Fister takes no-hit bid into 7th, Mariners win 8-2

[April 20, 2010]  SEATTLE (AP) -- Doug Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Ken Griffey Jr. and Casey Kotchman combined to drive in five runs as the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 Monday.

After a two-out walk in the first, Fister (2-1) retired the next 16 batters in a row before Nick Markakis opened the seventh with a clean single to center.

Griffey had a two-run single in the Mariners' 7-run third inning and Kotchman hit a two-run home run in the third and a RBI double in the seventh.

Jack Wilson also had three hits, including two doubles.

Orioles starter Brad Bergesen (0-2) lasted only 2 2-3 innings. He was charged with six hits, seven runs, though only four were earned, and walked three without a strikeout.

Fister finished with three hits and one seven innings. He walked one and struck on three.

Ty Wiggington hit his fifth home run, a solo shot in the ninth, for the Orioles.

Solid defense, including a nifty cover play at first by Fister, kept his ho-hit bid going.

In the sixth, Cesar Izturis bounced a grounder into the right-side hole. Second baseman Chone Figgins managed to snag it, spun completely around and threw an accurate one-hopper to Fister covering first. With a long first baseman-like stretch, Fister hung onto it.

Wilson's one-out double began a string of eight straight batters reaching base in the Mariners' third. Ichiro Suzuki and Figgins walked followed by Franklin Gutierrez's RBI single to left, scoring Wilson. Jose Lopez reached on third baseman Wiggington's error, allowing Suzuki to score.

Griffey followed with his two-run single through the right side, scoring Figgins and Gutierrez. Milton Bradley launched a RBI double into the left-center gap, but Griffey was thrown out on the relay home. Kotchman finished the rally with a homer into the right-field seats.

It was the most prolific inning for the Mariners since a 7-run seventh on April 15 last season against the Los Angeles Angels.

Baltimore (2-12), with the worst record in the majors, matched its season-low with five hits. It was the seventh time in 14 games that the Birds have scored two runs or fewer.

Markakis has reached base safely in all 14 games this season.

NOTES: The crowd of 14,528 was the smallest in Safeco Field's history. The previous smallest was 15,818 on May 6, 2008. ... Mariners LHP Cliff Lee, on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle, is waiting for the league response to appeal of a five-game suspension stemming from a spring training incident. "If everything goes well with that," Wakamatsu said, "we're looking at a rehab assignment (April 25). "If everything goes well with that, we're looking at a start (May 2)." ... Orioles OF Felix Pie will miss three months after doctors determined he has a torn left latissimus dorsi muscle. No surgery is required, just rest and rehab. Pie tore the muscle on opening day. "That tells you something about Pie's pain tolerance," Birds manager Dave Trembley said. "He has been dealing with it since." ... Baltimore 3B Miguel Tejada said his strained groin is "feeling almost normal" and hopes to return to the lineup Tuesday. ... The Mariners signed INF Ramon Vazquez to a minor league contract. Vazquez, 33, spent spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates, was designated for assignment and became a free agent on April 12.

[Associated Press]

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