M's rally, but stumble late

SEATTLE - Hideki Matsui wasn't truly excited over the chance to join Sadaharu Oh in an elite group of Japanese hitting greats. Enduring a 4-for-45 slump can do that to an aging veteran.

Yet the former clutch Yankee came through again - for himself and his new team.

Matsui became the ninth Japanese player to reach 1,500 career RBIs when he singled home Bobby Abreu in the top of the 10th inning, and Brian Fuentes got his first save in two weeks as the Los Angeles Angels beat the sinking Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday night.

Matsui's single and 611th RBI in the major leagues came off David Aardsma (0-2) after Abreu doubled leading off the 10th.

Seattle's closer pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four hits plus a walk. The Mariners lost their eighth consecutive game, all at home.

Matsui, 35, played 10 seasons for Yomiuri in the Japanese Central league before joining New York in 2003, then the Angels as a $6 million free agent for 2010.

He just joined a list led by Oh, the leader on Japan's career RBIs list with 2,170.

Fernando Rodney (3-0) walked three in the ninth, but escaped with the game still tied by getting Mike Sweeney to ground out on a full-count fastball at 98 mph - with the crowd of over 30,446 standing and roaring in a hearty effort to distract him.

"Again, it comes down to timely hitting. That's a ballgame we should win with the amount of walks they gave up," Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said.

Wakamatsu chose to keep left-hander Ken Griffey Jr., who has been struggling at .216 but is baseball's active leader in RBIs (1,777), on the bench against right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen with runners at second and third, two outs and the game tied in the eighth. Rob Johnson, the No. 9 hitter batting .140, appeared instead.

Jepsen struck out Johnson.

"At some point, we can pinch-hit for everybody in this lineup, but somebody's going to have to step up and get a big hit," Wakamatsu said.

Seattle starter Doug Fister allowed three earned runs for the first time in six starts this season, on eight hits in seven innings.