GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: SEATTLE (20-21) at TAMPA BAY (18-26)

Guillen, Batista lead Mariners over Devil Rays

<h3>SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1</h3>ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Jose Guillen helped extendthe Seattle Mariners' dominance over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Guillen went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Miguel Batista overcame ashaky start to lead the Mariners to a 5-1 victory over the DevilRays.

Yuniesky Betancourt also drove in two runs and Ichiro Suzuki hadtwo hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games as Seattlesent spiraling Tampa Bay to its fifth consecutive defeat.

Batista (4-4) wriggled out of trouble in both the first andsecond inning and pitched six innings, allowing one run andseven hits as the Mariners beat the Devil Rays for the 10th timein the last 13 meetings. Batista walked five and struck outtwo in snapped a personal two-game losing streak.

Sean Green worked two scoreless innings, striking out three,before George Sherrill finished up in the ninth.

The 36-year-old Batista got off to an inauspicious start whenleadoff hitter B.J. Upton belted a towering home run to left inthe first for a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth of the season andsnapped a 10-game homerless streak.

The Devil Rays threatened for more in each of the first twoinnings, but Batista struck out Greg Norton to end the first,and shortstop Betancourt saved a run in the second with a divingstab of Upton's hard grounder.

Batista settled down thereafter, breezing through the next threeinnings before escaping a mini-jam with two out in the sixth.

That allowed the Mariners to chip away at Devil Rays starterTony Fossum (3-4), who yielded three runs - one earned - andfive hits in 5 1/3 innings. The lefthander walked four andstruck out three.

Fossum, who had allowed 14 runs in his previous two starts, washurt by a defensive miscue and his own wildness in the fourthinning.

After a one-out error by third baseman Josh Wilson allowedGuillen to reach, Fossum walked Richie Sexson and Kenji Johjimato lead the bases with two out.

Betancourt followed with a two-run double to left to give theMariners a 2-1 lead.

Seattle tacked on another another in the fifth, helped byanother walk and a wild pitch by Fossum. Johjima had the keyhit, an RBI double to left to bring home Guillen, who led offthe frame with a single.

Guillen was in the middle of another rally in the seventh,delivering a two-run single off reliever Brian Stokes for a 5-1cushion.

It was the third game of a four-city, 10-game road trip forSeattle.

 

AL: SEATTLE at TAMPA BAY

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEATTLE (5) AT TAMPA BAY (1) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seattle Starting Lineups -- I Suzuki CF, J Vidro DH, J Guillen RF, R Sexson 1B,
A Beltre 3B, K Johjima C, Y Betancourt SS, J Lopez 2B, J Ellison LF, M Batista RHP.

Tampa Bay Starting Lineups -- B Upton CF, B Harris SS, C Crawford LF,
T Wigginton 2B, C Pena 1B, G Norton DH, D Young RF, D Navarro C, J Wilson 3B,
C Fossum LHP.

Umpires -- Gary Darling (HP), Larry Poncino (1B), Bruce Dreckman (2B),
Brian Knight (3B).

Gametime Weather: INDOORS.


SEATTLE 1ST: I Suzuki singled to center. J Vidro grounded into double
play, third to second to first, I Suzuki out at second. J Guillen singled to
center. R Sexson struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 0,
TAMPA BAY 0.

TAMPA BAY 1ST: B Upton homered to left. B Harris flied out to center.
C Crawford singled to right. T Wigginton flied out to center. C Pena doubled to
deep right, C Crawford to third. G Norton struck out swinging. (1 Run, 3 Hits,
0 Errors) SEATTLE 0, TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 2ND: A Beltre grounded out to third. K Johjima grounded out to
pitcher. Y Betancourt grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
SEATTLE 0, TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 2ND: D Young singled to center. D Navarro flied out to center.
J Wilson singled to center, D Young to second. B Upton grounded into fielder's
choice to shortstop, J Wilson out at second, D Young to third. B Upton stole
second. B Harris flied out to right. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 0,
TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 3RD: J Lopez grounded out to pitcher. J Ellison grounded out to
shortstop. I Suzuki flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 0,
TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 3RD: C Crawford walked. T Wigginton struck out swinging.
C Crawford caught stealing second, catcher to shortstop. C Pena struck out
looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 0, TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 4TH: J Vidro struck out swinging. J Guillen safe at first on error
by third baseman J Wilson. R Sexson walked, J Guillen to second. A Beltre
struck out swinging. K Johjima walked, J Guillen to third, R Sexson to second.
Y Betancourt doubled to left, J Guillen and R Sexson scored, K Johjima to
third. J Lopez flied out to left. (2 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 Error) SEATTLE 2,
TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 4TH: G Norton flied out to right. D Young singled to left.
D Navarro grounded into double play, shortstop to first, D Young out at second.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 2, TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 5TH: J Ellison grounded out to second. I Suzuki safe at first on
error by second baseman T Wigginton. J Vidro grounded into double play, third
to second to first, I Suzuki out at second.(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Error) SEATTLE 2,
TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 5TH: J Wilson lined out to third. B Upton struck out swinging.
B Harris grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 2,
TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 6TH: J Guillen singled to right. J Guillen to second on wild pitch
by C Fossum. R Sexson flied out to center. A Beltre walked, J Guillen stole
third. K Johjima doubled to deep left, J Guillen scored, A Beltre to third.
Y Betancourt intentionally walked. S Camp relieved C Fossum. J Lopez grounded
into double play, third to second to first, Y Betancourt out at second.(1 Run,
2 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 3, TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 6TH: C Crawford fouled out to third. T Wigginton struck out
swinging. C Pena singled to right. G Norton walked, C Pena to second.
D Young grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, G Norton out at second.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 3, TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 7TH: B Stokes relieved S Camp. J Ellison singled to shallow center.
I Suzuki singled to center, J Ellison to second. J Vidro sacrificed to
catcher, J Ellison to third, I Suzuki to second. J Guillen singled to left,
J Ellison and I Suzuki scored. R Sexson flied out to right. A Beltre struck out
swinging. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 7TH: S Green relieved M Batista. D Navarro struck out swinging.
J Wilson grounded out to shortstop. B Upton struck out looking. (0 Runs,
0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 8TH: K Johjima grounded out to shortstop. Y Betancourt walked.
J Lopez flied out to center. J Ellison struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 8TH: B Harris struck out swinging. C Crawford flied out to
center. T Wigginton flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 5,
TAMPA BAY 1.

