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Cairo helps slumping Mariners top Rangers

May 14, 2008 - 11:16 PM By Ken Costlow PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) - Miguel Cairo's 12th-inning single lifted the struggling Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. With two outs and a runner on third, Cairo bounced an offering from Texas reliever Franklyn German (1-2), helping the Mariners avoid a three-game sweep.

"It was nice to get a base-hit and help the team win the game," Cairo said. "That's my job, to do whatever they need me to do, whether it's play for someone or come up and help the team win."

A favorite to contend in the American League West at the beginning of the season, the triumph was just third for the Mariners (16-26)in their last 15 games.

"Today, we needed this win," Cairo added. "We've been battling and we believe in ourselves. We're going to turn this thing around."

J.J. Putz (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win and Jarrod Washburn picked up the first save of his career in his 11th career relief appearance. Washburn has made 254 starts in his 11 seasons in the league.

"The bullpen looked good today, but Carlos (Silva) pitched a great game before he had to come out," Washburn said. "There was great pitching on both sides today. Whenever you can keep the score down in this park, the pitchers have done their job. This is definitely not a pitcher's park."

The Rangers trailed, 3-2, in the bottom of the eighth when Frank Catalanotto and Michael Young delivered back-to-back singles with one out. Josh Hamilton then drove in pinch runner Gerald Laird from third with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game.

After David Murphy singled to center to put runners at first and second, Texas nearly took the lead but Seattle right fielder Wladimir Balentien made a shoestring catch on a line drive by rookie Brandon Boggs to end the threat.

The Mariners had taken their first lead with two runs on a pair of hits off Rangers starter Scott Feldman in the seventh inning. Rookie Jeff Clement tripled off the center field wall to bring in Jose Lopez with the tying run.

Lopez had reached base on a throwing error by Texas third baseman Ramon Vazquez. Two outs later, Yuniesky Betancourt ripped a double off the top of the left field wall to score Clement and give Seattle a 3-2 lead. Feldman then got Ichiro Suzuki to ground out to second to end the uprising.

"I actually felt better in this start and had a better command of my pitches," Feldman said. "Except for that breaking ball that Betancourt got his double on, I felt good out there. I was using my two-seam fastball that I try to break down and have the batters hit balls on the ground."

In the last of the seventh, Silva left the game with mild lower-back tightness after giving up a leadoff double to Murphy and getting Boggs on a fly to center.

Brandon Morrow, who relieved Silva, walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Chris Shelton to load the bases, but Arthur Rhodes came in for the Mariners and got pinch hitter Marlon Byrd to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Silva in the first inning on doubles to right from Catalanotto, Young and Murphy.

Silva then retired the next 11 batters in order before Chris Shelton doubled to left with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

Seattle cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning on Lopez's two-out RBI-double to left, driving in Raul Ibanez from first.

Murphy finished with four hits for the Rangers, who lost for just the second time in their last nine contests.