M's hang on to beat Rangers, 5-4

Saturday was Edgar's night. The Mariners made sure it ended perfectly, though not without some drama.

Seattle celebrated its former star designated hitter and newest team Hall of Fame honoree, hanging on for a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers in front of 41,988 at Safeco Field.

"It would have been a shame if we would have lost on this day," starting pitcher Miguel Batista said. "He's such a great guy for this community and this organization that for us to go out there and make sure we got a win, that's something people will always remember."

With Martinez and his family watching from a suite after a heartwarming pregame induction ceremony, the Mariners got a much-needed lengthy and effective pitching performance from Batista. After using five relievers in Friday's 9-8 loss to Texas, some members of the bullpen needed a break, and Batista (6-4) provided it.

The right-hander tossed 6-1/3 innings of five-hit baseball, finishing with five strikeouts and only two walks. He was charged with two runs after leaving with two men on base, though Seattle's relievers were to blame. Eric O'Flaherty walked a batter and hit another to give up one Texas run, and Brandon Morrow walked in two more.

"Our bullpen had a lot of work in the beginning of the season ... now it's up to the starters to give some of those guys some rest," Batista said. "Hopefully by the time we need them again they can be as sharp as they were in the beginning of the season."

Mariners hitters entered the game averaging 8.22 runs over the previous nine games. They didn't add that kind of offensive support, but did just enough.

Seattle took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-out, RBI bloop single from Yuniesky Betancourt, who moved up from his normal eighth spot in the batting order to seventh in the absence of injured third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Ichiro's streak


25

game hitting streak

16

Multi-hit games during streak

.411

Batting average during streak

.091

Batting average in six games preceding streak

Betancourt's hitting streak reached 14 straight games.

Seattle missed an opportunity to add at least one more run in the bottom of the fourth because of bad baserunning. But the Mariners (27-25) soon made up for it.

Jose Lopez led off the fifth with a walk and took third on a perfect hit-and-run single from nine-hole hitter Willie Bloomquist. Bloomquist, Beltre's replacement, had two hits.

Ichiro came up and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Lopez scored to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Ichiro's club-record, 25-game hitting streak, however, ended as he went 0 for 4.

Batista, meanwhile, was in command, though his pitch count was high. He got all of his five strikeouts in his final 3-1/3 innings. And eventually the offense clicked the way it has of late.

Jose Guillen greeted Kameron Loe (1-5) with a towering solo home run to left field on the first pitch of the Mariners' sixth. Raul Ibanez singled, Richie Sexson walked and Kenji Johjima ripped a double to left field, driving in Ibanez. Sexson scored on a Betancourt sacrifice fly, and Loe's night was over.

O'Flaherty relieved Batista with two runners on in the seventh and loaded the bases with a two-out walk to the Rangers' Kenny Lofton. The M's reliever then drilled Michael Young with an 0-2 pitch to bring in the first run for Texas and was replaced by Morrow.

The rookie walked the next two hitters with the bases full before striking out Frank Catalanotto.

J.J. Putz wrapped it up with 1-2/3 innings to get his 13th save, striking out former Mariner Ramon Vazquez on a high fastball with a runner on third base to end the Texas eighth.

Mark Teixeira crushed a solo home run for the Rangers with two outs in the ninth, but it proved inconsequential as Putz got Sammy Sosa to ground out meekly to end the game.

Putz, Morrow and another reliever, new call-up Jon Huber, were fresh after not pitching Friday.

"We do have some bullpen issues that we're working ourselves through," said bench coach John McLaren, filling in for absent manager Mike Hargrove, who was attending his daughter's high-school graduation in Ohio. "Some guys we're overusing a bit. Miggy [Batista] did a great job for us. Without him coming through like this ... it could really have been a bad situation."

Instead, it was a win on a special night.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com