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Mariners beat Angels to avoid sweep

Jun 16, 2011 - 6:30 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Carlos Peguero's two-run single in the seventh inning proved to be the difference, as the Mariners took down the Angels, 3-1, to salvage the finale of their three-game set.

Erik Bedard (4-4) threw seven scoreless innings for the win, allowing just three hits and striking out five to snap a brief two-game losing streak for Seattle.

Ervin Santana (3-7) allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks while fanning seven through 6 2/3 innings for LA.

Erick Aybar knocked in the lone run for the Angels, who had won three of their previous four entering this game.

Chone Figgins doubled to lead off the seventh and advanced to third on a Jack Wilson sacrifice bunt. Ichiro Suzuki was then intentionally walked and after Brendan Ryan struck out, Justin Smoak worked a 2-0 count before being intentionally walked to load the bases. Peguero followed with a grounder up the middle that would have been an easy force out, but it ricocheted off second base and into the outfield, allowing Figgins and Suzuki to score.

"It was unfortunate. We had the out, but the ball hit the bag and that's all part of the game. If we're doing some of the things that we can do on the offensive end, then it's something you absorb and move on but, right now, the margin between winning or losing is very tight and if you don't get a break, you're going to pay a big price for it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said about the play.

Rich Thompson then replaced Santana on the mound and induced a Miguel Olivo flyout to end the inning and keep it a 2-0 game.

The Angels answered with a run of their own the eighth against David Pauley. Pauley gave free passes to Peter Bourjos and pinch-hitter Russell Branyan to put the tying runs on the bags with one out. Aybar followed with a single to bring in Bourjos to make it a one-run game, but a Torii Hunter flyout and a Bobby Abreu strikeout ended the inning and kept the score where it was.

Seattle got that run right back when Greg Halman, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth, led off the bottom half of the inning with his first career home run to make the score 3-1.

"Unbelievable feeling. I wasn't sure that it was going out. I hit it pretty square, though. I was going hard out of the box because I wasn't sure if it was going to go over the fence, but I'm happy it did," Halman said about his homer.

Brandon League tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 19th save of the year.

The Angels had a chance to take control of the game early but were robbed of a potential go-ahead home run in the second inning. Vernon Wells singled to lead off the inning, and after a Howie Kendrick flyout, Mark Trumbo sent a ball to deep left field. Mike Carp tracked the ball back into the warning track and just as it was about to clear the fence, he leapt up to grab it and brought it back into the yard.

Game Notes

Suzuki's stolen base in the first inning was the 400th stolen base of his MLB career, and his stolen base in the seventh was the 600th total in his pro career (199 in Japan)...Suzuki recorded his fifth consecutive multi-hit game...Figgins has now reached base safely in his last 10 games...Bedard is now 3-5 against the Angels in nine starts for his career.