Ichiro robs the Angels, 6-4
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Ichiro Suzuki reached base twice, scored a run, stole a base and made a breath-taking catch in right field to help the Seattle Mariners to a 6-4 Cactus League win over the Angels on Tuesday.
Ichiro opened the Seattle first with an infield single then moved around to score on a stolen base, a ground out and a passed day, giving the Mariners a 1-0 lead. But his most memorable play came an inning later on a drive by Jeff Mathis. Running with his back to the plate, Ichiro made a diving over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track in right field to rob Mathis of extra bases.
Brandon Wood, who had an RBI triple earlier in the inning, tagged up and scored on the play to put the Angels in front 2-1.
‘He’s won some Gold Gloves right?’ said Angel reliever Scot Shields, who watched Ichiro’s play from the right-field bullpen. ‘That’s why he’s won them. It reminded me a little of [Willie] Mays or the Jim Edmonds’ catch,’ Shields said, referring to two of the most memorable defensive plays in baseball history.
Even though the catch short-circuited an Angel rally, Shields confessed that he saluted the play with a clap.
‘You have to appreciate catches like that,’ he said. ‘[It’s] spring training. In the regular season [it’s] ‘Drop that!’ ‘
Shields could be accused of dropping the ball himself, coming on in the third inning and giving up the lead on a walk and two hits, including a two-run game-tying home run by Jose Lopez, his first of the spring. The runs were the first Shields has allowed this year.
The Angels rallied to go back in front in the fourth before Seattle went ahead to stay in the seventh on a two-run, two-out double by Franklin Gutierrez.
Kendry Morales, Howie Kendrick and Robb Quinlan each had a pair of hits for the Angels, who had 11 on the day. Morales also drove in his 10th run of the spring.
Gutierrez was the only Mariner with multiple hits.
-- Kevin Baxter in Peoria, Ariz.