evanreyes
04-20-2002, 02:21 AM
SEATTLE (AP) - The Texas Rangers took some of the swagger out of the Seattle Mariners.
The Rangers stopped Seattle's 10-game winning streak, beating the Mariners 9-0 Friday night as Rafael Palmeiro hit his 450th career homer and Kenny Rogers pitched his first shutout in three years.
"It's a nice accomplishment, but I hope I can do bigger things," the 37-year-old Palmeiro said.
The Mariners, who swept a 10-game road trip at AL West rivals Anaheim, Texas and Oakland, are 3-4 at home. Seattle had been 19-5 against the Rangers in the past two seasons.
"They've had success against everybody, not just us," Palmeiro said. "But I know that if we pitch good, we'll have a chance to win. I know we can play with them."
Seattle finished 43 games ahead of the last-place Rangers in winning the AL West last season.
"We've got a lot of guys who were here a year ago that didn't quit, and I don't see 'em quitting this year," Rangers manager Jerry Narron said.
Alex Rodriguez, back in Seattle for the first time this season, was booed by the crowd of 45,346 but not as loudly as he was last season -- the first after he left the Mariners to sign a record $252 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers. Some fans threw paper money out of the upper decks.
Rogers (1-0) allowed five hits in his first shutout and complete game since Sept. 6, 1999, for the New York Mets against San Francisco. He limited struck out six and walked one in the Rangers' second shutout this season, lowering his ERA to 1.73.
"I felt good," said Rogers, also 37. "I felt I was in control of what I was trying to do out there. My location was good when I needed it to be."
Seattle averaged 7.7 runs and 12.4 hits during its road trip, but Rogers shut down the Mariners with his seventh career shutout and 32nd complete game.
"When the guys score nine runs, it's a big boost for you to get in your rhythm," Rogers said. "They just won 10 in a row over there. They're as good as anybody in baseball."
Bret Boone of the Mariners gave all the credit to Rogers.
"He pitched a great game and he deserved to win tonight," he said. "He changed speeds with his sinker. He threw it 89 (mph), he threw it 85, he threw it 82 and he threw it 79. All his pitches had the same movement."
Palmeiro, who drove in four runs, became the 26th player to reach 450 homers. He has 35 homers and 101 RBI against the Mariners.
He gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead in the first with a three-run homer off Paul Abbott (1-1). Frank Catalanotto singled and Rodriguez walked before Palmeiro's third homer this season.
"It was a big one," Palmeiro said. "It put us up in the game early on. We needed to get off to a good start. We didn't let 'em get momentum."
Texas scored four runs in the fourth, with Rodriguez singling in the first two. Palmeiro doubled in a run and Seattle shortstop Carlos Guillen's throwing error gave Texas an unearned run. Michael Young homered off Brian Fitzgerald in the fifth.
Abbott allowed seven runs -- six earned -- and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, throwing 100 pitches. Abbott, a 17-game winner last season, has a 9.64 ERA after four starts.
"Our starting pitcher wasn't very sharp at all," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. "In fact, I'm getting a little concerned. He throws a lot of pitches. It's a cause for concern because it's been the same pattern every time out."
Notes: Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4, stopping his hitting streak at 11 games. ... Palmeiro became the 15th in major league history and the only active player with 450 homers and 2,500 hits ... He has seven home runs and 22 RBIs at Safeco Field. "I don't want to jinx myself, but there's places you hit well and places you don't hit well. This is one of those places I really hit well." ... The Mariners' Jeff Cirillo matched the major league record for consecutive games played at 3B without an error at 99. He tied the mark set by John Wehner from Aug. 2, 1992, to Sept. 29, 2000. ... The Mariners were shut out for the first time since last Aug. 31.
P.S. PAUL ABBOT SUCKS
The Rangers stopped Seattle's 10-game winning streak, beating the Mariners 9-0 Friday night as Rafael Palmeiro hit his 450th career homer and Kenny Rogers pitched his first shutout in three years.
"It's a nice accomplishment, but I hope I can do bigger things," the 37-year-old Palmeiro said.
The Mariners, who swept a 10-game road trip at AL West rivals Anaheim, Texas and Oakland, are 3-4 at home. Seattle had been 19-5 against the Rangers in the past two seasons.
"They've had success against everybody, not just us," Palmeiro said. "But I know that if we pitch good, we'll have a chance to win. I know we can play with them."
Seattle finished 43 games ahead of the last-place Rangers in winning the AL West last season.
"We've got a lot of guys who were here a year ago that didn't quit, and I don't see 'em quitting this year," Rangers manager Jerry Narron said.
Alex Rodriguez, back in Seattle for the first time this season, was booed by the crowd of 45,346 but not as loudly as he was last season -- the first after he left the Mariners to sign a record $252 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers. Some fans threw paper money out of the upper decks.
Rogers (1-0) allowed five hits in his first shutout and complete game since Sept. 6, 1999, for the New York Mets against San Francisco. He limited struck out six and walked one in the Rangers' second shutout this season, lowering his ERA to 1.73.
"I felt good," said Rogers, also 37. "I felt I was in control of what I was trying to do out there. My location was good when I needed it to be."
Seattle averaged 7.7 runs and 12.4 hits during its road trip, but Rogers shut down the Mariners with his seventh career shutout and 32nd complete game.
"When the guys score nine runs, it's a big boost for you to get in your rhythm," Rogers said. "They just won 10 in a row over there. They're as good as anybody in baseball."
Bret Boone of the Mariners gave all the credit to Rogers.
"He pitched a great game and he deserved to win tonight," he said. "He changed speeds with his sinker. He threw it 89 (mph), he threw it 85, he threw it 82 and he threw it 79. All his pitches had the same movement."
Palmeiro, who drove in four runs, became the 26th player to reach 450 homers. He has 35 homers and 101 RBI against the Mariners.
He gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead in the first with a three-run homer off Paul Abbott (1-1). Frank Catalanotto singled and Rodriguez walked before Palmeiro's third homer this season.
"It was a big one," Palmeiro said. "It put us up in the game early on. We needed to get off to a good start. We didn't let 'em get momentum."
Texas scored four runs in the fourth, with Rodriguez singling in the first two. Palmeiro doubled in a run and Seattle shortstop Carlos Guillen's throwing error gave Texas an unearned run. Michael Young homered off Brian Fitzgerald in the fifth.
Abbott allowed seven runs -- six earned -- and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, throwing 100 pitches. Abbott, a 17-game winner last season, has a 9.64 ERA after four starts.
"Our starting pitcher wasn't very sharp at all," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. "In fact, I'm getting a little concerned. He throws a lot of pitches. It's a cause for concern because it's been the same pattern every time out."
Notes: Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4, stopping his hitting streak at 11 games. ... Palmeiro became the 15th in major league history and the only active player with 450 homers and 2,500 hits ... He has seven home runs and 22 RBIs at Safeco Field. "I don't want to jinx myself, but there's places you hit well and places you don't hit well. This is one of those places I really hit well." ... The Mariners' Jeff Cirillo matched the major league record for consecutive games played at 3B without an error at 99. He tied the mark set by John Wehner from Aug. 2, 1992, to Sept. 29, 2000. ... The Mariners were shut out for the first time since last Aug. 31.
P.S. PAUL ABBOT SUCKS