Griffey's 24th Catches Tigers

Detroit's Brian Moehler doesn't mind pitching to Ken Griffey Jr. He doesn't even mind giving up an occassional home run.

Still, he wishes Griffey wouldn't make it look so easy.

Griffey hit a three-run homer and David Bell had a two-run triple to back the strong pitching of Frankie Rodriguez as the Seattle Mariners beat the Tigers 5-4 Tuesday night.

Griffey, who started the night hitting just .174 against Detroit this season, triggered a five-run fourth with his 24th homer, a 450-foot shot over the center-field fence.

Rodriguez (2-0), making his second start since being claimed off waivers from Minnesota on May 26, allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings as the Mariners snapped a three-game losing streak.

"He's given us two good starts, just when we really needed some," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said.

Jose Mesa gave up Frank Catalanotto's leadoff homer in the ninth, but retired Tony Clark on a foul out with two men on in the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.

Moehler (5-7) was perfect through the first three innings and perfect again in innings 5-7, but the Mariners batted around in the fourth.

"For whatever reason, Mo had a flat tire for that one inning," Detroit first baseman Tony Clark said.

Moehler, who gave up five runs in just 1 1-3 innings in his last start, June 9 against Pittsburgh, gave up that many in the fourth against the Mariners.

Moehler breezed through the first three innings on eight groundouts and a strikeout. Then, for one inning, it all fell apart.

Brian Hunter started the Seattle fourth with a single and Alex Rodriguez walked before Griffey homered to dead center.

"I wasn't even thinking about a homer," Griffey said. "The way I hit here, I was just trying to get the ball out of the infield."

Griffey, who hit just one homer against the Tigers last season, has hit four so far this year and 27 in his career against Detoit.

"I was pitching from the stretch for the first time," Moehler said. "(Hunter) was on base and I was really rushing it. I got some pitches up, and I paid for it. We got it corrected later, but the damage was done."

Bell's two-out triple completed the five-run inning, giving the Mariners a 5-1 lead.

"You know, that homer didn't beat us," said Moehler, who gave up six hits in 7 1-3 innings. "The triple by Bell is what killed us. It was inside and low, but he did a nice job of going down and getting it."

The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but got only one run out of it, on Bobby Higginson's infield grounder that scored Dean Palmer while forcing Damion Easley at second.

Luis Polonia led off the Detroit fifth with his second homer, cutting the deficit to 5-2, and Clark had an RBI double in the eighth.

Hunter, whom the Tigers traded to Seattle on April 29, used his great speed to track down Clark's soft fly ball in foul territory in left for the final out. The Tigers had runners at first and second at the time.

"I feel if any ball is in the air, I can get to it on my speed," Hunter said. "But I didn't think I could catch that ball."

Clark was watching the play unfold while running.

"That was some play," Clark said. "He put his head down and just ran. When it hung up, I was just begging for that ball to get down."

Hunter was in left because Griffey, who was Seattle's DH, was sent in by Piniella to play center with two outs in the ninth.

"When it came down to do or die time, we put our best defensive outfield out there," Piniella said.

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