Mariners rally to avoid sweep with 4-3 win in 12 innings to keep Rangers from reaching .500
By STEPHEN HAWKINS | Associated Press | May 14, 08 5:26 PM CDT in
Sports
Miguel Cairo had a two-out RBI single in the 12th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat Texas 4-3 on Wednesday to avoid a sweep and keep the Rangers from reaching .500.
Wladimir Balentien led off the 12th with a single off Franklyn German (1-2), and Yuniesky Betancourt sacrificed. Balentien moved to third on a deep flyout by Ichiro Suzuki, who went 0-for-6 and ended a 13-game hitting streak. Cairo then singled up the middle.
Texas (20-22) clinched its sixth straight series by winning the first two games against Seattle, but missed the chance for a sweep after two fielding miscues led to two unearned runs in the seventh.
Seattle, which trailed 2-0 after the first inning, matched its biggest comeback of the season to win for only the third time in 15 games.
J.J. Putz (1-1) worked two scoreless innings before Jarrod Washburn, the eighth pitcher used, came on in the 12th for his first career save. Washburn was listed as the Friday's scheduled starter against San Diego, but manager John McLaren said afterward that he'd already planned to skip the left-hander's turn in the rotation.
David Murphy went 4-for-5 for the Rangers, including a one-out single in the 11th against Putz. But Putz escaped with two strikeouts, which sandwiched an intentional walk after he threw a wild pitch that allowed Murphy to get to second base.
The series was completed without incident less than a week after Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson charged the mound and flung his helmet at Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard to ignite a bench-clearing incident in Seattle. Sexson missed the entire series while serving the completion of his five-game suspension for his actions, and can play Friday.
Arthur Rhodes got Seattle out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh when he coaxed pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd into an inning-ending double play that kept the Mariners ahead 3-2. The big left-hander struck out Ian Kinsler, the only other batter he faced, to start the eighth but other relievers faltered around him.
Carlos Silva overcame a sluggish start to retire 17 of his last 19 batters before leaving with one out in the seventh because of tightness in his lower back. Brandon Morrow then loaded the bases by walking the only two batters he faced.
After Rhodes left, Sean Green allowed singles to his only two batters. The first was pinch-hitter Gerald Laird, who scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Josh Hamilton for his majors-best 44th RBI.
Seattle took advantage of the Texas defensive blunders in the seventh.
Jose Lopez reached on a throwing error by third baseman Ramon Vazquez to start the inning. Jeff Clement then hit a flyball to center that was misplayed by Hamilton, who initially took a step in and quickly realized the ball was over his head. The ball rolled to the wall for Clement's first career triple, and Betancourt doubled with two outs for a 3-2 lead.
Lopez had an RBI double in the fourth after Raul Ibanez's two-out single.
Notes:@ Rangers 3B Hank Blalock, out since April 29 with a torn left hamstring, had a pregame workout on the field with manager Ron Washington. "He did well," Washington said. "What I put him through today, the hamstring is fine. ... I put him through some vigorous stuff. He was right on it." Blalock is scheduled to play a rehabilitation game Thursday for Double-A Frisco. He could rejoin the Rangers this weekend.
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