Ninth-inning blast makes Jays pay for decision to walk Ibanez

TORONTO -- Based on Richie Sexson's first four at-bats Monday, Toronto manager John Gibbons was right to intentionally walk Raul Ibanez to load the bases in the ninth inning.

With the game on the line and the Blue Jays clinging to a 4-3 lead, Gibbons was getting a right-on-right matchup. He was pitting his closer, Miguel Batista, against Sexson. The Seattle first baseman was hitless in four at-bats, three weak ground balls and a strikeout.

And a weak grounder or a strikeout was just what Gibbons wanted to see after the Mariners started to rally in the ninth.

What Gibbons saw instead was Batista's first pitch hit on a long line over the fence in right field for a grand slam, helping to end the Mariners' four-game losing streak.

Seattle, which had been 1-77 when trailing after eight innings, eventually won 7-5 after closer Eddie Guardado survived a bases-loaded jumble of his own in the bottom of the ninth.

Gibbons didn't know what Guardado knew. The reliever started warming up during the Ibanez walk because he figured Sexson was going to do some serious damage.

"I told myself he was going to do it," Guardado said in explaining why he started to loosen up in the bullpen even with the Mariners behind. "I thought Richie would do what he'd do."

Sexson was close to being the most relieved guy in the place. The grand slam, his third of the season, turned around what had been an awful night for him. Instead of being down and moping, he was smiling and thinking about whether or not he could make the second half of a nearby Pearl Jam concert.

"This was a big one for me, for the team," he said. "There isn't much time left (in the season), but we want to finish strong. We want to leave a good taste in people's mouths. We want them to be feeling good about what we could do next year."

The Mariners of 2006 would love to have the kind of production from Sexson in the second year of his contract that they got in his first. His batting average is just .260, but he has 38 homers and 115 RBIs, both of which rank him in the top five in the American League.

The Mariners would like to see 32 saves from Guardado, too, come this time next year. But it's not at all clear that Guardado will be back. His contract gives both Guardado and the Mariners options on 2006. That option would cost the Mariners a little over $6 million. And it seems likely that if the Mariners don't exercise their option, Guardado won't exercise his, which is for only about two-thirds as much.

Guardado remains in a bit of a slump even after putting his 32nd save into the books. He gave up a leadoff single to Shea Hillenbrand after taking over with a 7-4 lead.

"I won't lie to you, I was thinking, 'Here we go again,' " Guardado said. "But you've got to get past that."

Guardado also had to get past a rocket off the bat of Alex Rios that shortstop Ramon Santiago couldn't handle. That led to the Blue Jays loading the bases and eventually scoring a run, but Santiago cleanly fielded the next ball hit to him for the game's final out.

"I went to him and apologized," Guardado said. "I told him I was sorry about that bullet. It took Santiago out of his shoes."

Manager Mike Hargrove said Guardado "is scuffling like a duck in the desert" now. For once, however, the duck found an oasis.

MARINERS 7 BLUE JAYS 5

TODAY: Mariners at Toronto, 4 p.m.

TV/RADIO: FSN; KOMO-AM/1000

SEATTLE SLAMMERS

Richie Sexson's ninth-inning gram slam last night in Toronto made him the sixth player in franchise history to hit three or more salamis in a season.

Year Player Slams

2000 Edgar Martinez 4

1990 Alvin Davis 3

1991 Ken Griffey Jr. 3

1996 Paul Sorrento 3

1996 Alex Rodriguez 3

1999 Alex Rodriguez 3

2005 Richie Sexson 3