki moved closer to the single-season record with two more hits as he led the Seattle Mariners past the Texas Rangers 8-7 in the American League Friday. The Japanese went 2-for-4, both singles, to pass Ty Cobb in seventh place for most hits in one season. Ichiro now has 249 hits this year, eight shy of the record of 257 set by George Sisler with the St. Louis Browns in 1920.
Ichiro has nine games left to eclipse Sisler’s total. The season was eight games shorter when Sisler played.
Seattle’s Randy Winn drove in the winning run with an infield single in the top of the ninth, after Ichiro was intentionally walked to load the bases. Brian Jordan homered for the Rangers.
In Boston, Hideki Matsui homered in the eighth inning to knot the score at 4-4 before doubling in the ninth to drive in the insurance run as the New York Yankees outlasted the Red Sox 6-4. Matsui connected off Red Sox starter Pedro Martinez (16-8). Tom Gordon (8-4) notched the victory.
In Cleveland, Johan Santana tossed six innings of two-hit ball to help the Minnesota Twins to an 8-2 rout of the Indians. Santana (20-6) struck out six batters to give him a league best 260 strikeouts and walked four, becoming only the second 20-game winner in the majors this season.
In St Petersburg, Julio Lugo’s two-run single in the sixth inning snapped a 2-2 tie and gave the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Aubrey Huff and Carl Crawford cracked solo homers to account for the other Tampa runs. Mark Hendrickson (10-15) tossed seven innings of five-hit ball to earn the decision.
In Baltimore, Most Valuable Player hopeful Miguel Tejada belted a three-run homer in the ninth inning to hand the Orioles a 7-5 triumph over the Detroit Tigers. Tejada also singled in the first to put Baltimore on the board. Javy Lopez drove in three more runs with a single and homer.
In Chicago, John Buck smacked two solo homers as the Kansas City Royals defeated the White Sox 8-6. Jimmy Gobble (9-8) worked six-plus innings for the victory, surrendering homers to Juan Uribe and Carlos Lee.
In Anaheim, the Oakland Athletics earned a little breathing room atop the West Division with a 6-3 win over the Angels. Rich Harden (11-6) tossed seven innings of four-hit ball for the victory.
Cubs Keep Wild Card Lead With Win in New York
Derrek Lee’s 10th-inning single scored Mark Grudzielanek with the winning run, clinching the red-hot Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over the host New York Mets in the National League Friday.
Grudzielanek drew a walk from Braden Looper (2-4) to lead off the 10th in his only at-bat. Their 13th win in 16 outings allowed the Cubs (87-66) to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the wild card race.
Jason Phillips put New York on the board with a second-inning double before the Cubs drew level on Aramis Ramirez’s seventh-inning homer off Mets starter Kris Benson. It was Ramirez’s 35th homer of the season, one of his three hits on the night, raising his average to a club best .322.
In Pittsburgh, Austin Kearns drove in five runs on four hits as the Cincinnati Reds pasted the Pirates 14-8.
The Reds scored seven times in the first inning but the Pirates made a late charge, Rob Mackowiak cracking a three-run homer off Aaron Harang (10-9) in the sixth and Jason Bay following suit in the seventh.
In Montreal, Sun-Woo Kim gave up seven hits over 8 2/3 innings as the Expos pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1. Kim (4-5) was in complete control, striking out eight batters while walking only two.
In Atlanta, the East-leading Braves locked up their 13th straight division crown with a come-from-behind 8-7 victory over the Florida Marlins.
Marcus Giles’s two-run single in the eighth accounted for the winning runs. Travis Smith (2-3), the seventh Atlanta pitcher, worked an inning.
In Denver, Edgar Renteria notched three hits and drove in as many runs as the St Louis Cardinals edged the Colorado Rockies 5-4. Albert Pujols homered and singled to account for the other St Louis runs.
In Milwaukee, Craig Biggio’s sacrifice in the first extra inning scored the game’s only run as the Houston Astros beat the Brewers 1-0.
Cy Young hopeful Roger Clemens went 7 1/3 innings for the Astros, striking out a season-high 12 batters, but the win went to reliever Brad Lidge (6-5).
In San Francisco, Shawn Green stroked a two-run homer and Jose Hernandez followed with a solo shot as the Los Angeles Dodgers did all their scoring in the fourth frame in a 3-2 win over the Giants.
The Giants loaded the bases in the ninth off closer Eric Gagne but failed to score. The victory boosted Los Angeles’s lead over San Francisco to 2 1/2 games in the West Division.
In San Diego, the Padres kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind 6-5 triumph over the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Diego scored twice in the ninth, the winning run arriving on a fielding error by Arizona’s third baseman Chad Tracy.
