ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Emiliano Fruto was on his computer and listening to music when the phone rang in the early hours Sunday. It was the call every minor-leaguer waits for -- you're needed in the big leagues.
After a sleepless night, Fruto arrived at Angel Stadium barely 15 minutes before gametime and tugged on his gray Seattle Mariners uniform. He had a chance to catch his breath since Gil Meche was the starter.
Fruto bailed out a laboring Meche, pitching 3 2/3 innings for a save in his major-league debut and beating the Los Angeles Angels 9-4.
"I feel happy," Fruto said, alternating between English and Spanish. "Every pitch, I focused."
Both pitchers benefited from two-run homers by Raul Ibanez, Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt, helping Seattle finish off the three-game series with its second win.
"We're swinging at better pitches," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "The ball carried well here all three games. It's nice to see our hitters get rewarded."
Carl Everett added a solo shot as seven of the Mariners' runs came on long balls barely 12 hours after their 5-4 victory on Richie Sexson's homer in the 13th inning Saturday night.
Meche (3-2) allowed four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked three. The right-hander wouldn't have stuck around that long if the Mariners had a fresh bullpen.
"It was a battle," he said. "It's one game I was sort of glad to be out of. I was beat. It was an early game after a late game last night. I was sweating my butt off in the bullpen before the game."
Fruto came on in the sixth after being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma. He cleanly fielded a comebacker from Chone Figgins on his third pitch and started an inning-ending double play.
"I was so friggin' pumped that Fruto got the double play," Meche said.
Hargrove was impressed, too.
"To double up Figgins is no easy feat," he said. "Fruto is a great athlete."
All in a day's work insisted the newcomer, whose name and number above his locker had been scribbled by hand.
"It was an easy ground ball, perfect for catching and throwing to second base," Fruto said.
The Angels lost for the seventh time in eight home games and fell into last place in the AL West behind another disastrous outing by Jeff Weaver (1-6).
Los Angeles allowed nine homers to the Mariners in the series.
"That team has some guys who can hurt you, and we made enough mistakes that they were able to take advantage of," manager Mike Scioscia said.
Weaver gave up seven runs on seven hits in 3 2-3 innings -- his second-shortest outing of the season -- struck out one and walked none in losing his fourth straight.
"It's a matter of looking at the location of my pitches and finding out a reason for why I'm missing those spots," Weaver said. "More times than not, it's because I'm trying to overthrow and trying to blow it by hitters. In my case, that's never been the best approach.
"Maybe I need to take a couple of steps back and stay within myself, locate down in the zone and get those ground balls early in the count that I've always been accustomed to."
Weaver has given up an AL-leading 12 homers this season.
"It's the two-run and three-run homers that are killing me right now," he said. "I'm just trying to do too much in the zone, and there's too many good hitters that are going to make you pay."
The Mariners led 4-0 on a pair of two-run homers by Ibanez and Lopez, who connected on his first pitch from Weaver in the third.
The Angels rallied to tie the game in the bottom half. Vladimir Guerrero's single scored their first run. Garret Anderson drove in another run with a fielder's choice groundout before Adam Kennedy's two-out, two-run homer that made it 4-4.
But the Mariners came right back with three runs in the fourth. Everett sent the first pitch from Weaver over the wall in right field, then Betancourt chased Weaver with his two-run shot. It was Betancourt's second homer in as many games after having one in 327 major league at-bats before Saturday.
Seattle extended its lead to 9-4 in the seventh on a throwing error by third baseman Figgins. Ichiro Suzuki walked and Lopez singled to right field. Guerrero tried to get Suzuki at third as Lopez took second on the throw. Figgins' throw back to second struck Lopez and caromed into short center field, allowing both runners to score.
Notes
- Seattle's last four-homer game was May 11, 2005, in a 13-9 loss to the New York Yankees.
- The Mariners have taken two series from the Angels so far.
- Anderson left the game in the seventh because of tightness in his left hamstring.
- A roster spot opened up for Fruto when LHP Bobby Livingston was optioned to Tacoma.
- The Mariners improved to 13-6 when they homer.
- Several players on both teams used special pink bats, which will be auctioned to raise money for breast cancer. Kennedy, Everett and Lopez all homered with the bats.