SEATTLE 9TH: J Ryu relieved B Stokes. I Suzuki grounded out to second.
J Vidro flied out to center. J Guillen singled to left. R Sexson singled to
left, J Guillen to second. A Beltre struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 2 Hits,
0 Errors) SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1.

TAMPA BAY 9TH: G Sherrill relieved S Green. C Pena struck out looking.
G Norton grounded out to shortstop. D Young struck out swinging. (0 Runs,
0 Hits, 0 Errors) SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1.</div>

 

Guillen, Batista lead Mariners over Devil Rays

<h3>SEATTLE 5, TAMPA BAY 1</h3>ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Jose Guillen helped extendthe Seattle Mariners' dominance over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Guillen went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Miguel Batista overcame ashaky start to lead the Mariners to a 5-1 victory over the DevilRays.

Yuniesky Betancourt also drove in two runs and Ichiro Suzuki hadtwo hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games as Seattlesent spiraling Tampa Bay to its fifth consecutive defeat.

"Today was one of those games," Guillen said. "I was justtrying to relax and they fell for hits. This team looks goodwhen we play the way we played tonight. It looks like the teameveryone expected us to be. We just have to stay consistent."

Batista (4-4) wriggled out of trouble in both the first andsecond inning and pitched six innings, allowing one run andseven hits as the Mariners beat the Devil Rays for the 10th timein the last 13 meetings. Batista walked five and struck outtwo in snapped a personal two-game losing streak.

Sean Green worked two scoreless innings, striking out three,before George Sherrill finished up in the ninth.

"(Green) threw awfully, awfully well," Seattle manager MikeHargrove said. "It was a huge set up for the ninth for George."

The 36-year-old Batista got off to an inauspicious start whenleadoff hitter B.J. Upton belted a towering home run to left inthe first for a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth of the season andsnapped a 10-game homerless streak.

"I thought we were on him and we had a chance to score," TampaBay manager Joe Maddon said. "I thought Batista made betterpitches as the game went on."

The Devil Rays threatened for more in each of the first twoinnings, but Batista struck out Greg Norton to end the first,and shortstop Betancourt saved a run in the second with a divingstab of Upton's hard grounder.

"The reason I thought that (play of Betancourt's) was possiblewas because it was Betancourt," Suzuki said through aninterpreter. "Anyone else, it would have been a hit."

Batista settled down thereafter, breezing through the next threeinnings before escaping a mini-jam with two out in the sixth.

"He wasn't his best, but he found a way," Hargrove said. "Hispitch count was so high in the first, I thought we'd be lucky toget five out of him. We ran out of gas in the sixth."

That allowed the Mariners to chip away at Devil Rays starterCasey Fossum (3-4), who yielded three runs - one earned - andfive hits in 5 1/3 innings. The lefthander walked four andstruck out three.

"I just need to get my curveball going," Fossum said. "Mycurveball is my changeup. I told myself I was going to throw ittoday until I threw it for strikes. I threw a lot of strikeswith it and got some good results with it."

Fossum, who had allowed 14 runs in his previous two starts, washurt by a defensive miscue and his own wildness in the fourthinning.

After a one-out error by third baseman Josh Wilson allowedGuillen to reach, Fossum walked Richie Sexson and Kenji Johjimato lead the bases with two out.

Betancourt followed with a two-run double to left to give theMariners a 2-1 lead.

Seattle tacked on another another in the fifth, helped byanother walk and a wild pitch by Fossum. Johjima had the keyhit, an RBI double to left to bring home Guillen, who led offthe frame with a single.

Guillen was in the middle of another rally in the seventh,delivering a two-run single off reliever Brian Stokes for a 5-1cushion.

"We have had a lot of ups and downs," Batista said. "If we'regoing to make it we need to get more consistent. We can't expectIchiro to get five hits every night. It's not about getting 10hits a game, it's about scoring."

It was the third game of a four-city, 10-game road trip forSeattle.

The Devil Rays have scored only eight runs in their past fourgames.

"We're not hitting the ball," Maddon said. "We're just nothitting the ball well. We've got to get back and play the gamewe were offensively early."