Ichiro closes in as M’s win

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ichiro Suzuki moved within six of the season hits record, and the Seattle Mariners beat Texas 9-0 Sunday to damage the Rangers’ playoff hopes.

Suzuki went 1 for 4 with an intentional walk. His sixth-inning single raised his total to 251 with seven games remaining to reach the record of 257, set by George Sisler in 1920.

Cha Seung Baek (2-4) allowed just three hits in eight innings, and Scott Atchison pitched the ninth to complete the three-hitter.

Baek, who threw 114 pitches in just his fifth major league start, escaped a two-on jam in the eighth when he threw a called third strike past Hank Blalock.

No. 9 hitter Jose Lopez went 2 for 3 with four RBIs for the Mariners, who took two of three for the second time in a week to win consecutive series for the first time since the first week of May.

Ryan Drese (14-9) had won his three previous starts and had a 2.87 ERA at home but gave up six runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

A two-run double by Lopez in the second came just two pitches after a disputed call that would have ended the inning.

Raul Ibanez, whose team-record streak of nine straight hits ended Saturday night, led off the second with his 16th homer for a 1-0 lead.

Bret Boone and Jeremy Reed followed with consecutive singles, and Miguel Olivo popped out on an attempted bunt. Greg Dobbs then hit a grounder and was ruled safe by first-base umpire Ed Montague, avoiding an inning-ending double play.

Rangers manager Buck Showalter and Drese, who was covering first, argued the call. Replays showed that Dobbs may have been out.

Lopez followed with a two-run double and scored on Randy Winn’s double for a 4-0 lead.

Montague left the game before the start of the fifth because of elevated blood pressure. Rangers spokesman Gregg Elkin said Montague was taken to Arlington Memorial Hospital for observation.

Olivo stopped an 0-for-31 slump with a leadoff single in the fourth, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lopez. Ibanez added a double in the fifth and scored on Boone’s single that made it 6-0, chasing Drese.