Mariners rally in 9th to end losing streak

Jose Lopez's single down the left-field line scored Wladimir Balentien and ended the Mariners' losing streak at seven games with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Safeco Field on Tuesday night.

With one out in the ninth, Balentien got aboard on an infield single, Yuniesky Betancourt sacrificed him to second, and advanced to third on a ground out by Jeremy Reed. The Red Sox's Mike Timlin intentionally walked Ichiro, who took second base.

That left Lopez with at the plate with the game on the line.

Brandon Morrow provided some electric relief in the eighth to preserve a 3-3 tie. Inheriting a first-and-second, no-out situation, he fanned Manny Ramirez -- seeking his 500th career homer after hitting one earlier in the game -- on a 99-mph fastball, then whiffed Mike Lowell on a 98-mph heater. Morrow got J.D. Drew to fly out to right to end the threat.

Seattle starter Miguel Batista, coming off an 0-3 stretch with a 10.69 earned-run average in his last four starts, was sailing along with a two-hit shutout and a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth. But the inning was typical of the Mariners' recent losing stretch -- a critical mistake immediately compounded by the opponent.

The mistake this time was a one-out error by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, who booted Dustin Pedroia's easy grounder. David Ortiz followed with a single, and Manny Ramirez -- hitting .409 in his career off Batista -- launched an opposite-field, three-run homer to right on the first pitch he saw. It was Manny's 499th career homer, and the 38th against Seattle, second only to Rafael Palmeiro's 52 for a Mariners' opponent. Ramirez hadn't homered since May 12.

The bottom of the fifth was eventful. Matsuzaka threw two warmup pitches before a trainer was summoned, and he was pulled from the game. His injury was not immediately known. Matsuzaka, who entered the game with an 8-0 record and 2.40 earned-run-average, yielded four hits and three runs (two earned) in his four innings.

With David Aardsma -- the only man in baseball history ahead of Hank Aaron alphabetically -- replacing Matsuzaka, Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo went ballistic when third-base umpire Angel Hernandez denied a checked-swing appeal on Raul Ibanez. In the ensuing argument, both Lugo and Boston manager Terry Francona were ejected.

In the sixth, Ramirez helped subdue a Seattle rally by gunning down Adrian Beltre trying to advance from first to third on Kenji Johjima's single. Johjima took second on the throw and stole third -- his first stolen base of the season, and just the fourth of his major-league career -- but the Mariners couldn't get him home with one out. Wladimir Balentien grounded to third, and Miguel Cairo's liner was speared by first baseman Sean Casey.

Ichiro, who had been just 1 for 12 last season against Matsuzaka -- after hitting .235 (8 for 34) off him in Japan -- led off the first by drilling a double down the third-base line.

Jose Lopez dropped a bunt in front of the plate, but Matsuzaka's throw to third to nail Ichiro was too late. Jose Vidro forced Lopez at second, with Ichiro scoring, and Vidro came around to score himself on Raul Ibanez's double to center. On that play, Coco Crisp just missed a sensational diving catch.

Ichiro again started another scoring rally in the third, leading off with a sharp single to center. He stole second -- a league-leading 22nd steal, three ahead of Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury -- and moved to third when Boston first baseman Sean Casey misplayed Jose Lopez's grounder for an error.

On a hard grounder by Ibanez, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia made a great diving stab and converted the force, but Ichiro scored on the play.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists