High-fives all around

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Seattle Mariners took an early lead with seven runs, all on homers.

They held the lead through the late innings behind the dazzling debut of rookie reliever Emiliano Fruto.

But the fulcrum on which those two equally important segments balanced, on which Sunday’s 9-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels turned, was the defense and determination of center fielder Jeremy Reed.

On the last pitch thrown by drained Mariners starter Gil Meche, with two on and none out in the sixth inning, the Angels’ Tommy Murphy lashed a liner into the left-center gap.

The ball was labeled extra bases, one or two runs, and trouble.

But Reed, after running as hard as possible as long as possible, launched himself in a full-extension dive and caught the ball, as amazing an open-field catch as a Mariners outfielder has made in recent memory.

“Did that play change the complexion of the game? Oh, yeah,” Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. Seattle showed why it is usually one of the top defensive teams in the majors with some notable glove work.

In the second inning, catcher Kenji Johjima made a stunning recovery of a near wild pitch when a curveball missed for a third strike by Dallas McPherson bounced 30 feet behind him to his left. Johjima pounced on it with a slide, spun on his hip and lobbed a 120-foot strike to nip the runner at first.

In the third, Reed robbed Juan Rivera of extra bases just before Adam Kennedy hit a two-run homer that wiped out the Mariners’ lead and tied the score 4-4.

In the seventh, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt made a 360-degree snag-and-spin to get Orlando Cabrera at first base.

But neat as all that was, Reed had the game in his glove in the sixth.

“Our offense was incredible, and our defense was unbelievable,” Meche said. “But I don’t know what word you use to describe Jeremy’s play in my last inning. I only know I was so drained, so tired and so impressed by Fruto coming in and getting Chone Figgins to hit into a double play, I almost forgot to thank Jeremy.”

Willie Bloomquist realized that and reminded Meche, who immediately went to Reed on the bench to express his gratitude. “He just smiled at me and said, ‘You’re welcome.’ “

“Any time you can help a pitcher with a big play it’s a good feeling,” Reed said. “I just kept going after that ball. I always start out with the feeling I’m going to get it. Then if you find you can’t, you back off.”

To that point, the game had been mostly offensive, with Seattle drubbing Angels starter Jeff Weaver for a season-high four homers – by Raul Ibanez for two runs in the first; by Jose Lopez for two runs and a 4-0 lead in the third; by Carl Everett on the first pitch of the fourth to break the 4-4 tie; and by Betancourt for two runs and a 7-4 lead later that inning.

So Seattle started to hit – with nine homers in the series after having just 22 in 36 previous games – and head to Oakland with a 2-1 series win over L.A.

“We got the bats going,” said Reed, who, like Betancourt, hit his first two homers of the year here. “We’ve got to try to keep that going, to reach .500 and get beyond that. The more you win, the more you will win.”