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Batista, Ibanez help Mariners topple White Sox

May 12, 2008 - 12:44 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Miguel Batista threw 5 1/3 effective innings and Raul Ibanez hit a go-ahead, two-run homer to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Yuniesky Betancourt added a two-run double for Seattle, which snapped a five-game skid. The Mariners also avoided being swept by Chicago at home for the first time since June 23-26, 1994 at the Kingdome.

Batista (3-4) had a big hand in that, allowing three runs and 10 hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

Ibanez's tape-measure home run put the Mariners up for good in the third.

Ibanez drilled a 3-0 fastball from Chicago starter Gavin Floyd (3-2) into the right field seats to give Seattle a 3-2 lead.

The blast, which traveled 443-feet, was Ibanez's first home run since April 12.

"I hit it pretty good," Ibanez said. "We are just trying to string together good innings and build on it. Yesterday I felt we swung the bats better and today again, and hopefully we can keep it going."

"It was nice to see," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "We haven't had much to cheer about. We haven't led many games here the last week or so. Hope we can keep the intensity building."

Betancourt added some insurance in the fourth by belting a two-run double to right field.

Continually working in and out of trouble, Batista held the lead but retired the side in order just once and was aided by a stellar performance from the bullpen.

Batista allowed three straight hits to start the sixth, including an RBI single to Carlos Quentin.

However, Arthur Rhodes entered and got the final two outs of the frame. Sean Green and Brandon Morrow bridged the gap to J.J. Putz, who threw a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.

"Miggy battled and gave us everything he had, and that allowed us to line the bullpen up the way we wanted to," Putz said. "It was nice. It was a good team game right there."

Chicago took a 2-0 lead in the first on the strength of RBI singles from Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski.

Floyd was not as sharp as Tuesday, when he carried a no-hitter through 8 1/3 innings against Minnesota. The righthander allowed five runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 frames.

"I came into this start feeling pretty good and gave up some early runs," Floyd said. "We got an early lead and tried to keep it there, but we just couldn't do it."

"It was just one of those day where he was kind of a little wild," said catcher Pierzynski. "We couldn't find his slider, which is a pitch he has been able to go to in the past, and today he just couldn't find it."