ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Ichiro Suzuki set the American League record for singles and his team moved closer to the single-season mark for wins as Bret Boone's RBI single snapped an eighth-inning tie in a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Angels Wednesday night.
Suzuki singled three times and doubled in five at-bats to raise his league-leading batting average to .351. He has 190 singles, three more than the previous AL record,set by Wade Boggs with the Boston Red Sox in 1985.
The 5-9 Suzuki has been a big reason Seattle (113-45) needs just two wins in its final four games to break the 1998 New York Yankees' AL record of 114 victories.
With two on and two outs in the ninth, Suzuki sprinted toward the right-field line and made a running catch on Darin Erstad's sinking fly ball. The catch gave fellow Japanese native Kazuhiro Sasaki his 44th save in 51 chances.
Norm Charlton (4-2) retired all four batters he faced for the win as Seattle finished 15-4 against Anaheim. Al Levine (8-10) took the loss.
The Mariners can set a major league record for wins by sweeping former teammate Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers in a four-game series that begins on Thursday. The 1906 Chicago Cubs won 116 games.
