NewsIchiro one hit shy of 2,000 for MLB career
Seattle (72-65) at Oakland (60-76), 1:05 p.m. PT
By Jane Lee / Special to MLB.com
09/06/09 12:36 AM ET
OAKLAND -- Ichiro Suzuki is experiencing a season unlike any other. The Mariners outfielder has missed 16 games -- the same number he tallied in his previous eight seasons combined with Seattle. Not exactly numbers the nine-year veteran wants to see. By season's end, though, 2009 will more than likely be one for the books. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, Ichiro is on pace to become the second-fastest player in Major League history to reach the 2,000-hit plateau. Al Simmons did it in 1,390 games while Ichiro has played in 1,401. George Sisler (1,414) is currently second on the list. "We have a lot of games left to play, a lot of more baseball left in the season," Ichiro said Friday. "If there were only four or five games, then I would be naturally conscious about it, but as of now, I'm not." Others certainly are, though. He enters Sunday's series finale against Oakland one hit shy of 2,000. Furthermore, the 35-year-old Ichiro needs just six more hits to have 200 or more in nine straight seasons, which would break the consecutive-season mark he holds with Willie Keeler (1894-1901). Although the club continues to keep an eye on Ichiro's left calf tightness, which forced him to miss eight consecutive games at the end of August, manager Don Wakamatsu has no doubt the Japanese phenom will have already reached both historic marks when the final out of the season is made. "It's amazing, the amount of weapons he has to get that," the first-year skipper said. "He has such a feel for the ball and what he can do with his body and motion never ceases to amaze us. I watched him for a number of years, and I'm glad I'm going to be a part of that." Pitching matchupSEA: RHP Doug Fister (2-1, 2.94 ERA)
Fister gets the award for best turnaround in back-to-back starts. Five days after surrendering three home runs to the Royals, resulting in his first big league loss, the unheralded right-hander held the hot-hitting Angels to five hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings. Fister pitched ahead in the count most of the game and though he had just two strikeouts, the rookie zeroed in on the strike zone. Seventy of his season-high 107 pitches were strikes. His start against the Athletics will be like a home game. Fister grew up in Merced, Calif., and attended Fresno State. OAK: LHP Gio Gonzalez (4-5, 6.07 ERA)
Gonzalez got off to a shaky start against the Royals on Monday, allowing three first-inning runs. He settled down some after that as he held Kansas City to two runs over his final 4 1/3 innings. He gave up six hits, walked four and struck out eight, throwing 103 pitches. The rookie is 0-3 with a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings over his past four starts. He's faced Seattle twice this year, allowing seven runs on 12 hits over 10 innings. Sea Scrolls
Ken Griffey Jr. was held out of the lineup for the second straight day with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. The 39-year-old designated hitter, who grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, took batting practice Saturday and is expected to return to the lineup in a couple of days, Wakamatsu said. ... Reliever Mark Lowe, who has appeared in a career-high 62 games this season, got the night off Saturday after seeing action four out of the previous five contests. He notched his second save of the season on Friday. ... Catcher Rob Johnson made his first start of the series -- 68th of the season -- on Saturday. Kenji Johjima, who started the first two games against Oakland, is on pace for about 200 fewer at-bats than he had in 2007 when he was the team's undisputed starting catcher. He broke a toe in Oakland on May 25 and has seen less playing team since. ... Designated hitter Mike Sweeney has recorded a hit in 11 of his past 13 games, including seven multihit games. Tickets
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• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 14-5, 2.65) at Angels (Scott Kazmir, 8-8, 5.68), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Mariners (Ian Snell, 6-9, 5.21) at Angels (Jered Weaver, 14-5, 3.79), 7:05 p.m. PT
Jane Lee is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
