Mariner Streak Climbing Higher

John Olerud isn’t the only player who hasn’t seen this kind of start to a baseball season.

Seattle is off to the third-best start in major league history after winning its franchise record 11th consecutive game, 8-4, at Seattle over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Sunday.

Bret Boone hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Mariners (43-12), who matched the best start in baseball since the 1953 New York Yankees also won 43 of 55. Only the 1912 New York Giants and 1939 Yankees have started better, going 44-11.

“It’s a lot of fun going through a winning streak,” Olerud said. “But I’ve never been on a team that had it last this long. It’s unbelievable.”

Ichiro Suzuki opened the bottom of the third with a single off Tanyon Sturtze (2-5), stole second, and scored on Boone’s 11th homer of the season as the Mariners took a 2-0 lead.

Boone added a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, giving him 57 runs batted in this season.

The Mariners played without Edgar Martinez, who is day to day with a foot injury. Suzuki stepped into the designated hitter role and produced, going three for four with a walk, two runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases. Suzuki leads the AL with 20 steals.

Freddy Garcia (6-0) gave up four runs and seven hits over 7 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 in five starts against the Devil Rays.

Kazuhiro Sasaki came on with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth. He got Greg Vaughn on a foul popup for his major league-leading 23rd save.

The Devil Rays didn’t get a runner past second base until Gerald Williams’ two-out homer in the seventh cut Seattle’s lead to 3-1.

The Mariners blew the game open with five runs in the seventh against reliever Travis Phelps.

Cleveland 4, New York 3--Charles Nagy provided a boost to the Indian pitching staff, throwing seven impressive innings at New York in his 2001 debut.

Roberto Alomar hit a home run in the first off Andy Pettitte (6-4) and hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Nagy held the Yankees to only one hit--Derek Jeter’s home run--through five innings and gave up four overall and walked three.

Boston 5, Toronto 4--Manny Ramirez hit the longest home run in SkyDome history to lead the Red Sox to their fifth consecutive victory.

Ramirez hit his 18th homer into the fifth deck in left field. The 491-foot shot landed on a tarp and bounced up toward a hotel room window that looks down on the stadium.

Dante Bichette followed with a home run off Toronto starter Chris Carpenter (5-3), helping Boston swept the four-game series.

Chicago 9, Detroit 6--Paul Konerko hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning at Chicago and the White Sox overcame a six-run deficit for their fourth consecutive victory.

Detroit built a 6-0 lead and starter Steve Sparks held Chicago hitless into the sixth inning. But the White Sox rallied with four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Minnesota 6, Texas 3--Jason Maxwell had the third three-hit game of his career--all against Texas--and drove in two runs at Arlington, Texas, as part of the Twins’ 15-hit attack.

Eric Milton (6-3) gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings to win for the first time in four starts.

Oakland 5, Baltimore 1--Cory Lidle finally got his first victory with the Athletics, giving up seven hits over seven innings at Oakland.

Lidle (1-4) had gone winless in nine starts before Sunday. He lost his shutout bid on Chris Richard’s one-out homer in the sixth inning, but he gave up just one more hit.

Ramon Hernandez homered and drove in two runs for the A’s, who averted a series sweep.