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Hunter's five RBI lead Twins over Mariners

Aug 16, 2007 - 1:36 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Torii Hunter drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning before cementing the game with a grand slam in the ninth to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Scott Baker pitched well into the seventh inning for the Twins, who have won two straight after losing five in a row.

Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn (8-10) pitched well through seven innings before unraveling in the eighth. Alexi Casilla singled to lead off the inning before Washburn threw the ball away at first on Nick Punto's sacrifice.

Washburn intentionally walked Joe Mauer, loading the bases, before being lifted in favor of Brandon Morrow, who allowed a ground-ball single to right by Hunter for a 2-1 edge.

"I thought Washburn pitched a great game and he deserved a better fate," Mariners manager John McLaren said of his lefthander who is 0-4 since the All-Star break.

Minnesota loaded the bases again in the ninth against Sean Green on two walks sandwiched between a base hit by Tommy Watkins, his first major league hit. Hunter came through again, smashing a 2-2 offspeed pitch over the left-center field fence for his 24th home run of the season and ninth career slam, including his second this season at Safeco.

"He was nasty," said Hunter about Green. "I was lucky, believe me. He hung a slider and that was a gift from God. You can't not swing at that."

Hunter's five RBI is his most since driving in seven against the Detroit Tigers on May 13.

Pat Neshek (7-2), who relieved Baker in the seventh, pitched a perfect eighth inning before Joe Nathan shut down the Mariners in the ninth to end the game.

Baker allowed just one run on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings. The righthander struck out seven, walked two and worked out of two major jams early in the game to keep Seattle off the board.

"I was fighting some mechanical issues in the beginning and just had to decide when I was just going to let it fly," said Baker, who was roughed up for six runs in his last start, a 10-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. "Once I was able to do that, I got in a little groove and everything kind of took care of itself."

After Raul Ibanez and Richie Sexson singled around Adrian Beltre's fly out in the second inning, Baker struck out Adam Jones for the second out of the inning. Following a walk to Jamie Burke, the righthander got Yuniesky Betancourt to fly out to center field, ending the threat.

Ichiro Suzuki singled and stole two bases in the third before Jose Guillen walked, putting runners at first and third with one out. Ibanez fouled out and Beltre struck out swinging as the Mariners failed to capitalize.

The Mariners' lone run came in the sixth inning when Ibanez hit his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot, to tie the game at 1-1.

Washburn allowed two runs - one earned - on seven hits over seven innings. The lefthander struck out five and walked two en route to his fourth consecutive loss.

"When you have games that you had a chance to win and you end up losing, those sting a little more," Washburn said.

Rondell White opened the scoring in the fifth inning with his first home run of the season. The solo home run gave the Twins a 1-0 lead and was his first home run since September 14, 2006 against the Cleveland Indians.

Despite the loss, the Mariners remained percentage points in front of the New York Yankees in the American League wild card race. New York lost, 6-3, earlier to the Baltimore Orioles.