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Ibanez, 10-run inning fuel Mariners past Twins

Aug 5, 2008 - 6:30 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Raul Ibanez belted a grand slam and added a two-run single - both delivered in a 10-run seventh inning - as the Seattle Mariners overcame a five-run deficit to record an 11-6 triumph over the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

Ibanez set a club record with six RBI in an inning, snapping the record of five set by Ken Griffey Jr. set on April 29, 1999.

The 10-run frame was one shy of a Mariners record, which was also set on the same April day against the Detroit Tigers.

The loss dropped the Twins (62-50) back into a virtual tie with the Chicago White Sox (61-49) for first place in the American League Central Division.

"Regardless of how that one turned out, I would have had to tip my hat to our ballclub for battling and keeping sticking hits out there," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "It's a game where you would have hated to lose it because you see how they are battling and scrapping."

The Twins had a 6-1 lead going into the seventh, but Yuniesky Betancourt singled, Ichiro Suzuki walked and Willie Bloomquist singled to load the bases off rookie starter Glen Perkins. Ibanez promptly belted his second grand slam of the year and seventh of his career.

Brian Bass (3-4) relieved Perkins and Adrian Beltre greeted him with a double and Jose Lopez's bloop single to right tied the game 7-7. Joe Mauer's second passed ball allowed Lopez to reach second and pinch hitter Miguel Cairo walked.

Pinch hitter Jeff Clement singled to right to score Lopez with the tiebreaking run and reached second on rightfielder Denard Span's throwing error. Two more runs scored on Betancourt's infield single to short and shortstop Brendan Harris' wild throw to first for an error.

Ichiro was intentionally walked and reliever Matt Guerrier walked Bloomquist to reload the bases for Ibanez, who singled to drive in two runs for an 11-6 lead. Bloomquist was cut down at the plate to end the inning.

"They found the holes," Perkins said. "I jammed Betancourt and he found a hole. Bloomquist found a hole, and then I made a bad pitch to Ibanez and it kind of sours the night.

"A couple of bloops a couple of seeing-eye singles and then a home run and that of does you in," Perkins added. "I missed my spot. I don't want to put it in his wheelhouse. I don't want to put it where I did. That's a situation where you are trying to avoid a home run."

Even though it has been a miserable year for the last-place Mariners, Ibanez was still encouraged by how his team came back to win against a playoff contender.

"There were a lot of quality at-bats, one after another," Ibanez said. "Everybody did it together. Nobody gave in, and I'm proud of the team for that."

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal," said Ibanez of his six-RBI effort. "But most importantly it helped us win this game."

Roy Corcoran (2-0), the third Mariners' reliever of the evening, worked one scoreless inning to pick up the win.

Perkins held Seattle scoreless until the sixth, when it loaded the bases with none out, but could manage only one run. The Mariners opened the inning with three consecutive singles, but scored its only run on Jose Vidro's double play.

"We played well and executed in the first half," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Then Perkins in the seventh had some guys 0-2 and gave up a couple of base hits and then just threw one right down the plate and gave up the grand slam.

"Then you had the bullpen that came in and just gave up hits and had the ball flying everywhere. Before you knew it, it was a 10-run inning and it was pretty disappointing."

Miguel Batista, seeking his first win as a starter since May 11, lasted just three-plus innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, four walks and striking out two.

Batista, who had given up 15 first-inning runs in his previous 12 starts, did it again. After walking two batters, Mike Lamb lined a double into the left-field corner to give the Twins a 1-0 advantage.

Minnesota added three more runs in the third on Nick Punto's second home run and sacrifice flies by Delmon Young and Brian Buscher.

The Twins chased Batista with two more runs in the fourth to take a 6-0 advantage on All-Star Justin Morneau's bases-loaded double off reliever Jake Woods.