Mariners’ Win a Record-Setter

Mark McLemore can’t believe how well the Seattle Mariners are playing.

Kazuhiro Sasaki got his record 13th save in April and McLemore hit a home run Saturday night as the Seattle Mariners won their ninth consecutive game and set a major league record with 20 April victories, defeating the Chicago White Sox, 8-5, at Chicago.

“Really? Wow! That’s pretty special: the most wins ever in April,” McLemore said, shaking his head.

So are the Mariners really that good?

“Only time will tell,” said McLemore, who went four for five. “Setting a record is not our goal. Winning the World Series is our goal.”

Bret Boone hit a go-ahead, sixth-inning single for the Mariners, who at 20-4 are off to the best start in baseball since the Milwaukee Brewers won 20 of 24 to open the 1987 season.

Seattle, which had 15 hits, is only the 11th team to start 20-4, and broke the previous record of 19 April victories, set by the 1997 Atlanta Braves.

“It’s something we’re very proud of,” Manager Lou Piniella said. “In the long history of baseball, to think that our Seattle club would set the record for most wins in April, it’s special.”

The Mariners have won 13 of 14 overall.

New York 7, Oakland 6--Chuck Knoblauch went four for five with a homer and three runs batted in at New York to help Ted Lilly to his first major league victory.

The victory, the Yankees’ second in a row after losing eight of 11, was Manager Joe Torre’s 500th with the team. He’s the sixth Yankee manager to reach that mark.

Knoblauch is on an 11-game hitting streak, going 26 for 51 during that span to raise his average to .352. He has nine multihit games in the streak.

Cleveland 7, Texas 3--Roberto Alomar hit a two-run homer and Juan Gonzalez threw out two runners from right field to lead the Indians at Cleveland.

Alomar’s shot in the sixth inning against Rick Helling (1-4) was his first homer in 81 at-bats this season and made him a .400 hitter (10 for 25) in his career against the right-hander.

Baltimore 5, Minnesota 2--Slumping Brook Fordyce hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs and Chuck McElroy got his first victory of the season for the Orioles at Minneapolis.

Tampa Bay 7, Detroit 3--Mike Judd pitched five strong innings and Gerald Williams had three RBIs for the Devil Rays at Detroit.

Kansas City 8, Boston 2--Mark Quinn homered and had three RBIs and the Royals took advantage of five Red Sox errors at Boston.

The Red Sox, who came in tied with the Mariners for the fewest errors in the American League with 10, made five in the first six innings.