ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One constant through this injury-riddled season for the Anaheim Angels has been left fielder Jose Guillen.
Again, Guillen was there for them after three regulars were forced out of the game with injuries. He hit a two-run walkoff homer in the 11th inning Saturday to give the Angels a stunning 9-8 victory over the beleaguered Seattle Mariners.
Curtis Pride, who took over in the outfield for an injured Vladimir Guerrero, led off the 11th with a single against Eddie Guardado (2-2). Guillen, who had a team-leading 25 RBI in July, drove an 0-1 pitch into the left-field bullpen for his 20th homer -- and career-high fifth hit -- before being mobbed by his teammates as he crossed home plate.
"Jose's always there in that four- or five-hole, and he's done nothing but produce for us," Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy said. "Vlad gets a lot of attention for the numbers he puts up and the respect he gets in the lineup - but without Guillen being in there every day for most of the year, he's the one who's making sure we're always still in the game."
Brendan Donnelly (3-2) allowed two hits in two innings and got the win despite giving up a tying RBI single by Bret Boone in the top of the 11th.
David Eckstein got an RBI single in the eighth against Shigetoshi Hasegawa to give Anaheim a 7-6 lead. But, a day after his 21-game hitting streak ended, Ichiro Suzuki homered into the right-field seats on reliever Troy Percival's first pitch of the ninth to tie it for the Mariners.
"Ichiro's one of the best guys in the game at putting the ball in play," Percival said. "He can hit for power if he wants to, he can hit the ball the other way, he can drag-bunt -- I mean, he doesn't have a weakness at the plate. And with his speed, he's going to buy a lot of hits."
Suzuki went 3-for-6 and became the first player since Pete Rose with as many as three 50-hit months in a career. He also became the first player with two 50-hit months in the same season since Ducky Medwick accomplished it with the 1936 St. Louis Cardinals. Suzuki had 50 in May, and 51 in August 2001.
"It would be a little different if the record was like two years ago. But when I hear that it was in 1936, it makes me happy and I feel like I became a part of the history of baseball in the United States," Suzuki said through a translator. "I've been here 3½ years now and I've had many great moments, so you can't really compare them. They've all been great."
It was another frustrating outing for Guardado, a two-time All-Star who surrendered Bengie Molina's tying two-run homer in the ninth inning Thursday night before the Mariners won it in the 13th to end a club-record 15-game road losing streak.
"I've been watching Eddie, and I don't think he's right," Percival said. "When Eddie's on, he's as tough as they come. He's a warrior. You feel bad for him and I wish him the best, but I'm happy for our team because we needed that win."
Guerrero hit his 23rd home run for Anaheim, but left with a bruised left shoulder after he was struck by a wild throw from Seattle third baseman Jolbert Cabrera in the fifth.
Molina also departed in the seventh with a bruised injured right index finger after trying to stop a wild pitch by reliever Kevin Gregg. Eckstein couldn't finish the game at shortstop after getting hit on the left leg by J.J. Putz in the 10th.
The Mariners blew a 5-0 lead for the third time in six games and second time in this four-game series, after Miguel Olivo and Raul Ibanez homered in a five-run third. Seattle left-hander Travis Blackley never made it out of the fifth, allowing five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in his sixth big league start.
Anaheim loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and Seattle manager Bob Melvin brought in Scott Atchison, whose first pitch in his major league debut was lined into right field by Guillen for an RBI single that narrowed the gap to 6-4.
Guillen fought off Atchison's 3-1 pitch in the seventh and looped it to right field to drive in Garret Anderson and tie the score at 6.
"The approach he has with men in scoring position is probably the most impressive I've ever seen," Kennedy said. "I mean, the pitcher's in trouble when he's up with men on base."
Anaheim starter Kelvim Escobar allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings. The right-hander has won only one of his last 11 outings - an 11-2 rout at Toronto on June 3.
Notes
- Guardado's blown save was the 19th by the Mariners bullpen in 38 opportunities.
- Percival's blown save was the 50th of his career, against 301 saves. His conversion percentage is the third-best among the 18 members of the 300-save club, behind Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.
- Jose Lopez made his major league debut at shortstop after being promoted from Triple-A Tacoma, and was 0-for-5. Infielder Ramon Santiago was optioned to the Rainiers.
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