It took a while, but the bats finally came through for the Mariners -- the first-place Mariners, as the Angels lost to the Twins -- in a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers in front of a sellout crowd of 46,334 at Safeco Field. Seattle trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but scored a pair of unearned runs off Kevin Millwood that frame and then piled on three more off Kazuo Fukumori in the seventh. The photo above shows Yuniesky Betancourt crossing the plate after a two-run double by Jose Lopez capped off the seventh-inning rally.

Erik Bedard wasn't very forthcoming with his post-game interview answers. I let Jerry Brewer tackle Bedard for his column and focused more on the guys who played a direct role in the victory.

But Bedard was right up there with some of the things that stick in my head from this game. Yes, Bedard threw a whole lot of pitches, but managed to avoid the big damage on the scoreboard. That fifth inning, when Texas had a runner on second with only one out, proved huge as Bedard notched consecutive groundouts to keep it a one-run game.

I talked to Kenji Johjima about it afterwards and he praised Bedard for not giving in and abandoning his game plan when plate umpire Jim Joyce refused to give him the inside corner on his fastball.

"I think he had a few pitches inside that were fastballs where he should have had strikes called," Johjima said through an interpreter. "But he kept pitching inside and not going more towards the plate. So, that's how (mentally) strong I think he is. He's a very stubborn guy.''

Some fine pitching by Sean Green after that carried the M's to five more outs. Green wound up credited with the victory. Eric O'Flaherty also got the key out needed in the seventh when Josh Hamilton popped out foul with a runner on.

Offensively, Lopez delivered the back-breaking double and also completed the hitting part of that hit-and-run with Ichiro in the sixth to get Seattle's two-run rally started. Lopez did not look great defensively today, but he came through with the bat. I liked the seven walks taken by Seattle hitters as well, two by Johjima, on a cold day when hits were tough to come by early.

J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing only a two-out single by Michael Young, for the save.

Raul Ibanez admitted there was a sense of urgency in the sixth when he came up with two on, none out and his team down 1-0. The M's had already squandered a chance in the second inning against Kevin Millwood.