DODGERS OVERWHELMED FRONT-RUNNING MARINERS SPRINT PAST L.A. BEHIND GARCIA, SUZUKI SEATTLE 13, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki didn't disappoint anyone getting a glimpse of the Japanese star for the first time, but it was Seattle right-hander Freddy Garcia who showed why the Mariners are running to the playoffs.

Garcia didn't allow a hit until Chris Donnels' one-out single in the sixth inning and the Mariners put their dominance on display in a 13-0 drubbing of the Dodgers on Friday in front of a sellout crowd of 53,072 in the opener of an interleague series at Dodger Stadium.

It's the Dodgers' worst shutout loss since April 28, 1997, when they were beaten 14-0 in Atlanta.

Garcia (10-1) dominated a Dodgers lineup that was rolling until a 3-2 loss to the Giants on Thursday. Before Donnels' hit in the sixth, the Dodgers hit five balls out of the infield. In tossing his second consecutive shutout, Garcia allowed four hits. Garcia, who struck out five and walked only Alex Cora in the third inning, is unscored upon in his last 20 2/3 innings.

Suzuki led off the game with a homer against Dodgers ace Kevin Brown as the Mariners scored twice in the first inning. Suzuki went 3 for 5 with two RBI and an intentional walk.

Rob Bell added a two-run homer for the Mariners off reliever Al Reyes and Al Martin welcomed right-hander Mike Fetters back into action with a three-run home run in the eighth.

It was an all-around awful night for Fetters, who was activated from the disabled list before Thursday's game and battered on this night. Fetters faced six batters, allowed three hits, walked two and had a runner reach on an error. He also threw a wild pitch as all six batters scored. Fetters left without recording an out.

In fact, it was an atrocious effort on all accounts for the Dodgers, who lost for the second consecutive time after winning nine consecutive games. However, they remain 4 1/2 games behind Arizona in the National League West. The Diamondbacks were one-hit in a loss to Oakland.

Seattle (62-23) leads the Athletics by 20 games in the American League West.

Brown (7-4) doesn't appear to be fully recovered from the nerve injury that sent him to the disabled list for a month. A pinched nerve in his neck led to a tingling sensation in his hand and the loss of strength in his right forearm.

The team repeatedly says Brown is fine, but he left Dodger Stadium after Wednesday's game wearing a banded-sleeve around his right arm. After his last start Brown acknowledged all was not well, though he said he was progressing.

But clearly, it was another atypical outing for Brown. He yielded four runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. A pitcher known for his brilliant command and ability pitch out of trouble, Brown walked Mark McLemore in the sixth inning with the bases loaded to force in the Mariners' fourth run.

In his three starts since returning from the disabled list, Brown has pitched a total of 16 1/3 innings and has a 4.96 ERA. Before his May 29 outing against Colorado in which he allowed six runs in six-plus innings, Brown had a 1.96 ERA and averaged 6 2/3 innings per start.

Suzuki gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead by hitting Brown's fourth pitch for a homer. McLemore singled and eventually scored on Martin's two-out single to right as Seattle went ahead 2-0.

The Mariners increased their lead to 4-0 when they knocked Brown out in the sixth. Carlos Guillen began the inning with a single and Dan Wilson walked. Garcia sacrificed, but third baseman Adrian Beltre's ill-advised decision to throw to third instead of getting the sure out was compounded when Guillen beat the throw and Cora's return to first was wild.

Guillen scored and after Suzuki was intentionally walked and McLemore took a close 3-2 pitch for a walk to force in a run, Al Reyes relieved.

Perhaps that was the only thing that kept the Dodgers from becoming a dubious part of history. Donnels entered the game in a double switch, and he responded with a one-out single off Garcia to break up the gem.

Bell, who nearly reached the all-star game thanks to ballot box stuffing, added a two-run homer for the Mariners in the seventh against Reyes.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Seattle's Japanese sensation, Ichiro Suzuki, watches his first- inning home run leave Dodger Stadium on Friday.

(2 -- color) Dodgers pitcher Kevin Brown stands hunched over during a shaky performance Friday in a 13-0 loss.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer