Sexson’s late blast saves the day

SEATTLE – Richie Sexson hit Matt Guerrier’s second pitch of the ninth inning over the left-center field fence to send the soaring Seattle Mariners to a dramatic 4-3 victory over the sinking Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Sexson, who had been struggling to keep his average above .200 until a recent surge, drove a low, 1-0 pitch from Guerrier (1-4) into the Mariners’ bullpen to send Seattle to its sixth win in seven games.

The Mariners are now a season-high 16 games over .500.

Seattle’s first game-ending homer of the season kept it one percentage point ahead of the New York Yankees in the wild-card standings. The Mariners inched to within three games of the idle Los Angeles Angels atop the A.L. West.

J.J. Putz (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

Jose Vidro had three hits, including an RBI single in the fifth off Johan Santana immediately after Minnesota had cut its deficit to 2-1. Sexson added a two-run double off the reigning A.L. Cy Young Award winner.

Santana allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, but Minnesota still lost its fifth consecutive game. It was the 10th time this season Santana has gotten a no-decision despite allowing three earned runs or less.

Felix Hernandez, pitching against the Twins for the first time since he strained a forearm against them April 18 and then spent almost a month on the disabled list, was poised for his third consecutive win after allowing four hits and one run in six innings. But John Parrish, acquired last week from Baltimore, walked Jason Tyner and allowed a single by Nick Punto to begin the seventh.

After a sacrifice bunt, Jason Bartlett hit an RBI groundout to make it 3-2 against Sean Green, and Joe Mauer followed with a fly ball near the left-field line. Adam Jones, the heralded prospect, ran far from left-center but had the ball carom off his glove for a double. Punto scored to tie the game on Mauer’s third hit while Jones banged his right knee into the stands and then fell in among the fans.

Jones was giving Raul Ibanez a day off in left. Ibanez played as the designated hitter.

The Mariners jumped on Santana in the first.

Ibanez, the A.L. Player of the Week for going 13 for 27 with five homers and 11 RBIs on a six-game road trip, singled to send Jose Guillen to second with one out. Sexson then hit Santana’s first-pitch fastball off the top of the wall in left-center field for a double to give Seattle a 2-0 lead.

Minnesota produced three runs or less for the 11th time in 12 games.