Mariners strike late
Beltre ends game in 11th with walk-off home run
SEATTLE – Adrian Beltre homered off Jesse Crain in the bottom of the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners kept Minnesota out of first place in the A.L. Central with a 4-2 win over the Twins on Monday night.
With one out in the 11th, Crain (5-4) walked Raul Ibanez on a full count. Then Beltre drilled a low, first-pitch fastball over the left-field fence to give Seattle the win.
Joe Nathan blew his fourth save in 38 chances in the ninth when Beltre scored after a leadoff double. Two of those blown saves have come against woeful Seattle, the A.L.’s worst team.
Lowe sent down
Mark Lowe isn’t hurt badly enough to go on the disabled list, but the Mariners decided the best way to deal with his sore left foot was to option him to Class AAA Tacoma.
The Mariners made that move Monday, two days after Lowe suffered a bruised left foot when he was hit with a line drive by Oakland’s Frank Thomas.
Lowe expects to be out only a few days, but even that length of time strains an already ragged bullpen that has lost Arthur Rhodes (traded to the Marlins) and Brandon Morrow (in Tacoma becoming a starter) in the past month.
The Mariners called up right-hander Randy Messenger to pitch in long relief and hope to bring Lowe back today if his foot allows. Because Tacoma’s season ends Monday, the team can call Lowe up immediately and not adhere to the usual 10-day period after optioning him. That’s one reason he didn’t go on the disabled list.