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Span, Twins pull away from Mariners to avoid sweep

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08/06/2008 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denard Span drove in four runs and had three hits, and the Minnesota Twins salvaged the finale of a three-game set with a 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Minnesota entered this series having won seven times in its previous nine contests, but the club suffered back-to-back losses to last-place Seattle before Wednesday's win.

Span tripled with the bases loaded, had a bunt RBI single, stole a base and robbed Adrian Beltre of a seventh-inning home run with a leaping grab against the fence in a one-run game. Brendan Harris doubled twice, scored twice and knocked in two for the Twins.

"He had a great game today on both sides of the ball," Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire said of Span. "Defensively, he had a great catch and then offensively he had that bases clearing triple, just a great game today."

Twins starter Nick Blackburn (9-6) gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk through six frames in a winning cause. Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn (5-11) took the loss after allowing four runs - three earned - on five hits and three walks in six innings, while striking out six.

"It seems like he's deep in the game giving us a chance to win," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said of Washburn. "He did a good job today, he kept us in there against a tough ballclub. We were getting a lot of hits, we just couldn't get over the hump."

Jeremy Reed was 2-for-2 with a run scored, RBI and a walk while Beltre had two hits and two RBI for Seattle, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

The Twins jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second. Randy Ruiz lined a one-out single to center and Harris reached on an error before Adam Everett laced an RBI single to left. A Carlos Gomez walk loaded the bases for Span, who ripped a triple down the first-base line to plate three runs. Washburn retired the next two, stranding Span at third.

Reed drew a walk with two away in the third for Seattle, moved to third on a single from Raul Ibanez and crossed home on Beltre's single back through the middle.

The Mariners cut the lead to one in the fifth. Yuniesky Betancourt was hit by a pitch to start things off, while Ichiro Suzuki and Reed followed with singles, the latter of which plated a run. Consecutive ground outs plated a second run to make it 4-3.

But Minnesota pulled away with a three-run eighth. Mark Lowe allowed Jason Kubel and Ruiz to open the frame with back-to-back singles, and Harris stroked a two-run double to right. Jared Wells came on to face Everett, who moved the runner to third with a sacrifice bunt. Span then bunted a single up the first- base line that scored Harris.

"It was good for us to get out of here with a win, we haven't felt comfortable here since we arrived," Gardenhire said. "We tried some things different today and they worked out for us."

Joe Nathan took the hill in the ninth and worked around a single from Bryan LaHair to ensure victory for the Twins.

Game Notes

This series marked the first 2008 meetings between the Twins and Mariners. Minnesota went 6-3 against Seattle last season and took five of the six games played in Seattle...Seattle continues its season-long, 10-game homestand Thursday, hosting Tampa Bay in the first contest of a four-game set...Minnesota is off Thursday before heading to Kansas City for a three-game series...Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fifth...Span's four RBI and three hits were both career-highs.