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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) – Kazuhiro Sasaki helped the Seattle Mariners reach
the AL Championship Series last season. Ichiro Suzuki might help
them forget about Alex Rodriguez.
|  | | Mike Cameron takes a cleat to the head from Oakland's Jose Ortiz in stealing second. Cameron moved to third when the throw skipped into center. |
Suzuki had two key hits, Sasaki collected a save and John Olerud
had a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Mariners beat the
Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Monday night.
"I can't speak for all the Japanese, but I'm sure there's some
celebrating going on over there," said Suzuki, Seattle's new
leadoff batter and right fielder.
"I definitely feel that Ichiro is a special player," Sasaki
said.
Minus Rodriguez, who signed with Texas for $252 million during
the winter, Seattle got a sensational debut from Suzuki – a
seven-time batting champion in Japan who made his major league
debut.
Suzuki is the first Japanese position player to reach the
majors.
"A few years ago, Kazuhiro and myself had a discussion that
wouldn't it be great to be teammates sometime," Suzuki said.
"When we got to be teammates, for me to have a good game and
Sasaki to come in and close out a game. But for it to happen in the
first game we play together is unbelievable."
Said Sasaki: "Ichiro got the rhythm back on our side tonight.
Ichiro was able to get it going. It was a big win for us."
The Mariners, who finished second to the A's by a half-game in
the AL West last season, overcame a 4-0 deficit against Oakland ace
Tim Hudson.
Hudson struck out Suzuki and got him to ground out twice. His
hits came off Oakland's bullpen.
"I've never experienced a pitcher who can pitch down in the
strike zone like he did tonight," Suzuki said. "He refused to
pitch up in the zone."
Olerud offered Suzuki some advice.
"Hudson is a tough pitcher and there's going to be a lot of
adjustment when Ichiro has to face a pitcher like him," Olerud
said. "But Ichiro isn't going to have to face a tough pitcher like
that every night."
The Mariners won with seven singles, three by Edgar Martinez,
and 10 walks.
In the eighth, Carlos Guillen opened with a walk off Jim Mecir
(0-1), and Suzuki followed with a bunt down the first-base line.
Mecir picked up the ball and threw to first to try to get the
fleet Suzuki, but his throw got past Jason Giambi. Guillen wound up
at third and Suzuki at second as the play was ruled a hit and an
error.
"He can bunt, no question," manager Lou Piniella said of
Suzuki. "That was as perfect a bunt as you will see."
Mecir got Mike Cameron to fly out and intentionally walked
Martinez before Olerud delivered his sacrifice fly to center.
"It was a good pitch to hit," Olerud said. "They wanted a
ground ball with Edgar at first and myself. We're a double-play
combo."
On Cameron's fly ball, third-base coach Dave Myers held up
Guillen at third when it looked like he could have scored. In the
dugout, Piniella appeared to be muttering to himself.
"Dave did an excellent job all spring," Piniella said. "I
want Dave to be aggressive and he will be."
Arthur Rhodes (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Sasaki
pitched the ninth for the save.
Seattle's stellar bullpen pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings,
including 3 2-3 by Brett Tomko.
"Tomko was the bottom line," Oakland manager Art Howe said.
"He gave them three real good innings to keep them in the game.
The rest was history.
"We have 161 more games and we'll probably lose a couple more.
But I'll take my chances with the same scenario tomorrow with the
lead going into the seventh," he said.
The Mariners tied it at 4 with two runs off Oakland's bullpen in
the seventh. T.J. Mathews started the inning, but was taken out
after giving up a single to Suzuki and Cameron's fourth walk of the
game.
Mecir, Oakland's main setup man, then replaced Mathews, and
Martinez drove in Ichiro from second with a single to right,
sending Cameron to third. Olerud followed with another single to
right to score Cameron.
The A's took a 4-0 lead in the fourth on Ramon Hernandez's RBI
double and a two-run single by Jose Ortiz, knocking Mariners
starter Freddy Garcia out of the game.
In the third, Olmedo Saenz doubled in Oakland's first run.
The Mariners got their first run in the fourth on Dan Wilson's
bloop single to right. Bret Boone had a sacrifice fly for Seattle
in the fifth.
Hudson, one of four 20-game winners in the majors last season,
was taken out after five innings. He allowed two runs on five hits
and six walks, with five strikeouts.
Garcia lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits
and five walks, with four strikeouts.
Game notes
Safeco Field's retractable roof was open for the first
three innings, but was closed during the top of the fourth when the
temperature dropped from 46 to 39 degrees. ... The game was
telecast and broadcast to Japan. ... Before the game, Piniella said
Tomko would be the Mariners' No. 5 starter in the absence of RHP
Paul Abbott, who was put on the disabled list Sunday because of
stiffness in the back of his pitching shoulder. Piniella said after
the game that Tomko still will start Saturday in Texas. ... The
crowd of 45,911 was the largest for a regular-season game at
Safeco. Game 3 of Seattle's AL division series against the Chicago
White Sox last Oct. 6 drew 48,010 fans.
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 Brett Tomko came up big for the Mariners on Opening Day.
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