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Mariners head into All-Star break with a win, top A's

Jul 9, 2007 - 12:54 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Jose Lopez had three hits, including a home run, as the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics, 7-3, on Sunday in a game that was delayed during a benches-clearing incident in the seventh inning.

Seattle enters the All-Star break just two and 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim following the win.

Sean Green (2-1) earned the win, pitching 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief of starter Ryan Feierabend.

"It was a big win, especially after we lost two (games) to Kansas City," Green said. "We came in here losing the first game. It was a big team victory to come out of here with the series and today was a big game and all the guys came around."

The Mariners scored four times in the seventh inning to take the lead. Three consecutive hits loaded bases, and Raul Ibanez followed with a double to left-center field to clear the bases.

On a relay throw back to the infield, the ball got by the cutoff man and trickled near the Seattle dugout. Ichiro Suzuki was watching the ball go by and Joe Blanton shoved Ichiro, who attempted to get to the ball which was in play. Jason Ellison took exception to the shove and pushed Blanton, causing both benches to empty and delaying the game for several minutes.

"I don't have anything against the A's, Joe or anybody on that team but just the way things panned out, I just didn't like it," Ellison said. "Ichiro doesn't bother anybody. If he just pushed him out of the way and not said anything about it, probably nothing would have went wrong but the way it he went about it was pretty (bad)."

"I was going after the ball and there were a lot of guys around there," Blanton said. "I was going full speed and I hit somebody. I had no idea who was around, I was just going after the ball. Someone I didn't hit, hit me. That's how it developed."

Blanton had to be escorted off the field and was ejected from the game. Santiago Casilla replaced the A's starter and pitched the remainder of the inning, allowing an RBI single by Jose Guillen to score Ibanez.

"It's great, we kept battling and battling we know we're playing against a great team with great pitching," Guillen said. "If we're going to be contending for this division we have to beat the teams in our division. That's what we've been doing, we've been taking care of business, playing hard, playing smart, and winning some tough games.

"I worry about Oakland because they know how to get it done and I've seen it before because they've got the pitching to do it."

Mariners pitcher Miguel Batista would also be ejected for participating in the fracas. Blanton (8-5) took the loss. He went six innings, allow a career high-tying 12 hits for the A's, who have dropped four of their last six games and are nine games back in the American League West.

"We've got some guys on the mend with Huston Street, Esteban Loaiza and the pitching staff," A's manager Bob Geren said. "To give them a little bit more time is always good too. I think the hitters get to a point of the season where you get a couple of days off and their bodies will feel better and we'll get that offense going in the second half."

On the first pitch of the game, Suzuki lined a triple to left center. Lopez followed with an RBI groundout to make it 1-0.

The A's would answer in the bottom of the second. On an 0-1 pitch, Eric Chavez hit his first home run since June 15 to knot the score.

Lopez put Seattle ahead 2-1 with a solo homer to left in the top of the fifth.

The A's then got a huge break in the bottom of the fifth. Consecutive singles to center by Jason Kendall and Stewart put runners on first and second. Mark Ellis caught the defense off guard by bunting for a single. Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre threw the ball past first baseman Richie Sexson and the ball rolled around in the Seattle bullpen, allowing Kendall and Stewart to score to put Oakland ahead 3-2.

At that point, Feierabend unraveled. He hit Nick Swisher with a pitch and then walked Jack Cust before he was removed for Eric O'Flaherty. O'Flaherty would induce Bobby Kielty to hit into a double play and Chavez grounded out to end the threat.

"The storyline for me on the game was O'Flaherty coming in and getting that double play," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "That was huge...huge. He's been spectacular for us."

"I was thinking get a ground ball," O'Flaherty said of Kielty's at-bat. "It was a slow chopper so I had time to gather myself. We've been getting a strong effort from everybody in the bullpen the whole season."

George Sherrill and J.J. Putz pitched the final two innings to close the game out for the Mariners.

"It was nice ending the first half on a good note," McLaren said. "Now its time to catch our breath."