OAKLAND Suzuki nears mark as Mariners jar A's
He needs four hits to break George Sisler's 84-year-old record of 257 in a season.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Had it not been for a crazy bounce, Ichiro Suzuki would have added another hit to his astonishing total.
Suzuki had two hits to move within three of tying the season record, and the Seattle Mariners pounded Oakland starter Tim Hudson in a 7-2 victory Tuesday night that dropped the Athletics into a first-place tie with Anaheim. The Angels won 8-2 at Texas.
In his second at-bat, Suzuki hit a sharp liner that went off Hudson's back and bounced in front of shortstop Bobby Crosby, who had to make a tough play to get Suzuki at first. Had Hudson not gotten in the way, it would've been a line drive up the middle.
"Of course when that ball hit Hudson, he acted like it didn't even hit him. He didn't show any pain," Suzuki said. "Even though he's the enemy, he's a great pitcher and someone I really like."
Out of first place
Oakland dropped out of sole possession of first place for the first time in 54 days, since the team was a half-game behind Texas on Aug. 5.
Bret Boone hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Reed had a double among his three hits and also drove in a run. Gil Meche (7-6) won his third straight decision to beat the A's for the first time in nine career starts.
Greg Dobbs added two hits and two RBIs for Seattle (61-96), trying to avoid the club's first 100-loss season since 1983. The A's have lost six of eight.
Suzuki led off the game with a double to right-center, then singled to start the fifth. He finished 2-for-5 and needs four hits in Seattle's final five games to break George Sisler's 84-year-old record of 257 hits in a season.
"Five games left and it's been a good season for me. I hope I don't regret anything and go out there and finish it off," Suzuki said.
The A's issued 140 credentials to visiting media for this four-game series -- mostly to the Japanese media covering Suzuki's every move.