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Mariners use four-run eighth to sweep Athletics

Jul 30, 2007 - 1:06 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- A defensive miscue settled a wild slugfest between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.

Pinch runner Jason Ellison scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in a four-run eighth inning to lift the Mariners to a 14-10 victory over Athletics.

It was the third victory in a row for the Mariners and the 32nd time this year they have come from behind to win.

Jose Guillen added a two-run single in the eighth off Huston Street (2-2) and Adrian Beltre and Ben Broussard each hit home runs as the Mariners squandered a six-run lead before rallying for the victory.

Sean Green (4-1) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth before J.J. Putz closed it out in the ninth.

"The game had a little 'Friday the Thirteenth' in it," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "But when these guys got behind, it didn't faze them a bit. It's so easy when you get behind to say this isn't our day, but these guys never took that mind-set."

Seattle moved within two games of Cleveland in the American League wild card race and 3 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the AL West. Anaheim played Detroit later Sunday.

Ichiro Suzuki recorded a milestone for the Mariners, collecting his 1,500th career hit on a second-inning single. The third-fastest player to reach that mark since 1900, Ichiro also was instrumental in getting Seattle back in the game.

With the Mariners trailing, 10-7, Ichiro started a three-run rally in the seventh with a bunt single which bounced over the head of reliever Santiago Casilla.

Ichiro stole second and third and scored on Beltre's two-out single to make it 10-8. Broussard, who came on at first base after Richie Sexson was ejected from in the sixth inning, followed with a towering homer to right to tie the score at 10-10.

"I was just kind of choked up (on the bat) trying to make contact and I hit it out, so it worked out good," said Broussard, who was sitting in the training room when Sexson got tossed and had to sprint out to the field.

The A's rallied for four runs in the sixth off reliever Chris Reitsma to erase a 7-5 lead. After loading the bases on three singles, Nick Swisher cleared them with his double to the center field wall and Mike Piazza singled him home to give the A's a 9-7 lead.

Swisher drove in Kurt Suzuki with a single in the seventh for his second RBI to stretch the A's lead to 10-7.

Despite being staked to a 6-0 lead after two innings, Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn struggled and left after five with a 7-5 advantage. The 32-year-old southpaw surrendered five hits, walked three and hit a batter, and was hurt by a couple of errors in the third inning.

"I just wasn't sharp today," Washburn said. "The command just wasn't there. It's always frustrating when you are on the mound and don't have a feel. But it's even more frustrating when guys are scoring runs for you and give you a big lead."

The Mariners pounded Lenny DiNardo, who had allowed just one run in winning his last two starts, for seven runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter before he departed after three innings.

The Mariners got to DiNardo quickly, scoring two first inning runs on RBI singles by Sexson and Raul Ibanez. They added four more in the second on Jose Vidro's run-scoring single and Beltre's three-run blast into the left field seats for his 16th homer and a 6-0 lead.

"Falling behing early, Lenny didn't have his command of his fastball and didn't get it where he wanted to," Oakland manager Bob Geren said.

The A's had trimmed the lead to 6-3 in the third with the help of a pair of errors on one play by third baseman Beltre.

After Washburn issued a leadoff walk to Kurt Suzuki, Mark Ellis hit a grounder to Beltre, who bobbled it for one error then threw wildly to first for another, allowing Suzuki to take third. Washburn hit Nick Swisher to load the bases and Mike Piazza delivered a two-run single. Jack Cust's sacrifice fly provided the third run.

Vidro drove in Ibanez with a single in the third that gave Seattle a 7-3 advantage.

Shannon Stewart's homer and Cust's RBI single cut the Mariners' lead to 7-5 in the fifth inning.

The loss dropped the Athletics (49-56) to 5-12 since the All-Star break and left them a season-high seven games under .500