Griffey Hits #35, M's Win

Tampa Bay's Wade Boggs closed to within four hits of 3,000, but the Seattle Mariners tied their longest winning streak of the season at six with a 5-2 victory over the Devil Rays Tuesday night.

Boggs went 1-for-3 to give him 2,996 career hits, one more than San Diego's Tony Gwynn. The Devil Rays lost their fifth straight.

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Rookie left-hander John Halama (9-2) tied the Mariners' record by winning his ninth straight decision and Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez homered for Seattle on consecutive pitches in the fifth inning.

Halama, acquired last season in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to Houston, allowed five hits and four walks, while striking out three in 6 2-3 innings. He began the season in the Seattle bullpen and lost two games in relief in April.

Halama tied Texas' Jeff Zimmerman and Boston's Pedro Martinez for the longest winning streaks this season.

Jose Mesa gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out in the ninth. Mesa struck out Terrell Lowery and got Dave Martinez to fly out. Mesa earned his 23rd save in 26 chances.

Trailing 2-1, the Mariners scored three runs off Ryan Rupe (6-5) in the fifth with Griffey getting his AL-leading 35th homer and Rodriguez following with his 25th.

Edgar Martinez walked nd scored on John Mabry's double that Bubba Trammell lost in the lights and landed about 30 from the left fielder.

Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Boggs and Trammell walked and Boggs scored on Lowery's two-out single.

The Devil Rays scored in the first when Dave Martinez walked and scored on Tony Graffanino's double over Griffey's head in center.

The Mariners got an unearned run in the fourth when Rodriguez reached second on third baseman Boggs' throwing error and scored on Mabry's single.

Rupe allowed four runs three earned and six hits in five innings.

Notes:

The retractable roof at new Safeco Field was opened just before the game after being closed during a thunderstorm. It was kept open and the fans were treated to lightning bolts in the dark sky during the game.

Tuesday night's crowd was 37,180, the first crowd under 40,000 in the 13th game at Safeco.

After his single in the second, Boggs was doubled off first by Griffey after Griffey caught Trammell's fly ball.

Griffey and Rodriguez homered in consecutive at bats for the eighth time in their careers.

Tampa Bay is 3-16 in games against left-handed starters.

The Devil Rays are 5-16 since Jose Canseco went on the DL July 10.

Halama tied the team record of nine consecutive winning decisions by Scott Bankhead in 1989 and Dave Fleming in 1992.

Rodriguez has hit five homers and Griffey three in 13 games at Safeco this season.

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