Mariners Steamroll Angels

This is what you call building a safe lead.

The Mariners, who blew four- and two-run bulges in back-to-back losses to the Oakland Athletics before coming to Anaheim Stadium for a four-game series, took no chances Thursday night in blowing away the California Angels.

In an offensive onslaught that produced 21 hits - including home runs by Jay Buhner, Alex Rodriguez and Greg Pirkl - the Mariners erased memories of those Oakland mishaps, plastering the Angels 15-3 before 22,780 fans.

“We’re just trying to stay consistent and play nine innings of baseball every game,” said Ken Griffey Jr., who drove in four runs. “It’s fun to watch Jay and Alex hit.

“Our job is to score as many runs as we can every day, and even though we got a lot tonight, the score is 0-0 (tonight).”

There seemed to be more Mariners’ backers in the stadium and they thoroughly enjoyed the way Seattle ended its two-game slide. Those folks went home with sore throats.

Angels rooters went home early and quietly.

With Buhner driving in two first-inning runs with a bases-loaded double and adding a towering three-run homer in the second inning, the Mariners forged to a nine-run lead.

It became 15-0 before Rusty Meacham surrendered a run in the eighth inning, long after his first win as a starter since July 4, 1991, was assured.

Meacham didn’t become a starter again until the Mariners acquired him from the Kansas City Royals organization on June 20.

“It was a fun game for us,” said Rodriguez, who doubled twice in a 4-for-4 night, scored four runs and drove in three. He also walked.

Despite ending a two-game losing streak and closing to within three games of the A.L. West Division-leading Texas Rangers, the Mariners received two major scares.

Rodriguez escaped a leg injury when he slid hard into Angels catcher Jorge Fabregas in the second inning. An even scarier moment came in the fourth inning when California reliever Ryan Hancock beaned catcher Dan Wilson.

The rising fastball struck Wilson near the bottom of his batting helmet, which went flying. Wilson went down and and stayed down for several minutes.

He finally got back on his feet but was taken out of the game. Angels physician Craig Milhouse examined Wilson and reported the catcher appeared to be fine.