Major league hits leader Ichiro Suzuki got two more on Sunday, including a leadoff home run, to jump start the Seattle Mariners to a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers in the season finale.
Richie Sexson added his 34th home run in the second inning off Robinson Tejada. Adrian Beltre then singled after Yuniesky Betancourt doubled to break a 2-2 tie in the third.
Suzuki finished with 224 hits, the third time in six Mariners seasons he has led the major leagues in hits. This season, he rebounded from a woeful April of batting .177 to do it, and finished with a .322 average.
Texas' Michael Young had an infield single in the sixth inning to finish with 217 hits, second-most in Rangers' history and second to Suzuki in the league.
The Mariners finished their third-consecutive last-place season 78-84 _ a nine-win improvement over 2005. They went 22-16 following their 0-11 road trip in August that dropped them from playoff contention.
Texas finished 80-82, a one-win improvement over last season and the first time since the Rangers began play in 1972 that they have finished less than four games under or over .500. This was the Rangers' sixth losing season in seven years since they last AL West title, in 1999.
Jake Woods, a reliever who finished the season in the Mariners' makeshift rotation that will get an overhaul in 2007, pitched six innings and allowed eight hits. Woods (7-4) struck out six and walked none.
Jon Huber pitched two scoreless innings before J.J Putz completed the ninth inning for his 36th save in 43 chances.
Tejada (5-5) allowed six hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Ian Kinsler provided all of Texas' scoring with his 14th home run of the season into the back of the Rangers' bullpen off Woods in the third inning.
Notes: Seattle C Kenji Johjima singled in the ninth inning for his 147th hit, setting an AL record for hits by a rookie catcher. Buck Rodgers had 146 for the Los Angeles Angels in 1962. ... Young owns the Rangers' team record with 221 hits, in 2005. ... The Mariners won their third consecutive series over Texas, the first time that's happened since 2002-03. ... Seattle drew 2,481,165 to Safeco Field this season, its third consecutive drop in attendance.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
