Mariners’ Problems Become Texas-Sized

The Seattle Mariners dug themselves a pretty deep hole in the American League West and wild-card races by getting swept in a four-game series by the last-place Texas Rangers.

“We’ve got to find a way to snap out of this and give ourselves an eye-opening chance to stay in this thing,” Seattle center fielder Mike Cameron said after Thursday’s 7-3 loss at Arlington, Texas.

The Mariners, who hadn’t been swept by the Rangers in a four-game series in 10 years, are seven games behind the Angels and the Oakland Athletics in the division and wild-card races. The four-game losing streak matched a season high.

“It’s gone as far as it can,” Bret Boone said. “It was bad timing and we never expected it. But there is not time to roll over.”

The Mariners, whose last 16 games are against AL West opponents, begin a three-game series tonight at Oakland.

Herbert Perry went three for four, including a pair of RBI doubles, and Chan Ho Park won his fifth consecutive start to lead the Rangers.

Park gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked three.

Park has won all five starts since coming off the disabled list Aug. 23, being sidelined by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Before that, the right-hander hadn’t won consecutive games for the Rangers, who signed Park to a $65 million, five-year contract last December.

During his streak, Park has a 2.70 earned-run average and 34 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings.

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Cleveland 5, Minnesota 4--Omar Vizquel hit a three-run double and the Indians hung on to defeat the Twins at Cleveland and stall Minnesota’s drive to its first postseason berth since 1991.

The Twins’ magic number for clinching the AL Central remained at three.

Cleveland trailed, 3-1, in the seventh when Vizquel doubled off Joe Mays (3-7) after John McDonald’s potential double-play grounder to shortstop was misplayed by Cristian Guzman. After Ellis Burks’ infield single, Jim Thome had an RBI double.

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New York 7, Baltimore 3--David Wells (17-7), showing no ill effects from a diner fight last weekend, defeated the Orioles for the fourth time this season as the Yankees completed a four-game sweep at New York.

The Yankees cut their magic number for clinching the AL East to eight.

Wells gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked none.

Jason Giambi left with a bruised right wrist after being hit by a pitch, and was listed as day to day.

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Boston 6, Tampa Bay 3--Carlos Baerga tied the score with a bloop single in a four-run ninth off Esteban Yan (6-8) and Trot Nixon hit a go-ahead two-run single to lead the Red Sox at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless ninth for his 34th save. Tim Wakefield (10-5) gave up one earned run and seven hits in eight innings.

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Chicago 5, Kansas City 1--Jon Garland (11-11) gave up two hits--a homer and single to Raul Ibanez--in seven innings and Magglio Ordonez drove in two runs for the White Sox at Kansas City, Mo.

Rookie Miguel Asencio (3-6) gave up five runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.