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Batista sharp as Mariners win again

Jul 15, 2007 - 7:06 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Miguel Batista pitched six strong innings and Kenji Johjima hit what proved to be an important grand slam as the Seattle Mariners notched a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

The win ran the Mariners' record to 14-4 over the last 18 games and kept them within three games of the first-place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (55-35) in the American League West Division.

Batista (9-7) yielded one run and five hits while striking out six and issuing a pair of walks to earn the win. It marked the sixth start in a row in which the veteran righthander held the opposition to three runs or less.

"It's another big win for us," Mariners closer J.J. Putz said. "Miguel went out there and pitched his butt off for six innings, gave us everything he had, kept a good-hitting team down."

Johjima played the hero, opening the lead to 6-1 in the sixth with his second career grand slam. The former Japanese star had four grand slams across the Pacific before joining Seattle at the beginning of the 2006 season.

"When you're down two strikes, you try to shorten your swing and swing more compact, and that's what I try to do," Johjima said through an interpreter regarding the eight-pitch at-bat that ended with the grand slam. "I'm sure that (Detroit starter Kenny Rogers) threw me everything that he had at that at-bat, and I wasn't waiting for that breaking ball, either."

Rogers (3-1) surrendered a leadoff single in the sixth to Jose Guillen and then issued back-to-back walks to Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre before Johjima made him pay.

"He hit the mistake I made," Rogers said. "I don't want to make them, but I'm going to make some mistakes. But the walks are something that I'm not going to get accustomed to. By far, the walks are the biggest killer for me. If I don't do that, we're probably winning 4-2."

Rogers suffered his first loss since being activated from the disabled list on June 22. The veteran lefthander was charged with all six runs - five earned - and five hits in five-plus frames, walking four without managing a strikeout.

It marked the first time in four starts that Rogers has allowed more than one earned run.

"(His) control was a little rusty," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "He hasn't pitched much this year and had the layoff for the All-Star break. His control wasn't typical Kenny, that was basically the problem."

Two relievers bridged the gap to All-Star closer Putz, who pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save in as many opportunities. He also set a club record of 28 consecutive saves dating back to last season, breaking Eddie Guardado's mark of 27 set in 2005.

"To have opportunites for the back end of the bullpen to pitch, we have to be winning some games, and we've been winning some games," Putz said. "It's just nice that we're playing so well."

Curtis Granderson got his team off on the right foot in the first with his ninth career leadoff homer. It was the third time this season Granderson has homered in his team's first at-bat and the second time against the Mariners.

Seattle evened the game in the second, when Jose Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Sexson. The Mariners pulled ahead in the fourth, when Yuniesky Betancourt drove in Sexson with a single.

The Tigers made it interesting with three runs in the eighth, but Putz held on to seal the victory.