Bedard making progess, but dealt another loss

SEATTLE (AP) - Erik Bedard has nothing to show for his efforts this season, even though he believes that he's making progress.

The Seattle left-hander, coming off three shoulder surgeries, lost his fourth straight game Wednesday afternoon, 3-2 to the Detroit Tigers. Bedard went five innings, allowing all three runs on five hits and five walks, while striking out two.

"It was more innings, another step forward," said Bedard (0-4), who didn't get out of the fifth in his previous two starts. "It was a little consistent but it's getting there. It will probably take time so just take a step at a time and work hard."

Ryan Raburn hit a 408-foot homer to center field off Bedard in the first inning and Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch also drove in runs for the Tigers.

"He (Raburn) hit a sinker away. He hit a good pitch," Bedard said. "One out to center in Seattle, that's a pretty hard to do. He hit it good."

Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello held the Mariners to one run and four hits but ran into trouble in the seventh, yielding his first walk of the game to Luis Rodriguez along with two wild pitches. Ryan Perry came in and struck out Jack Wilson to end the inning.

"That was a huge out. It changed things around," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "People don't realize how much that changes things. What it meant is (No. 9 hitter Chris) Gimenez will come up next inning, not Ichiro. Ichiro is tough to keep off base. That's big."

Joaquin Benoit worked a routine eighth. Jose Valverde took over in the ninth and yielded a leadoff home run to Adam Kennedy, the first he had allowed in eight appearances. Michael Saunders hit a one-out double moments later, before Valverde struck out pinch-hitter Milton Bradley and Carlos Peguero, in his first big-league start, for his fifth save.

Detroit has won six of its last nine games after a slow start to the season, while the Mariners lost for the sixth time in eight games.

The Mariners got their run in the third on Suzuki's two-out single to right.

Bedard used 95 pitches to get through his five innings.

"I thought he was better. Again, it is another step," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "There is still more in there in regard to him being a complete pitcher. He knows it and we know it. He just needs to keep grinding, keep doing the work and the rest will take care of itself.

"He gave us every opportunity to win. We came close but fell short. He really did a great job."