Lee tosses 7-hitter as Mariners beat Rangers 4-2

[June 08, 2010]  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Cliff Lee threw a seven-hitter to help the Seattle Mariners snap a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

Lee (4-2), who struck out seven and walked none, didn't allow a run until Josh Hamilton's one-out RBI single in the ninth, when Michael Young and Ian Kinsler had consecutive singles to start the inning.

Another run came home on a fielder's choice grounder.

It was the 15th career complete game for Lee and second in his eight starts since the Mariners acquired him from Philadelphia last winter.

Michael Saunders hit a three-run homer for Seattle, and Rob Johnson had an RBI single off Scott Feldman (3-6).

Feldman allowed four runs, three earned, in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out four and walked two while throwing 120 pitches.

Texas didn't even get a runner past second base until the ninth against Lee, who threw 84 of his 107 pitches for strikes while throwing at least eight innings for the third game in a row and fifth time this season.

A fielding error by Lee extended the game an extra batter, when he wasn't able to handle first baseman Casey Kotchman's toss on David Murphy's grounder to the right side of the infield.

Lee tried to make a barehanded grab, but the ball dropped through his fingers. After manager Don Wakamatsu came out to talk with the umpires, and give Lee a second to catch his breath, the game then ended on Matt Treanor's infield popout.

Lee threw seven scoreless innings in his delayed debut for the Mariners on April 30, but that was a no-decision at Safeco Field.

After Seattle acquired Lee from Philadelphia last winter, he started this season on the disabled list after straining his abdomen during spring training.

In his six previous starts at Rangers Ballpark, one in each season from 2004-09, Lee had a 9.19 ERA and had allowed at least six runs his last three times out.

When Lee was still with Cleveland at the start of 2009, after winning the AL Cy Young Award the previous season, he gave up seven runs on 10 hits over five innings in a loss at Texas. He was traded to the Phillies midway through last season and hadn't pitched in Texas again until Monday night.

Lee had retired 10 batters in a row until the singles in the ninth by Young and Kinsler, who was mired in a 2-for-21 slump. Vladimir Guerrero then flied out deep to center, moving Young to third -- the first Rangers runner to get that far.

Saunders' third homer of the season came in the second, putting the Mariners up 3-0.

Seattle was up 4-0 in the third after Mike Carp reached on an error and scored on Johnson's single.

Left-hander Matt Harrison threw 3 1-3 scoreless innings after relieving Feldman.

NOTES: Chone Figgins was 3 for 4 batting in the ninth spot for Seattle for the first time this season. Figgins, the Mariners' second baseman, also had an impressive defensive play. He made a running, diving catch on Joaquin Arias' soft liner in short right field in the second. ... Despite the loss, Texas is 20-11 at home.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]

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