Athletics-Mariners: Erik Bedard Dominates Oakland, Allows Just Two Hits

Erik Bedard finally returned to the Mariners' rotation and provided a huge lift, as Seattle ended a three-game losing streak on Saturday night.

Bedard, the left-handed ace who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles during the off-season, had been out for almost a month thanks to a stint on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his left hip.

Bedard (2-0) held the A's to just two hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings, and the Mariners held off a late Oakland rally for a 5-3 victory. The lefty walked four and struck out four, and pitched better than the walk total indicated.

Bedard, who faced 25 batters, was in command from the start, throwing 19 first-pitch strikes and getting only five fly ball outs.

Journeyman Greg Norton, filling in as the M's designated hitter over the slumping Jose Vidro (.195), went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs to celebrate his 900th career appearance in the major leagues. Norton hit an RBI single in the sixth to give the Mariners a 3-0 lead, and then drove home two big runs in the eighth to hand Seattle a 5-1 advantage.

Norton's eighth-inning two-run double came immediately after the A's walked Adrian Beltre intentionally to get to the normally weak-hitting Norton, a .252 career hitter coming into the 2008 season.

M's closer J.J. Putz, who had been activated from the DL earlier in the week, struggled in the ninth inning, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks.

Despite the strong outing by Bedard, there are still many question marks for the Mariners.

Miguel Batista (groin) and Carlos Silva (thigh) both left their previous starts with minor ailments, though both are expected to make their next scheduled starts in Cleveland next week. But will either Batista (2-3, 5.26) and Silva (3-0, 2.83) be hampered by their injuries? That remains to be seen.

The bullpen has been struggling, which doesn't bode well for a club that has lost seven of eight one-run games this season.

And Norton isn't the answer as the Mariners' DH. Neither is Vidro, who's got to be baseball's least intimidating slugger. When will the Mariners go after home run king Barry Bonds, who is still looking for a job?

Shockingly, Vidro isn't the worst designated hitter in baseball, at least statistically. The Yankees' Jason Giambi (.186) and Boston's David Ortiz (.177) have been struggling in the first month, and Oakland's Jack Cust is hitting just .155 with a home run.

But the Yankees still have lots of weapons and Ortiz will start hitting for the Red Sox. Cust will see more action in left field because the A's have gone out and picked up a veteran DH.

Still, having Bonds in a Seattle uniform will make much more sense than sending out either Vidro or Norton on a daily basis.

Speaking of DHs, Frank Thomas, signed by the A's late Wednesday for the rest of the season, went 0-for-4 Saturday as Oakland's cleanup hitter. Thomas is 1-for-10 in three games in his second tour of duty with the A's.

How long will the Thomas experiment last in Oakland?