Park closes 2004 on a strong note

Park Chan-ho, 31, of the Texas Rangers, had a solid finish to an injury-plagued season on Sunday. The South Korean hurler (4-7) pitched a two-hit shutout through seven innings against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
Texas won the game 3-0 to give Park his fourth victory, with the before that coming on Aug. 27 against the Minnesota Twins. “It’s nice to finish the season this way because it gives you something to look forward to next year,” Park said.
Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki, who broke George Sisler’s single-season record of 257 hits on Friday against the Rangers, added two more ― one off Park ― on Sunday to finish the season with 262 hits.
Eight teams will compete in the playoffs, which begin in the United States tomorrow. In the National League, it’s the LA Dodgers vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Houston Astros vs. the Atlanta Braves. In the American League, it’s the Boston Red Sox vs. the Anaheim Angels, and the Minnesota Twins vs. the New York Yankees.

by Nam Koong-wook