M's get 15 hits, including 8 doubles, in Riggleman's debut

ATLANTA — Jim Riggleman admitted before Friday's game that his Mariners managerial career began about 5 ½ years later than he once thought it would.

A finalist for the Seattle job in 2003 when Bob Melvin was hired to replace Lou Piniella, Riggleman said he allowed himself to believe he was going to be hired.

"A lot of people were calling me and saying, 'You know, Rig, you're going to get that job,' " he recalled. "It was the only time [since he was fired by the Cubs in 1999] that I felt pretty sure about something. I didn't get it."

But he has it now, and the Riggleman era got off to a smashing start Friday. The Mariners tied a season-high with 15 hits, tied a team record with eight doubles, and crushed the Braves, 10-2, at Turner Field.

Whether or not the win was a harbinger of better tidings for the worst team in baseball, or merely a brief respite from the onslaught of defeats, remains to be seen.

But the Mariners were still savoring one of their precious few blowouts this season. They hadn't scored 10 runs in five weeks — and they lost that game, 13-12, to Texas on May 12.

"We just played a clean game," Riggleman said. "It seemed like we strung a few of those together early in the year, which indicated what we can be, and what we were hoping to be. I believe that's been in there, which is why we keep saying we're a good team. Now, hopefully, we can string a few together."

Because nothing comes without a cost for the 2008 Mariners, even the victory had a discordant note. Starting pitcher Erik Bedard left after the third inning with severe back spasms on his right side that left him unable to reach the clubhouse without aid.

Bedard was slightly better after the game ("As long as I don't sit down") but it's not known if he'll be able to make his next start.

"It's too early to say, but he was very uncomfortable," Riggleman said.

Bedard said he actually felt as good as he has all season before hurting himself on a 3-2 pitch to the first hitter in the third, Ruben Gotay. He got out of the inning with only five more pitches, having blanked the Braves on just two hits in his stint.

"Not good," he said when asked how he felt. "I never had one before. When people tell you they have back spasms, now I know what it is."

Bedard said he was unsure when the spasms will let up enough so he can pitch again.

"Some guys, it's a couple of days, some guys a week," he said. "I don't know."

Five relievers finished out the game, with Ryan Rowland-Smith earning his second major-league win, and Miguel Batista working the ninth in Brandon Morrow's absence (back spasms).

The Mariners played a National League style in the interleague game — call it Riggle Ball — with the key hit coming on Jeremy Reed's pinch-hit double off former Mariner Jorge Campillo in the seventh. Willie Bloomquist scored from first on the hit-and-run as Seattle broke a 2-2 tie.

They went on to score nine runs over the last three innings. Jose Lopez had three hits and drove in four runs, Adrian Beltre drove in three, and Raul Ibanez had three hits. Lopez, Ibanez and Yuniesky Betancourt each had two doubles.

"We need to change the way we've been thinking and use this game, and the new manager, as a trigger to change the way we've been doing things," Ichiro said through an interpreter.

Riggleman had talked about just that before his first game replacing the fired John McLaren.

"We're letting them know we're not going to quit," Riggleman said. "The coaches and managers aren't going to quit, so it's not going to be allowed by anybody.

"It's ugly to look at the standings right now. We need to set some short-term, immediate, attainable goals. Right now, the Angels are not an attainable goal, so let's try to catch somebody else. If we catch them, we'll go after the next one."

Asked if he felt he was auditioning to earn the managerial job for next year, Riggleman said, "I hadn't thought about that until you said it. I was told it's my position until the end of the year. Basically, that's all I'm looking at.

"Collectively, as coaches, myself, Lee Pelekoudas [the interim general manager], we want to make it a tough decision for anybody to run this group out of here. The better we play, and the harder we work, there's a better chance for everybody."

Friday's game was a good start in that exercise, but even in the glow of victory, Riggleman tossed some credit to McLaren.

"It was still a night where I feel for John," he said. "We did a lot of things John talked about — be patient at the plate, make the pitcher work, put the game in motion. That game was a lot of what he preached.

"We've had a lot of losses, and I'm not going to get excited about one win. We need to string together some weeks where we play good, clean baseball."