The Associated Press
Joel Pineiro threw three strong innings of work in Seattle's 7-4 win over Colorado on Sunday.

Split squads lead to mixed results for M's

Pineiro shines in victory over Rockies; Harris leads Brewers

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Monday, March 11, 2002

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Joel Pineiro pitched three shutout innings and a split squad of Seattle Mariners scored three runs in the seventh to beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4 Sunday.

Pineiro, the front-runner for the No. 5 spot in the Mariners rotation, limited the Rockies to just two hits in Colorado's first home loss of the spring.

Seattle had 14 hits as Carlos Guillen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Charles Gipson was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

John Thomson, Colorado's projected No. 4 starter, pitched four innings in his second official start of the spring. He gave up three runs, five hits and one walk.

Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first. Guillen had an RBI single and Mike Cameron hit a sacrifice fly to score Mark McLemore, who led off with a single. Gipson added another run for the Mariners in the fourth with an RBI single.

At Phoenix, Lenny Harris hit a two-run homer, Ryan Christenson hit a solo shot and Geoff Jenkins hit a three-run double as the Brewers rolled in a split squad game.

Harris entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the sixth inning and homered off Jeff Nelson in the seventh.

"I'm finally starting to stay on the ball a little bit more -- finally," Harris said.

Ichiro Suzuki, the reigning MVP in the American League, hit the third pitch of the game for a solo homer, his first of the spring, off Brewers lefty Glendon Rusch.

That set an ominous tone for the starting pitchers. Rusch, acquired along with Harris and Alex Ochoa in the deal that sent Jeromy Burnitz to the New York Mets, struggled with his control during a 2 2-3 inning performance.

Rusch's counterpart, John Halama, didn't fare better. Halama, battling Joel Pineiro for the No. 5 spot in Seattle's rotation, allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- six hits and five walks in two innings.

M's 7, Rockies 4 Brewers 11, M's 8

- Record: 5-5.

- Today: Seattle at Chicago White Sox, noon.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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