Palmeiro one hit shy of 3,000

Baltimore (48-40) at Seattle (39-49), 10:05 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Rafael Palmeiro can become the 26th member of the 3,000-hit club on Friday when the Baltimore Orioles continue a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners.

The 40-year-old Palmeiro went 1-for-3 in the Orioles' 5-3 victory on Thursday, giving him 2,999 for his career. He had a chance for No. 3,000 in the eighth inning, but drew a walk against reliever Julio Mateo, resulting in a chorus of boos from the crowd at Safeco Field.

With his next hit, Palmeiro will join Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Eddie Murray - a former teammate with the Orioles - as the only players in history to record 3,000 hits and 500 homers.

Palmeiro, who has 566 homers, will try to join that exclusive club against Mariners starter Joel Pineiro (3-4, 5.44 ERA). Palmeiro went 1-for-2 against Pineiro on May 24 and has a career .300 (6-for-20) average against the righthander.

Pineiro snapped a personal 11-game winless streak on July 7, tossing a six-hitter in a 10-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Baltimore counters with Rodrigo Lopez (8-5, 4.47), who won for the first time in four starts last Sunday, allowing just one run and three hits in eight innings in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Jay Gibbons and Sal Fasano each homered as the Orioles snapped a seven-game road losing streak in the series opener.

Willie Bloomquist had an RBI single and scored a run for Seattle, which had a four-game winning streak snapped.