Finley’s Shutout Gives Mariners a Dirty Dozen : Baseball: In losing to the Angels, 9-0, Seattle ties a club record for consecutive losses with 12.

The Seattle Mariners tied a team record with their 12th consecutive loss Tuesday night, but at least they went down fighting.

The Angels beat up on the Mariners, 9-0, as Chuck Finley pitched a four-hitter in a game that was delayed in the eighth inning by a bench-clearing brawl.

“There’s been some bad blood between these teams,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said.

The problems started in the eighth inning when Chad Curtis stole second base with the Angels leading, 6-0.

Seattle pitcher Eric Gunderson then hit Gary DiSarcina, and DiSarcina and Seattle catcher Dave Valle exchanged words.

“He (Valle) told everyone he was going to hit (DiSarcina),” Rodgers said. “We’re last in the league in hitting, we’re not trying to embarrass anyone. I don’t know if we have to play Dave Valle rules or baseball rules.”

Earlier this season, Valle made a hard tag at the plate on Curtis, and the benches emptied.

Three batters after Gunderson hit DiSarcina, Gunderson nearly hit Luis Polonia. Polonia ducked and the ball hit his bat.

Polonia rushed the mound and started hitting Gunderson with his batting helmet. Players from both teams rushed the field but calm was quickly restored.

Gunderson and Polonia were thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Ted Hendry.

The 12-game losing streak matched Seattle’s record, set in 1980 and tied again in 1989.

Finley (5-12), winless in his previous seven outings, did not allow a runner past second base. He struck out six and walked four in his fourth complete game of the season and first shutout since June 4, 1991.

“I’ve been throwing the ball well the second half,” said Finley. “I had off-season surgery on my foot and it took me a while to come around.”

The Angels scored once in the fourth, once again in the fifth and four times in the sixth to send Dave Fleming (15-9) to his fourth straight loss.