Alluring audition

SEATTLE – If the speculation is correct and Raul Ibanez is one of the Seattle Mariners’ hotter trade targets, he gave scouts plenty to consider Friday night.

The Mariners’ veteran left fielder went 3 for 4, hit a second-inning grand slam and scored twice to spark an 8-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field.

Ibanez has 12 homers and a team-high 59 runs batted in, along with the attention of other teams with the July 31 trade deadline 12 days from today.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and New York Yankees all have shown interest in Ibanez, and the Mariners, 20 games worse than .500, are open to offers. Left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn and left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes also have been notable Mariners mentioned in trade speculation.

Ibanez doesn’t appear bothered by it.

“It’s irrelevant,” he said. “You still have to prepare the same way. You approach the game the same way.”

Asked if he expected to be with the Mariners on Aug. 1, Ibanez said he doesn’t think that far ahead.

“It’s hard enough to play as it is,” he said.

That’s also manager Jim Riggleman’s take on Ibanez.

“He’s such an even-keeled person,” Riggleman said. “He’s just going to go out and give you a good day’s work, a great at-bat and good defense. He’s been through it before. No matter where he’s at, people are going to want to get him and I think he’s accustomed to it.”

Ibanez grounded into a double play in the first inning, but came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the second and got the best of Indians starter Aaron Laffey.

Ibanez, 0 for 6 in his career against Laffey, pulled a 1-1 pitch deep into the right-field seats for his sixth career grand slam.

It gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead, which second baseman Jose Lopez increased with his three-run homer in the fourth inning.

That was more than enough support for right-hander Felix Hernandez.

Hernandez, in his second start since coming back from a sprained ankle, held the Indians to four hits and two runs, striking out eight in six innings. He has won five of his past six decisions and is 7-6 with a 2.95 ERA.

“He made a little protest about going back out (for the seventh inning),” Riggleman said. “But he realized that if he went out there and somebody got on base, we’d come out to get him. It was a nice jump from the 82 pitches he threw in Kansas City to (99) tonight.”

Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran and Cesar Jimenez each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

M’s catcher Jamie Burke made the most of a rare start, going 3 for 4. with a double and a run.