Mariners Keep Stumbling Toward Elimination

The Seattle Mariners put themselves on the verge of playoff elimination with an 8-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Oakland.

The Mariners, who have lost five of their past six, were eliminated from contention in the AL West, giving the division to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers advanced to the postseason for the first time in the 36-year history of the franchise, which spent its first 11 seasons as the expansion Washington Senators before moving to Arlington.

Seattle remained 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore, which lost to Toronto, in the wild-card race and can at best tie for a playoff spot. The Mariners, who dropped to third in the wild-card race behind Chicago, play Oakland again today and Sunday, and would play a makeup game at Cleveland on Monday if it’s necessary to decide the wild-card race.

Dave Telgheder (4-7), pounded for five home runs in a loss to Seattle last week, pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings and struck out five, including Ken Griffey Jr. three times.

Toronto 3, Baltimore 2--Brady Anderson tied the Orioles’ team record with his 49th homer, but the Blue Jays stalled the Orioles postseason push at Toronto.

If the Orioles, who hold a two-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL wild-card race, lose their final two regular-season games, the White Sox could force a one-game playoff for the wild-card spot if they win their final two games at Minnesota. Chicago beat the Twins, 4-2, on Friday.

The Orioles could have eliminated Chicago and inched closer to their first playoff berth since 1983 with a victory, but they were forced to play without second baseman Roberto Alomar, who was ejected in the first inning after arguing a called third strike by umpire John Hirshbeck. It was his first ejection of the season, and after he charged from the dugout he had to be restrained by Baltimore Manager Davey Johnson.

Johnson wasn’t able to stop Alomar from spitting in Hirshbeck’s face, an infraction that could result in a league-mandated suspension for the Orioles’ leading hitter.

Chicago 4, Minnesota 2--Ray Durham and Danny Tartabull homered as the White Sox stayed alive in the wild-card race by beating the Twins at Minneapolis.

The two homers gave Chicago a team-record 193 this season, one more than the White Sox hit in 1977.

Boston 7, New York 5--Yankee Manager Joe Torre’s playoff pitching dilemma deepened when the Red Sox hammered Dwight Gooden at Boston.

Torre was considering both Gooden and Jimmy Key as his possible starter for the Yankees’ third playoff game next week behind Andy Pettitte and David Cone.

But Gooden (11-7), making his first start at Fenway Park since losing Game 5 of the 1986 World Series with the New York Mets, gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings with six strikeouts, two walks and a wild pitch that led to a run.

Milwaukee 7, Detroit 6--Jose Valentin and Matt Mieske each drove in two runs as the Brewers handed the Tigers their 15th consecutive home loss in a rain-shortened game.

The game was called with one out in the top of the sixth after the last of three rain delays.