Pineda powers M’s

SEATTLE — Michael Pineda gave the Seattle Mariners 71/3 innings of sweet dreams for the future Tuesday night.

But when reality set in late in their game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Mariners had to make some important pitches and even bigger defensive plays to win.

They did, get

ting a spectacular double play to end a dicey spot in the eighth inning and then a ninth inning of lockdown relief from Brandon League to win 3-2 at Safeco Field.

The 22-year-old Pineda dazzled the Blue Jays — and a crowd of 15,500 — with a 98 mph fastball along with a changeup and slider that limited Toronto to five hits and two runs in his Safeco Field debut.

“I’m excited. It’s my first win here,” said Pineda, a Dominican who works daily to learn English. “I’m really excited. It’s my first game here. Everybody’s excited. The shower beer.”

Yes, Pineda’s first major league victory resulted in the second consecutive postgame beer shower for a Mariners rookie. Monday night, reliever Josh Lueke got it.

“This was a good team win, but it was definitely all about the big guy on the hill tonight,” said center fielder Ryan Langerhans, whose two-run home run was the key hit in the Mariners’ three-run third inning. “I was running into the dugout talking to (left fielder Michael Saunders) and on the way in I was like, ‘Are you serious with this guy? He’s not even using the middle of the plate.’ You’re seeing 97s, 98s up on the board, and it’d be one thing if it was in the middle of the plate, but he was just using the corners on both sides and throwing his breaking pitches.”

Dominant as he was through seven innings, Pineda — and the Mariners — had to endure an intense eighth inning that wasn’t decided until first baseman Justin Smoak and catcher Miguel Olivo combined for a critical double play.

Pineda had allowed a walk and two hits in the inning, including Corey Paterson’s single to right field that drove home two runs to tighten what had seemed like a safe 3-0 Mariners lead.

Pineda had faded at that point, leaving his fastball up in the strike zone, but Wedge decided to leave him on the mound despite a one-out walk to Yunel Escobar to put runners on first and second with only one out.

“He was right at 100 pitches and was still throwing the ball well,” Wedge said. “Patterson is swinging a hot bat right now, but with the way Michael was throwing the baseball, he’s our best guy and he earned that opportunity.”

Pineda wasn’t helped by a passed ball on Olivo with the first pitch he threw to Patterson, advancing the runners to second and third. Patterson then lashed a single to right field, scoring Edwin Encarnacion and Escobar.

Wedge replaced Pineda with veteran reliever Chris Ray and, despite the Mariners’ stellar run of relief pitching lately, the suspense grew.

Patterson promptly stole second base and Olivo compounded things when his throw sailed wide and into center field. Patterson easily reached third and, with one out, the Blue Jays had their best hitter at the plate, Jose Bautista, to get the tying run home.

Bautista, who entered the game batting .400, hit a foul popup near the grandstand behind first base, sending Smoak on the run to reach the ball. He caught it with his back to the infield and, as he wheeled to throw home, the speedy Patterson charged toward the plate.

Smoak made a strong, accurate throw to Olivo, who delivered a firm tag as Patterson arrived standing up.

League worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save and extended the bullpen’s streak to 16 2/3 scoreless innings.

Besides Langerhans’ homer, Milton Bradley deliver what turned out to be a huge RBI single in the third, scoring Jack Wilson. Bradley, by the way, was the DH Tuesday and wore ear plugs in his final three at-bats.

Among the noise those plugs tuned out was the sizzle on Pineda’s fastball, which he threw consistently at 96 mph and a few times reaching 98.

“He has a great heartbeat for a young pitcher at the big-league level just getting started out,” Wedge said. “The way he competes and the way he battles allows him to pitch with the confidence he pitches with. To control that in the right direction only helps him all the more.”

Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog and follow his Twitter updates on the team at @kirbyarnold.