Gorzelanny, recycled bullpen sink Mariners

Minus Matt Capps, the Pirates pitching staff still had enough in Seattle.

SEATTLE (AP) — Get a closer suspended, and your bullpen becomes a who-knows game of roulette.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates scored big in their first go-around without Matt Capps.

Tom Gorzelanny allowed two runs in seven innings for his first win in more than a month and recycled relievers Masumi Kuwata, Damaso Marte and Shawn Chacon got the final five outs under duress in the Pirates’ 5-3 victory over the sinking Seattle Mariners Tuesday night.

“We had to piece it together tonight with our bullpen,” said Pittsburgh manager Jim Tracy, who will have to do so until Friday, when Capps returns from his suspension for hitting Prince Fielder with a pitch earlier this month.

Close calls

Kuwata, the 39-year-old veteran of 20 seasons in Japan, struck out pinch-hitter Ben Broussard with the tying runs on base to end the eighth.

Marte, who hasn’t had a save since 2005, began the ninth by walking Ichiro Suzuki and getting Jose Vidro to fly out.

Chacon, the Colorado Rockies’ closer in 2004 who flamed out in 11 starts last year with the Yankees, struck out Jose Guillen looking and Raul Ibanez swinging for his first save in nearly three years, extending Seattle’s losing streak six games.

“A little bit of a flashback there,” said Chacon, who acknowledged his heart is still in being a starting pitcher.

“Looking back on the ’04 season closing, one of the biggest things for me was falling behind, getting in hitters’ counts. Tonight, I was just concentrating on going after them.”

Losing streak

Seattle’s skid has come since the Mariners were a season-high nine games over .500.

Manager Mike Hargrove refused to talk about the latest fall, which included a 1-for-14 effort with runners in scoring position.

“People are trying to do too much to get out of it,” Vidro said, “but we’ve got what it takes and we’ll get back.”

Pittsburgh took advantage of Richie Sexson’s first error in 542 chances this season. Nate McLouth’s grounder caromed off his glove into right field, and the two-base error led to two unearned runs off Miguel Batista in the first inning.

Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez and Jose Bautista all drove in runs off Batista (7-6), who allowed six hits and four runs while striking out a season-high seven.

Batista walked four — including Ryan Doumit with the bases loaded in the first — and lasted just 51⁄3 innings. Batista’s start June 13 against the Cubs in Chicago is the last time a Mariners starter went more than six innings.

“It was horrible,” Batista said. “I was trying to be too fine.”

Gorzelanny (7-4) allowed eight hits, walked none and tied a season high with six strikeouts. He threw 123 pitches, another season high, and won for the first time since May 14. He was pitching a day earlier than expected because Ian Snell burned a finger on his pitching hand in a kitchen accident.

“He owes me a couple of dinners — ordering in,” Gorzelanny said.

XWednesday’s game between the Pirates and Mariners was not completed in time for today’s edition.