Moyer limits Tribe to three hits in seven innings

SEATTLE (AP) -- In what could be a playoff preview, the Seattle Mariners liked the result.

Jamie Moyer won his sixth consecutive decision, Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 21 games and the Mariners won their fourth straight game, 4-1 over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

The Mariners trimmed their magic number to win the AL West to 14 games with 33 left because Oakland lost to Detroit 8-4.

Friday night's game was a matchup of two teams that might meet in the opening round of the AL playoffs.

"Who knows who it's going to be in the first round?" said Seattle's Bret Boone, who contributed his 29th home run of the season.

The Mariners (93-36) ended Cleveland's three-game winning streak and clinched the season series against the Indians for the first time in four years. Seattle is 4-1 vs. Cleveland this season.

"To win the first game of the series is a big thing," Moyer said. "They have a good bunch of hitters. We're just playing good baseball right now."

Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel credited Moyer with baffling his hitters.

"Moyer is tough," Manuel said. "I've seen him now for about 12 or 13 years. He amazes me because he uses all his pitches. He knows how to pitch."

Suzuki, who had a 23-game hitting streak -- the longest in the AL this season -- from April 22-May 18, went 3-for-4 to increase his AL-leading batting average to .350. He leads the majors with 198 hits.

Moyer (15-5) limited the AL Central leaders to three singles, two in the fourth inning when the Mariners missed their first triple play of the season because first baseman John Olerud didn't step on the bag.

Moyer has a 1.71 ERA in his eight starts since his last loss July 13.

Moyer, who beat Cleveland and Bartolo Colon 2-1 on Aug. 3, walked two and struck out six. Norm Charlton pitched the final two innings for his first save since Sept. 15, 1998.

It was a sentimental moment for Seattle manager Lou Piniella, who had Charlton in his bullpen in Cincinnati in 1990 and on three separate occasions in Seattle.

"Norm has really pitched well for us all year," Piniella said. "He got the opportunity in spring training for us and he's made the most of it."

Charlton, 38, made the Mariners' roster as an invited player this spring.

"I don't remember the last one," said Charlton, who got his 97th career save and his 67th with the Mariners. "Closing a game like this brings back a lot of fond memories when I was closing games here in '95."

Edgar Martinez gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead against Colon (10-10) in the third with a two-run double for his 97th and 98th RBI of the season.

Martinez doubled to left to score Suzuki from second and Mark McLemore from first after Suzuki singled and McLemore walked to lead off the third.

In the fourth, Omar Vizquel and Roberto Alomar singled to lead off the inning before Juan Gonzalez hit a line drive to Boone. Boone stepped on second base to double off Vizquel and then threw to first. The throw was in time to get Alomar, but Olerud failed to touch the bag with his foot.

Alomar had a sacrifice fly in the sixth for Cleveland's run and his 1,000th career RBI.

In the seventh, Suzuki singled in David Bell from third after Bell doubled and went to third on Tom Lampkin's fly ball to center.

Boone homered off Colon with one out in the ninth, giving him 112 RBI for the season, second in the AL.

Boone, who struck out his first two at bats against Colon, homered on a fastball away.

Colon allowed four runs on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

Game notes
Moyer's record with Seattle is 80-39 since being acquired in a trade by then-general manager Woody Woodward for Darren Bragg from Boston July 31, 1996. ... Alomar became the 16th player in major league history to collect 1,000 RBI, steal 400 bases and collect 2,300 or more hits in a career. The only other active player with that distinction is Rickey Henderson. Alomar joined Frankie Frisch, Eddie Collins Sr. and Joe Morgan as the only 2Bs to accomplish the feat. ... The Mariners' record against the AL Central is 30-9.