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Mariners take two straight from A's

Apr 4, 2007 - 6:38 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- The Seattle Mariners have figured out Joe Blanton and the Oakland Athletics.

Yuniesky Betancourt and Richie Sexson homered to lead the Mariners to an 8-4 victory over the Athletics.

Blanton started for Oakland and surrendered four runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings. The burly righthander went 4-0 against the Mariners last season when the A's took 17 of the 19 contests between the teams.

Betancourt snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-run blast off reliever Kiko Calero (0-1) in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jose Lopez followed with a single and Ichiro Suzuki drove him home with a triple.

"I was just looking to make solid contact and as soon as I made contact, I knew that it was gone," Betancourt said.

For the second consecutive game the Safeco Field roof was closed, which Betancourt said may have helped him.

"The ball always carries better when the roof is closed," Betancourt said of his 408-foot blast over the center field fence.

Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, walking three and striking out two for the Mariners. Julio Mateo (1-0) was credited with the win despite allowing two runs in the seventh inning.

Sexson knocked his second homer in as many days and free agent acquisition Jose Guillen doubled and scored two runs for Seattle.

"Washburn threw a lot of pitches tonight and couldn't go past the sixth, but our offense really picked us up," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "We got down a little bit when they came back and tied it up, but everybody on our offense really did their job tonight."

Oakland's Milton Bradley homered off Washburn in the sixth.

Trailing, 4-2, the A's tied the game in the seventh with a pair of runs off Mateo. Mark Ellis hit a two-out run-scoring single and scored on Jason Kendall's double to the right-center field fence.

"When we tied the game going into the seventh, I felt that the bullpen was the strength of the team," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "They hadn't pitched in few days but it didn't work out tonight.

"It is kind of ironic that pitching and defense are our strengths, and the last two days they actually let us down a little bit," Geren said.

Oakland has started 0-2 for the first time since 1998.