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Clement hits game-winning homer in the ninth for Mariners

Sep 29, 2007 - 6:57 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) - Rookie Jeff Clement hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday.

With Seattle trailing, 4-3, in the eighth inning, pinch hitter Jose Vidro stroked an RBI single to right off reliever Joaquin Benoit, who blew his seventh save.

An inning later, Adrian Beltre hit a leadoff single and later came around on Clement's two-run homer against Mike Wood (4-1), ending the Rangers four-game winning streak.

"What a great win. Jeff (Weaver) came through for us big time," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "(Clement's) got some definite thunder in that bat. He's letting his presence be known. For him to come in the big arena and do this, it's exciting. We'll be watching him with great interest, I'll tell you that."

It was Clement's second big homer in the last three days, going deep off Cleveland's Joe Borowski with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday.

"I'm just happy to do something with the opportunities I've been given," Clement said. "I was thankful and fortunate to be in those situations, and to be able to do something with them and I am really humbled by it."

Mariners All-Star J.J. Putz (6-1) picked up the win.

Seattle's Jeff Weaver gave up four runs and nine hits with five strikeouts in eight innings.

"Weaver did a great job. That was a quality start," McLaren said. "I was really happy for him and proud of him."

After watching the Mariners rally for a 3-2 lead, Weaver failed to hold on to the lead in perhaps his last outing in a Seattle uniform.

In the seventh, Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled with one out and came home when Travis Metcalf drove a 1-0 pitch to left for his fifth blast and a 5-4 lead.

Texas starter Edinson Volquez, who was 6-1 at AAA Oklahoma City and was making a bid to join the starting rotation next season, allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"The last inning and a third he threw well," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Through the first four innings he was outstanding. He's a young kid. He got a little emotional out there, but he handled himself very well. He'll go into spring training with a shot (at the rotation)."

Michael Young's RBI single scored Saltalamacchia and opened the scoring for the Rangers in the third.

Ichiro Suzuki singled twice, giving him 200 singles in a season for the second time in his career, making him lone major league player since 1900 to accomplish the feat.