SEATTLE 2, MINNESOTA 1 IN SEATTLE

Date:  Thursday, July 4.

Batting star:  Corey Koskie was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Juan Rincon pitched 6.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits and two walks and striking out four.

Opposition stars:  Freddy Garcia struck out seven in seven innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk.  Mark McLemore was 3-for-3 with a triple and a double.  John Olerud was 1-for-3 with a double.

The game:  Another pitchers' duel.  The Twins missed a good chance in the fourth.  Cristian Guzman and Koskie led off the inning with singles.  David Ortiz lined out, but Torii Hunter singled to load the bases.  A wild pitch brought home a run, and Doug Mientkiewicz was intentionally walked to re-load the bases.  The strategy worked, as Dustan Mohr and A. J. Pierzynski both struck out.  The failure to put up a crooked number cost the Twins.  McLemore led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Olerud's sacrifice fly to tie the game.  In the eighth, Edgar Martinez drew a walk and was replaced by Charles Gipson.  Olerud then doubled to left-center, scoring Gipson from first to put the Mariners ahead.  The Twins went down in order in the ninth, and in fact did not get a baserunner after Koskie led off the sixth with a double.

WP:  Arthur Rhodes (5-1).  LP:  Jose Rodriguez (0-1).  S:  Kazuhiro Sasaki (20).

Notes:  Torii Hunter was 1-for-4 to make his average .302...This was the first start of Juan Rincon's career, and it was the best one he would have.  He would start only two more times, both in July of 2002, then spend the rest of his major league career in the bullpen...This was the second game of Jose Rodriguez' career as a Twin.  He came in to start the eighth with the score tied 1-1.  He retired Ichiro Suzuki, then gave up the walk and the double that put Seattle ahead.  He gave an intentional walk to Ruben Sierra before leaving the game.  I assume Gardy was playing match-ups with the left-hander, but it seems strange that he would use Rodriguez in that situation when he had so many better relievers to choose from.

Record:  The Twins were 48-38, in first place, leading Chicago by 6.5 games.