Brewers hand Garcia, Mariners another shutout loss

MILWAUKEE — Victor Santos might have solidified his spot in the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting rotation.

Santos and two relievers combined on a two-hitter, and Lyle Overbay drove in two runs to lead the Brewers to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. Santos (5-2) allowed two hits and struck out six and walked one, matching a career high with seven innings pitched.

“Victor was spectacular,” Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said.

Seattle’s only two hits came in the third, when Bret Boone singled and was thrown out by left-fielder Geoff Jenkins trying to stretch it into a double. John Olerud followed with a double — and was the only Mariner to make it to second base as Seattle was shut out for the eighth time this year.

Santos is pitching for his fourth team in four years, but has won three consecutive starts and has a 3.06 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season at Triple-A Indianapolis and pitching in relief his first three games for Milwaukee.

Playing for Detroit, Colorado and Texas from 2001-03, the right-hander went 2-8 overall and had a 7.43 ERA in 13 career starts.

Before his victory over Seattle, Milwaukee pitching coach Mike Maddux helped Santos make an adjustment in his mechanics, and Yost said it increased the speed of his fastball from the high 80s into the low 90s.

“The last few times out, I was getting my arm up,” Santos said, who played despite having a stomach ailment that he said didn’t bother him on the mound. “Mike saw that and let me know, and I concentrated on that today.”

Luis Vizcaino threw a hitless eighth, and Dan Kolb pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances to complete the Brewers’ third shutout.

The Mariners had their three-game winning streak stopped.

“We just didn’t do very well offensively at all,” Seattle manager Bob Melvin said. “The kid Santos pitched well, but it’s my feeling we should have had a little better effort offensively.”

The Brewers scored twice in the third off Freddy Garcia (3-6), who again received little offensive support. He lost 3-0 to Houston in his last start.

Junior Spivey led off with a walk, Jenkins doubled and Overbay followed with a double down the right-field line — his major league-leading 28th — to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.

It was a special night for Overbay, a Centralia, Wash., native who played for the first time against Seattle, the team he followed as a youth.

“You grow up watching those guys, to be able to stand next to them is awesome,” he said. “You dream about it and hope one day it happens. Tonight, it did.”

Jenkins hit his team-leading ninth homer in the eighth to make it 3-0.

Garcia pitched 7 2-3 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out eight. The Mariners have scored only 20 runs in his 13 starts while he has been in the game.

“Hopefully, pretty soon we start hitting better,” Garcia said. “We’re trying really hard to get on base, it just isn’t happening yet.”

Notes

The Mariners began a string of six consecutive Interleague road games. That means Seattle pitchers are getting a chance to bat and Melvin thinks his team is well suited for N.L. games. “We have a nice little left and right with (Dave) Hansen and Edgar (Martinez) and we have some other guys on the bench that are very versatile athletes that play many different positions.” … OF Ichiro Suzuki batted third for the third consecutive game. “I’m just changing things up a little,” Melvin said. “Leadoff is still his spot.” … The Brewers will honor Paul Molitor tonight. He is second only to former teammate Robin Yount in several team categories, including games played (1,856), batting average (.302), at-bats (7,520), hits (2,281), runs (1,275), doubles (405) and triples (86). He holds the club record with 412 stolen bases. Molitor, the Mariners’ hitting coach, was elected to the Hall of Fame in January… . Overbay singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 12 games… . It was the first time the teams played since Aug. 12, 1997.