• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Batista leads Mariners past Rangers

Sep 30, 2007 - 6:17 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) - Raul Ibanez drove in a pair of runs with a homer and a single and righthander Miguel Batista finished his season with another strong effort as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Texas Rangers, 5-1, on Saturday night.

Batista (16-11) won his third consecutive start, limiting the Rangers to just three hits in eight innings while striking out five and walking two.

The victory gave Batista, who has set a career high in victories, a 3-0 record against the Rangers this year.

"Batista really finished the season strong," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "He had a real good year for us this year. Innings, wins, everything. He's a workhorse. He's professional. He's prepared. I've always admired him. He's a pro's pro."

"They have really strong hitters over there and you have to make sure that they don't get a strike," Batista said of his effort against the Rangers. "They only have to take one swing and they can change the score so you have to make sure you execute your game plan because they won't forgive you very often."

Jose Guillen added four hits and two runs scored for the Mariners, who have won four in a row.

Rangers starter Kevin Millwood, coming off his first victory in his previous five starts, was battered for 11 hits and five runs - four earned - in seven innings. The 32-year-old righthander walked three and struck out one.

"I thought he was going to give us nine innings," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "They made him work there. He fought hard and faced some good hitters out there. This is one of those teams that give him a hard time."

Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre and Raul Ibanez hit consecutive two-out singles to give Seattle a 2-1 lead.

Millwood (10-14) walked Ibanez to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning and Guillen singled him to second with his third hit of the night. Jeff Clement walked to load the bases and Mike Morse singled to right to plate Ibanez with Guillen scoring when rightfielder Nelson Cruz bobbled the ball for an error.

Ibanez' 21st homer, a solo blast into the rightfield seats made the score 5-1 in the seventh inning.

"He is such a professional," McLaren said. "He just kept working his game. He got healthy and he's a major contributor to this ballclub year in and year out."

Cruz doubled home Bran Wilkerson to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Mariners came back to tie it, 1-1, in their half of the second when Guillen scored on Kenji Johjima's double play grounder.