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Bloomquist helps Mariners defeat Cubs in extra innings

Jun 13, 2007 - 6:02 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- When the Seattle Mariners looked to continue their winning streak, they turned to Willie Bloomquist.

Bloomquist had the game-winning hit in the 13th inning as the Mariners posted a 5-3 interleague victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday

Kenji Johjima had three hits and scored twice and Jose Guillen had two hits, including a solo homer, for Seattle, which has won a season-high five straight and nine of 10.

"The great thing is that it's somebody different every night stepping up to win us a ballgame," Bloomquist said. "If we get down early we battle back, it's a lot of fun around here right now."

With the score tied at 3-3 with two outs in the top of the 13th, the Mariners' Jose Vidro belted a double off the left field wall against reliever Will Ohman (0-4).

"When I hit it I thought it was going out," Vidro said. "I got out in front of the ball, I guess the wind held it in."

After Yuniesky Betancourt was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second, Bloomquist lined a single to right field, plating Vidro to give Seattle the lead. After an intentional walk to Ichiro Suzuki, pinch hitter Jamie Burke singled to right to make it 5-3.

Rookie Eric O'Flaherty (3-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings to collect the victory and closer J.J. Putz escaped a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the 13th by getting pinch hitter Koyie Hill to ground out to first base for his 19th save in as many opportunities.

"I was just glad to get out of the inning," Putz said. "I caught the flu and I was pitching with no energy."

Michael Barrett tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single in the eighth inning. Derrek Lee led off with a double off reliever Sean Green before Barrett lined a single to right field to plate Lee. It was Barrett's 400th career RBI.

The Cubs had a chance to take the lead in the frame, but after loading the bases with no outs, Ryan Theriot grounded into a force at home before pinch hitter Felix Pie and Mike Fontenot struck out to end the inning.

"It's frustrating when you load the bases and you don't score," Lee said. "We had some great opportunities to win the game but we didn't get it done."

Trailing, 2-0, Seattle scored a run in each of the next three frames to take the lead. After Cubs starter Rich Hill balked in Johjima in the second innings, Guillen belted a solo homer in the third to tie it at 2-2.

"I lost the game for us it's plain and simple," Hill said. "I didn't pitch well enough to win. If I made some better pitches we would have won the game."

Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn helped his own cause in the fourth with an RBI single that plated Johjima from second base for a 3-2 lead.

"I was hoping the run I drove in was going to stand up," Washburn said. "With the bullpen we have, that lead holds up nine times out of 10."

Washburn yielded two runs, five hits and five walks in six innings.

Hill allowed three runs, eight hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings.

The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Angel Pagan's RBI double and a run-scoring single by Lee.

"It's a tough loss for us," Lee said. "We have been playing better baseball, we just have to forget about this one."

Chicago is 1-6 in extra-inning games in 2007.