HRs by Sexson, Ibanez Send Mariners Past Angels Again, 8-3
By GREGG BELL | Associated Press | Apr 12, 08 11:10 PM CDT in
Sports
Two weeks into their promising season, the Seattle Mariners have done something they did only once last year: win a series against the dreaded Los Angeles Angels.
Richie Sexson hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run, Carlos Silva worked eight effective innings and the Mariners again beat their AL West nemesis 8-3 Saturday night.
Raul Ibanez homered for the second consecutive night for Seattle, which in 2007 lost 13 of 19 games to Los Angeles and finished six games behind the Angels in the West.
Silva (2-0) gave up 11 hits, his most allowed since Aug. 27, 2006, when he was with Minnesota. But thanks largely to three double-play grounders by Gary Matthews Jr., Silva allowed only three runs to continue his impressive debut with Seattle since signing a $48 million contract.
He walked one and threw 98 pitches before Sean Green finished the ninth.
The Angels took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a run-scoring double-play grounder by Matthews. Then they felt the sting of centerfielder Torii Hunter's bruised toe.
Hunter's injury forced him to be the designated hitter and put Friday's DH, 35-year-old Garret Anderson, in left field. Anderson ran down Adrian Beltre's catchable flyball in the fifth but had it slap off the end of his glove.
Instead of the third out, Beltre had a double. Jose Vidro singled him home to tie the game.
Sexson, who has been booed through two trying seasons in Seattle, then sent Jon Garland's 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center field for his second home run to put the Mariners up 5-3.
Los Angeles had a prime chance to tie it in the sixth after Casey Kotchman singled with one out and Howie Kendrick doubled. But Silva got Mike Napoli to foul out and Erick Aybar to ground out to keep the Mariners in front.
In the sixth, Matthews, Hunter's fill-in in center, allowed Ichiro Suzuki's grounded single to roll past his glove. Yuniesky Betancourt, who had singled, scored from first base to make it 6-3.
Garland (1-2) allowed 12 hits and six runs _ three earned _ in 5 1-3 innings. He walked one.
The Angels continually dropped the head of the bat to meet Silva's sinkerballs and hit flyballs. The longest such drive was by Kotchman, who lifted Silva's first-pitch sinker in the fourth for a two-run home run just over the railing in right-field. That briefly tied the game at 2.
Kotchman had three hits and is 5-for-8 in the series.
Notes:@ After successfully testing his sprained right ankle by throwing Friday, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez told manager Mike Scioscia he was ready to return for the first time since Monday. So Scioscia declared him back on the job. ... Putz completed a fourth consecutive pain-free day of throwing on flat ground. He's been out since April 1 with a ribcage injury. The Mariners still don't know when he may return. ... Kendrick went 3-for-4 after missing three games with a jammed right thumb. ... Hunter bruised his toe late in Friday's while running into the outfield wall chasing down a triple.
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