Palmeiro makes history at M’s expense

SEATTLE – Safeco Field, where Rafael Palmeiro has experienced some of his best moments as a hitter, hosted his greatest Friday night.

Palmeiro lined a double into the left-field corner in the fifth inning for his 3,000th career hit, a milestone that only 25 other players in major league history have reached.

“Not too many people have gotten 3,000 hits. It’s one of the most important moments of my career,” Palmeiro said.

Palmeiro became one of only four players in history – joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Eddie Murray – to have at least 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. He has 566 home runs in a 20-year major league career, with 51 against the Mariners, more than any other opponent.

Palmeiro went 2 for 4 Friday, when the Orioles roughed up Mariners starter Joel Pineiro in a 6-3 victory over the M’s.

The Mariners have lost two straight since their four-game sweep at Anaheim and have fallen 14½ games behind the first-place Angels in the American League West.

Palmeiro, who got his 2,999th hit in the fourth inning of Thursday’s game, batted twice Friday before getting his 3,000th, with thousands of cameras flashing on every pitch.

Pineiro walked him in the first inning, inciting a healthy dose of boos from many in the crowd of 39,044, and got him to ground out in the third.

In the fifth, Palmeiro drove a two-ball, two-strike pitch – a fastball high and on the outer part of the plate from Pineiro – into the left-field corner on one hop.

The humble Palmeiro tipped his cap to the cheering crowd, then watched almost in surprise as his Orioles teammates, coaches and trainers spilled out of the dugout and bullpen to congratulate him.

“It was emotional,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting anything. I thought the game would stop for a second or two and then it would continue. But they came out there and it was a great honor. And the Mariner fans, the way they applauded, I’m very appreciative of that.”

His 10-year-old son, Preston, put down the video camera he’d kept focused for each of Dad’s at-bats the past two games and joined the team on the field. Palmeiro then lifted his son and hugged him.

“That’s the best,” Palmeiro said. “For him to be part of that, I’ll never forget it.”

Pineiro also congratulated Palmeiro with a wave, then went back to his mound of troubles.

A rugged season that, for one night, straightened itself last week in a complete-game victory at Anaheim, continued with a supreme struggle. Pineiro gave up nine hits and five runs in five innings, and he’s 3-5 with a 5.61 ERA.

Melvin Mora homered in the first inning and Orioles scored twice more in the second. By the time Pineiro took the mound in the third, he had already thrown 59 pitches and allowed four hits and three runs.

The Orioles had at least one baserunner in every inning Pineiro pitched, including the fifth when they scored two more runs on three doubles – including Palmeiro’s historic hit – to take a 5-1 lead.

Palmeiro singled to center field off reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa in the seventh, moving past Roberto Clemente into 25th place on baseball’s all-time hit list. The crowd honored him again with a loud cheer.

“I never played this game for the fanfare, to get attention,” Palmeiro said. “I play because I love this game.”

Offensively, the Mariners had two innings of hope – when Richie Sexson homered in the second and they scored twice in the seventh – cutting the Orioles’ lead to two runs each time.

The bottom three in the order struggled, however, going a combined 1 for 12 and getting only Mike Morse’s single in the fifth. Left fielder Chris Snelling, starting only his second game since being called up from Class AAA Tacoma on July 3, went 0 for 3 and catcher Miguel Olivo struck out three times to drop his average to .145.