Mariners' Pineda shuts down Phillies

SEATTLE (AP) - June 17, 2011

Shane Victorino singled to right with two outs in the sixth inning for the first hit against Pineda (7-4). Utley followed with an RBI single.

Suzuki, the two-time batting champion, had his six straight multihit game, raising his batting average from .252 to .275.

Dustin Ackley, the second pick in the 2009 draft, called up before the game, stroked his first big league hit - a single through Roy Oswalt's legs - in his first at-bat in the second inning.

It's the first time a Mariners player had a hit in his first career plate appearance since Wladimir Balentien on Sept. 4, 2007.

Miguel Olivo hit his 11th home run for the Mariners while Victorino had his seventh for the Phillies.

Pineda walked Ryan Howard after Utley's hit to load the bases in the sixth. He struck out Placido Polanco on a check swing to get out of the jam with a 3-1 lead and end his outing.

He allowed two hits, one run, walked three and struck out five.

Aaron Laffey worked two innings - giving up Victorino's solo shot in the eighth - before yielding to Brandon League in the ninth.

League earned his 21st save in 24 opportunities.

Oswalt (4-5), who has won just once since April 21, went 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits. He walked two and struck out three.

Entering the game, Oswalt had allowed one earned run or fewer in eight if his previous 10 road starts.

Suzuki pestered Oswalt throughout. He reached on a one-out infield single in the third. Brendan Ryan then drilled a first-pitch RBI triple into the right-center gap.

In the fourth, Olivo hit a 2-0 pitch over the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead.

Suzuki opened the fifth with a single and Ryan walked. Adam Kennedy advanced both with a sacrifice bunt. Justin Smoak lifted a foul fly down the right-field line. Utley, with his back to home, caught it and Suzuki alertly tagged and scored easily.

Again in the seventh, Suzuki started it with a one-out double down the left-field line. Ryan followed with a RBI single to left for a 4-1 lead.

NOTES: Mariners manager Eric Wedge had avoided using young first baseman Smoak in the fourth spot all season but he batted him cleanup for the first time. "I feel like we have a pretty good grasp of the type of hitter he's going to be and how he has handled himself in the three hole and five hole," Wedge said. "I've enjoyed watching that. Let's see him in the cleanup spot." ... With the DH available, Phils manager Charlie Manuel put Ben Francisco at that spot and started former Mariner Raul Ibanez in left field because of his past experience at that position at Safeco Field.

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