Mariners win 5th straight with another shutout over Cubs

[June 23, 2010]  SEATTLE (AP) -- Jason Vargas pitched four-hit ball over seven innings to win his fourth straight decision and Franklin Gutierrez homered to send the Seattle Mariners to their season-high fifth consecutive victory, 2-0 over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

The Mariners have scored 11 runs during their winning streak, their longest since winning six in a row April 9-15, 2009. Five of those runs came in one game.

Seattle has allowed two runs in the past five games, tying a team record set in September 2001 -- a season in which the Mariners won an American League-record 116 games.

Brandon League and David Aardsma finished the six-hitter. Aardsma, a Cub in 2006, walked Geovany Soto and allowed a single to Alfonso Soriano with two outs in the ninth. But the right-hander struck out Tyler Colvin swinging at a 96 mph fastball for his 16th save in 20 chances.

Ryan Dempster (5-6) yielded five hits in his 11th career complete game and first since Sept. 29 for the Cubs.

Chicago lost for the third time in four games.

The Cubs immediately got League in trouble with a walk by Starlin Castro and a single by Ryan Theriot to begin the eighth. But the ground-ball specialist got Marlon Byrd, who had two hits off Vargas, to chop into a double play. Byrd punched the air in frustration.

Pinch-hitter Chad Tracy then popped out, and the shutout stayed intact.

Vargas (6-2) had seven strikeouts, one short of his career high, and lowered his surprising ERA to 2.66. That's sixth-best in the AL.

Not bad for a Marlins and Mets castoff who battled a bad hip for years, then had to sweat out a Mariners roster spot in spring training.

After Jose Lopez singled off Dempster to begin the second, Gutierrez sent a high, 91 mph fastball deep into the Mariners' bullpen far beyond left-center field. Gutierrez's sixth home run of the season, and first since May 25, was all Vargas needed.

The fastest pitch he threw was 88 mph. But his location was exquisite -- Jeff Baker watched that fastball for strike three on the inside corner to end the sixth.

Chicago's best chance against Vargas came when Soto walked and Soriano singled him to third with two outs in the seventh. First baseman Mike Carp saved the shutout by diving to his right and grabbing a grounder by Colvin. Vargas got over in time to cover the bag and receive Carp's throw to end the inning and keep it 2-0.

Soriano squandered an earlier prime chance for Chicago. He doubled leading off the fifth, then rounded third unaware that left fielder Michael Saunders had drifted into left-center field to easily catch Colvin's line drive. Saunders walked halfway to second and could have gone all the way for the unassisted double play but flipped the ball there instead.

The owner of six All-Star appearances and a $136 million contract walked off the field looking bewildered. He remained that way in the dugout while talking to teammates.

NOTES: The many Cubs fans at Safeco Field booed Mariners slugger Milton Bradley each time he came to the plate. They loved it when he struck out twice. He also walked and flied out, dropping his average to .211. Chicago traded Bradley for Carlos Silva just one failed season into his $30 million, three-year contract with the Cubs. ... Silva will not start the series finale Thursday as planned because of a sore hamstring. Chicago manager Lou Piniella said Silva is scheduled to start Saturday at the White Sox. Ted Lilly will start Thursday. ... This was the Cubs' first game in Seattle since 2002, and Piniella's first in Seattle since 2005 when he was in his final season managing Tampa Bay.

[Associated Press; By GREGG BELL]

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