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Batista, Beltre help Mariners hold off Blue Jays

Jul 21, 2007 - 3:59 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- After a rough beginning, Miguel Batista and the Seattle Mariners settled down.

Batista pitched 5 2/3 effective innings and Adrian Beltre belted a two-run homer as the Mariners posted a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Batista (10-7) allowed two runs, five hits and three walks en route to his third win in four starts. The righthander has yielded three earned runs or less in seven straight outings.

The game did not start off the way Batista wanted, however. After working around a one-out double by All-Star Alex Rios in the first inning, he ran into more trouble in the second.

The 36-year-old walked the first three batters, each on four pitches. But Batista minimized the damage by getting Gregg Zaun to ground into a double play that scored Frank Thomas and striking out John McDonald.

"I wasn't even close to the plate on the first four pitches (of the inning)," Batista said. "I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was. When the wind changes in this ballpark, you can get crazy movement, but I was able to get out of it with only the one run allowed."

"Miguel hit a little bump in the road there," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "He got his game back together, pitched his way out of a jam and got a big double play."

After allowing two hits - including an RBI single by Troy Glaus - in the sixth, Batista was relieved by Sean Green, who retired all four batters he faced before Chris Reitsma worked around two hits in a scoreless eighth.

Closer J.J. Putz yielded a one-out hit by Richie Sexson in the ninth, but was able to nail down his 29th save in as many opportunities.

"I can't say enough good things about our bullpen the way they've pitched this year," McLaren said. "They've definitely been outstanding and they've been a big part of our success."

Toronto manager John Gibbons agreed.

"Their bullpen is as good as any out there," said Gibbons, who was ejected by first base umpire Tim Timmons in the sixth inning. "They can shorten the game on you in a hurry and that's why Seattle is such a good club."

It took Beltre and the Mariners until the fourth inning to take the lead.

After Jose Guillen walked on four pitches, Beltre hammered a 1-1 offering from rookie Jesse Litsch off the window of the restaurant above the left-center field wall. It was Beltre's 16th homer, which gave Seattle a 2-1 lead.

"(Litsch) threw me a cutter over the plate and I was able to make good contact," Beltre said. "He's a guy I've never faced before, but after you see one or two at-bats you have an idea of what he has."

In the fifth, Yuniesky Betancourt and Ichiro Suzuki led off with consecutive walks before each advanced on a sacrifice. Raul Ibanez and Guillen followed with run-scoring singles to make it 4-1.

That was it for Litsch (2-4), who allowed four runs, five hits and a season-high four walks in 4 1/3 innings. It was the first sub-par performance in three starts by the 22-year-old, who was recalled from the minors earlier this month.

"I just couldn't find those corners like I usually can," Litsch said. "I was rushing my pitches a lot. I was throwing it way down and in to lefties and away on righties."

In his prior two outings, Litsch had surrendered a total of just three runs in 13 2/3 innings.

Glaus had two hits for the Blue Jays, who have lost four of five.