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Buscher comes through off bench, lifts Twins over Mariners

Aug 28, 2008 - 2:02 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Pinch hitter Brian Buscher lined a two-run single to snap a 4-4 tie and cap a three-run eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins rallied to edge the Seattle Mariners, 6-5, on Wednesday.

The win broke the Twins' four-game losing streak and prevented the Mariners from winning their season-high fourth consecutive game.

Minnesota improved to 3-4 on its 14-game road trip, the club's longest since 1969. It avoided being swept in Seattle for the first time since 2001.

"It was a very exciting baseball game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Seattle has been very entertaining for us this year. I think it's the never-say-die attitude on both sides."

Lefthander Glen Perkins (12-3) went seven innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in winning his fifth consecutive game and 10th in 12 decisions since June 1.

"He just made a couple of mistakes," Gardenhire said of Perkins. "Other than that, he threw the ball great."

After having his last two blown saves come against the Mariners, Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth inning for his 36th save.

The Twins were trailing, 4-3, in the eighth when Justin Morneau hit a leadoff double off Sean Green (3-4). After a single by Randy Ruiz, Morneau scored on Jason Kubel's double, knotting the game.

Two batters later, while hitting for Brendan Harris, Buscher lined a single to center field off Cesar Jimenez, scoring a pair for a 6-4 advantage.

"That was a huge hit for him and a huge hit for us," Twins catcher Mike Redmond said. "It wasn't pretty, but we won and now we can turn the page and go to Oakland."

The Mariners rallied for a run in the eighth against newly acquired Eddie Guardado as Kenji Johjima and Jeff Clement ripped back-to-back doubles with two outs. Miguel Cairo followed with a single that nearly tied the game, but right fielder Denard Span threw out pinch runner Tug Hulett at the plate.

"I just released the ball and let it go," Span said. "I just want to make sure to give Red (catcher Mike Redmond) a nice hop, or throw it right to him and I got rid of the ball pretty good."

"That was a big play, just to hold them off," Redmond said. "In my mind he was going to have to come over me to score that run. So, it ended up working out."

Seattle had erased an early 3-1 deficit on Jose Lopez's two-run home run in the fourth, a high shot down the left field line that barely cleared the foul pole. Three innings later, Raul Ibanez lifted an 0-1 offering from Perkins 401 feet into the right field seats to give the Mariners a 4-3 edge.

"We had a 1-0 lead and I gave it back," Perkins said. "Then, we had a 3-1 lead and I gave it back. So, that was very frustrating."

Ryan Feierabend left after seven innings with the one-run lead. The 23-year-old lefthander surrendered three runs and eight hits, striking out four and walking two.

"For me to be a starter, I need to show that I can pitch up to this level and go seven innings," Feierabend said after hurling seven innings for the second time in his career.

Delmon Young's sacrifice fly in the second gave the Twins a 1-0 lead, but the Mariners tied it in the third on Yuniesky Betancourt's RBI double. Span doubled in a pair of runs an inning later to put Minnesota ahead, 3-1.