Brewers 10, Mariners 5
SEATTLE -- Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke didn't stick around during the fourth inning of a tie game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. That was too bad for him because the real fireworks started after he got tossed.
Milwaukee scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings after their manager got thrown out for arguing a fan-interference call, eventually beating the Mariners 10-5 in the Brewers' first-ever game at Safeco Field.
Three Seattle errors and a grand slam by former Mariner Yuniesky Betancourt helped the Brewers (50-66) build a 10-2 lead through the fifth inning.
Veteran Kyle Lohse (8-7) scattered six hits and three runs in seven innings to win for the seventh time in eight decisions. He has a 7-1 record and 2.49 ERA since June.
Seattle's Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 10-5, but by that time the Mariners were already out of it.
Seattle (53-62) has lost 10 of 15 games since July 24 and is 7-11 under acting manager Robby Thompson while Eric Wedge recovers from a stroke.
Seattle starter Joe Saunders (10-11) allowed seven hits and nine runs -- five were unearned -- in 4 1/3 innings.
Betancourt opened up a close game with a fifth-inning grand slam that gave the Brewers a 9-2 lead and chased Saunders.
Saunders gave up nine runs in 4 1/3 innings, but only four of those were earned -- thanks to three Mariners errors.
Erasmo Ramirez, a Seattle starter, made a rare appearance out of the bullpen after being skipped in his last scheduled start but couldn't do much better than Saunders. He gave up three hits and another run as Milwaukee took a 10-2 lead.
A three-run fourth had given the Brewers a 5-2 lead, but Roenicke was tossed for arguing a fan-interference call that took away a run.
The Brewers appeared to have scored a run on Betancourt's liner down the third-base line, which got by Kyle Seager at third. But Carlos Gomez had to go back to third after the umpires ruled that a fan in foul territory touched the ball. Roenicke came out to argue for several minutes before being thrown out of the game for the second time this season.
Bench coach Jerry Narron took over with the score tied 2-2 before three consecutive hits by Jeff Bianchi, Scooter Gennett and Martin Maldonado gave the Brewers their 5-2 lead in the fourth.
Each of Milwaukee's first five runs was unearned, thanks to three Seattle errors in the first four innings -- two of which were charged to Seager. Norichika Aoki drove in two runs with a third-inning double.
NOTES: Saturday night's game in Seattle will feature a pregame ceremony honoring Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr., who will be inducted as the seventh member of the team's hall of fame. ... The Brewers recalled Gennett before Friday's game and immediately put him in the lineup. Gennett took the roster spot vacated when 2B Rickie Weeks was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. ... Friday marked the first time the Brewers have played at Safeco Field. Their previous trip to Seattle came in 1997 when the Mariners played in the Kingdome. ... Seager's fourth-inning error gave the Mariners seven in a span of three games. Four of those have been charged to Seager at third base. ... Ramirez made his first relief appearance since Sept. 7, 2012.
