Vidro delivers for M’s

SEATTLE – Jose Vidro’s two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth broke a 2-all tie, and Arthur Rhodes picked up his first win in nearly three years as the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Seattle closer J.J. Putz returned after missing 18 games with a ribcage injury to pitch the ninth for his second save in three chances in his first appearance since April 1.

The Mariners’ rally started with Yuniesky Betancourt’s line-drive double to right-center off Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie to open the eighth, beating Adam Jones’ throw with a headfirst slide.

Guthrie appeared he was going to escape the jam, fooling Ichiro Suzuki, who weakly fouled out behind home plate on an off-speed pitch for the first out. Jose Lopez followed with a lineout to center.

Guthrie intentionally walked Raul Ibanez, but lost Adrian Beltre on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Vidro then lined a 1-1 pitch past second baseman Brian Roberts’ diving attempt, scoring Betancourt and Ibanez.

Guthrie (0-2) went 72/3 innings, his longest outing of the season, but got very little offensive support. Guthrie allowed just five hits and three earned runs, striking out five, but walking four.

Rhodes (1-0) allowed a leadoff single to open the eighth in relief of Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, but got a double-play and strike out for his first win since May 23, 2005, while pitching for Cleveland.

Putz gave up a leadoff double to Aubrey Huff to open the ninth, but struck out Jones on a high fastball and Ramon Hernandez on a splitter in the dirt. He closed it out getting a groundout from pinch-hitter Jay Payton.

Felix Hernandez settled down after a rocky start to pitch seven strong innings, but missed out on his chance at a third consecutive victory when Aubrey Huff hit a solo home run in the sixth that knotted the score at 2-2.