The team has never played five straight errorless games to start the season, and won't this season.

Pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith's throwing error in the first inning Friday scored Oakland's first run. Third baseman Adrian Beltre later had a throwing error.

Second baseman Jose Lopez and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt have become a rapidly improving double-play combination. Betancourt made a tough double play look easy Thursday when he ranged to his right, then threw off-balance across his body to Lopez at second.

"You have to have good communication and good concentration out there," Lopez said. "I know from looking at his arm where the throw is going to go."

Lopez likes the ball to be "a little behind" his glove when there's a runner coming into second so he can pivot and throw to first all in the same motion.

Notes

? Another day, another rehabilitation outing at designated hitter for Ichiro in Arizona, where he's recovering from that bleeding ulcer. He batted 5 for 10. That makes it 12 for 20 in two days. The plan is for him to play the field today, then again Sunday and then bring him to Safeco Field for a Monday workout the team is holding at noon.

? When Ronny Cedeno started in left field Wednesday, with Endy Chavez in right and Franklin Gutierrez in center, it was the first time in major-league history a team started an all-Venezuelan outfield.

"It's nice to be a part of something like that. To make history," Chavez said.

The last outfield that started a game with three players from the same non-U.S. country was when the Angels had Raul Mondesi, Jose Guillen and Vladimir Guerrero (all from the Dominican Republic) out there on June 8, 2004.

The M's have eight Venezuelans on their squad.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com