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Lopez delivers victory

Felix Hernandez kept the Padres at bay until his team could rally.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Tim Booth Associated Press
Felix Hernandez kept the Padres at bay until his team could rally.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

SEATTLE – Instead of being methodical and waiting for the perfect pitch in a bases loaded, two-out situation, Jose Lopez was content just settling for something in the strike zone.

The struggling Seattle Mariners are thankful Lopez decided to be impatient.

Lopez jumped on the first pitch from San Diego reliever Heath Bell in the bottom of the eighth, lining a two-out, two-run double into the right-field corner, and the Mariners rallied for a 3-2 win over the Padres on Saturday afternoon.

Moments after Adrian Beltre struck out, drawing a collective groan from Mariners fans, Lopez changed the tone, giving Seattle consecutive wins for the first time since April 20 and 22.

“I like it. I like it a lot,” Lopez said of the situation. “It’s not pressure.”

Without question, Lopez has been Seattle’s best player through a disappointing 18-27 start. He’s hitting .307 after Sunday, and was moved into the No. 3 slot in the batting order on Saturday because of his consistency.

Lopez made sure to get Seattle’s first run home in the first inning, settling for a groundout that scored Ichiro Suzuki from first. When the Mariners finally put together some offense in the eighth, Lopez realized he was going to get an opportunity.

“He’s coming to play and he’s having fun,” Seattle manager John McLaren said. “He’s been our best player here from spring training to today.”

The rally started thanks to consecutive singles from pinch hitter Jose Vidro and Yuniesky Betancourt. Suzuki walked, but Bell (0-3) seemed to regroup, getting the strikeout of Beltre.

Knowing Bell was a hard thrower, Lopez slowed his swing and dropped a line drive just inside the right field line, scoring pinch runner Miguel Cairo and Betancourt with the winning runs.

It was the second straight game Seattle got to the Padres bullpen. On Saturday, Beltre hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off reliever Cla Meredith in Seattle’s 4-2 win.

“He just stuck his bat out there,” Bell said. “He made a pretty good swing on a pretty good pitch.”

Reliever Arthur Rhodes (2-0) finished the eighth for Seattle, and J.J. Putz worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Clement sent to Triple-A

Slumping young catcher Jeff Clement was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma by the Mariners after Sunday’s game, with the team hoping the young star can rediscover his swing playing every day in the minors.