M's erupt early against Rangers, snap five-game slide

Before Monday's game, Mariners manager John McLaren gave a soliloquy on the team's offensive woes, which have been vast and undeniable. But he concluded on an upbeat note:

"Hitting's contagious," he said. "We get some guys hitting, and it will take pressure off other guys, and kind of trickle on down. That's what we're looking for."

The trickle turned into a torrent on Monday in a 7-3 victory at Safeco Field — for one-third of the game, at least.

The Mariners erupted for nine hits and all seven runs in the first three innings, then reverted to their old anemic ways. They were blanked on one hit over the final five innings, with Texas relievers retiring the last 14 Seattle batters in a row.

But the early damage was more than enough in front of 16,637 fans, the smallest crowd of the year, as the Mariners got a gem of a pitching performance from Jarrod Washburn.

Washburn, en route to his first Safeco Field victory since June 29, 2007, blanked the Rangers on one hit over the first six innings before yielding three runs in the seventh.

Washburn was visited by the trainer after giving up hits to the first three men in the inning, and left the game with what was later termed "tightness in his right calf."

After the game, Washburn said he initially hurt his calf warming up but was able to work through it until his last pitch in the sixth inning.

"I really felt it pop," he said. "When I came in after the inning, I said I thought I could go, but I'll let you know if I can't. Like an idiot, I didn't let them know."

McLaren said he believes Washburn will be able to make his next start. Washburn said, "I hope so," adding that he would know more today when he sees how the calf feels.

After strong work by Sean Green, who struck out the side in the eighth, J.J. Putz closed out the game with a wobbly performance in the ninth.

The Rangers got two hits off Putz, including a ringing double, to put runners on second and third with one out. But Putz struck out Brandon Boggs and retired Frank Catalanotto on a pop-up with the count full.

On deck to pinch-hit when the game ended was Josh Hamilton, who had a two-run homer off Putz in the second game of the year and leads the American League with 33 runs batted in.

"He's still building his velocity back," said McLaren of Putz, who has been bothered by irritation on one of his fingers.

The victory broke a five-game losing streak for the Mariners (14-19), and moved them out of a tie with Texas for last place in the AL West.

"Right now, our thoughts are .500," McLaren said. "Let's get out of this hole, get to .500, and go from there."

The hitting highlights for the Mariners included Richie Sexson's 301st career homer, two doubles and two RBI for Raul Ibanez, and two hits by slumping Kenji Johjima, but none who needed it more than Wladimir Balentien.

The rookie had been 1 for 14 since homering in his first game up from the minors.

Balentien singled in the second, then crushed a three-run homer to left-center in the third. That came off Texas starter Kevin Millwood, who gave up seven runs in three innings and didn't come for the fourth.

"We made Millwood throw pitches and we didn't let him off the hook," McLaren said. "There have been times we've let the starter off the hook early, and the next thing you know, he's thrown seven good innings. You've got to stay on them."

Fellow rookie Jeff Clement was 0 for 3 to drop his average to .176, losing a bid for extra bases in the fifth when Texas center fielder David Murphy hauled in his drive on the warning track, his back to home plate a la Willie Mays robbing Vic Wertz.

Washburn, now 2-4, was in complete command for six innings, facing just one over the minimum. It was his 20th win as a Mariner, and his first over Texas since June 22, 2005, with the Angels.

"I was walking by Jarrod's locker in New York and I asked him, 'Are you all right?' " McLaren said. "He said, 'I'm 1 and 4,' and he didn't crack a smile. I said, 'You're pitching better than that.' He said, 'I'm still 1 and 4.'

"He's a great competitor that demands a lot of himself."

Washburn acknowledged that the early run support helped considerably. The Mariners had hit just .215 with nine runs and 30 strikeouts during their five-game losing streak.

"It was just a matter of time before we had a game like this," he said. "We have too many good offensive players to struggle like this."

The Mariners broke out immediately, with Ichiro leading off the first by lacing a double. He moved to third on a single by Jose Lopez, and both scored on Ibanez's double.

Lopez had an RBI single in the second, and Sexson laced a homer to center with one out in the third. After a walk to Clement and a single by Johjima, Balentien launched his second homer of the season.

"I've been working on trying to use all the fields," Balentien said. "My confidence is still there. I have to keep going out there and do my best, and things will turn around."

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com.