Franklin Gutierrez saves Mariners with eighth-inning home run

A fly ball arcing ever so slowly into a tense summer night carried the hopes and dreams of a season along with it.

And Felix Hernandez, the pitcher who'd made it possible for the Mariners to get this far, couldn't bear to watch. A towel he'd flung over his head during a two-on, two-out at-bat by Franklin Gutierrez in the eighth inning didn't get pulled off until a crowd as hesitant to believe as Hernandez finally acknowledged with a thunderous roar that the Mariners were back from the dead.

Long after this 3-1 comeback win over the Texas Rangers was completed on Thursday night, a beaming, still-shaking Hernandez said it all with his words and body language how important this game truly was.

"I said, 'Guys, let me know what happens; I don't want to see this,' " said Hernandez, who'd thrown a three-hitter while allowing one run over eight shutout innings, only to be down a run as Gutierrez stepped to the plate. " 'I can't lose this game 1-0 again.' So I just put my towel over my head. But then I heard the crowd and I said, 'Oh my God, what happened?' Homer."

Hernandez was as ecstatic as the 24,823 delirious fans at Safeco Field, yanking the towel off and waving it, then locking Gutierrez in a dugout embrace.

This was about more than just Hernandez improving to 9-3 on the season. The stakes for his team were far higher.

A loss would have dropped the Mariners 5 ½ games out of first place in the AL West. Instead, they are now 3 ½ behind, still hovering between "buyer" and "seller" mode as they possibly prepare for a trade involving shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

Betancourt was a late, healthy scratch from Class AAA Tacoma on Thursday in what the team termed an "organizational decision."

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik, asked after the game whether health or disciplinary reasons were behind the scratch, held up his hands and — with a smile — said, "I really can't comment, sorry."

Zduriencik had made similar comments by phone during the game, fueling speculation a trade was near. In another development that may or may not have been related to Betancourt, top Pittsburgh Pirates scout Marc DelPiano was at Safeco Field scouting both teams ahead of potential deals.

A source said the Mariners have been asking primarily about Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez, and also shortstop Jack Wilson. Pittsburgh wants young, cost-efficient players in any deal, including a big right-handed bat, middle infielders and pitching.

The Pirates are thought to have inquired about left fielder Wladimir Balentien and Class AA outfielder Greg Halman, though Betancourt could also be included as part of an overall package.

For most of Thursday's game, the Mariners were pinned to the mat by Rangers starter Tommy Hunter, a former two-time Junior Olympic judo champion.

Hunter used a tough cutter, changed speeds often and had the Mariners guessing through most of six scoreless innings. But Seattle ran his pitch count up to 104 and forced him from the game after six, Texas leading 1-0 after Hernandez had wild-pitched a run home in the top of that frame.

"The one thing we did do well tonight was to grind him and put pressure on him and get his pitch count up so we could get in their bullpen," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Which allowed us to get that home run, I believe."

Ichiro got the eighth inning started with his third hit, a leadoff double off lefty reliever C.J. Wilson. But he was still standing on second when, with two out, Ken Griffey Jr. drew a full-count walk.

Moments later, Gutierrez hit the ball in the air.

Mariners closer David Aardsma was warming up in the bullpen when the ball finally landed.

"I was already kind of throwing just in case we hit the home run," Aardsma said. "And I can't enjoy it. I can't go out and celebrate it because I've got to get ready ... so, that's kind of the hard part. But I'll take it any day."

Aardsma closed it out 1-2-3, one day after blowing a 3-0 lead to Baltimore in a five-run ninth. And the postgame mood this time was night-and-day different.

"You could tell," he said. "You could see it in the clubhouse. You could see it in the dugout after the game. Everybody was excited. It was a great win."

A possible season-saver with deals looming.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com.

Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.com/Mariners