The Seattle Mariners continue their efforts not to lose 100 games – they need eight more wins to assure that doesn’t happen – and Ichiro continues his march into baseball history.

Coming in with a nine-game hitting streak and a .313 batting average, Ichiro has 181 hits this season – 2,211 in his career. That leaves him four shy of 167th place on the games all-time hits list, a spot currently held by one Joe DiMaggio.

How’s Ichiro feel about all this? He’s not saying. Not in English, not even in Japanese. Ichiro has more or less declared an moratorium on interviews, choosing to focus on  his game, his pre-game rituals and quiet.

That’s no fun for the media, but it hasn’t hurt his game.

It’s Luke French vs. Gio Gonzalez, lefty vs. lefty, with Ichiro leading off.

• Chone Figgins singled with one out and stole second base. On a 1-2 pitch, Russell Branyan homered to center field – a mammoth shot that was his 24th of the season. In the first: Seattle 2, Oakland 0.
• One out into the second, Matt Tuiasosopo hit his fourth home run on 2-0 pitch.  Josh Wilson was hit by a pitch with two out, and Ichiro singled – his 182nd of the season with 22 games to play.  Ichiro took second base on a wild pitch, Wilson held at third. Figgins walked to load ‘em up. Branyan flied out. In the second: Seattle 3, Oakland 0.
• Steve Tolleson singled and, with one out, Coco Crisp homered, his eighth. In the third: Seattle 3, Oakland 2.
• Ichiro doubled to left field, his 183rd hit of the season. Figgins grounded out, Ichiro taking third. Branyan struck out. Lopez struck out. In the fifth: Seattle 3, Oakland 2.
• Mark Ellis doubled and Rajai Davis bunted safely, Ellis to third.  Carson grounded into a fielders choice, Ellis caught off third base. Jamie Wright replaced French. Davis and Carson pulled a double steal. Tolleson walked. Cliff Pennington grounded into a fielders choice, Davis scoring.  Crisp singled home another run.   In the sixth:  Oakland 4, Seattle 3..