Seattle Win Is Powered by Griffey

Ken Griffey Jr. homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Seattle Mariners scored six times in the first inning en route to a 10-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Griffey increased his home run total to 22, tying Jose Canseco of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the major league lead.

Alex Rodriguez added three hits, including his 10th homer, as the Mariners (30-27) moved three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1997 season.

Griffey’s towering three-run homer in the first inning was his first in four games at Coors Field, giving him a home run in 22 stadiums. It came on curveball from Mark Brownson (0-1).

Griffey added a solo homer in the eighth against Dave Veres, a shot into the second deck in right. Griffey finished three for three with two walks.

Brownson got only two outs in the first and left trailing, 6-0.

Frankie Rodriguez (1-0) hung around long enough to win his first start, giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings. He also got his first major league hit and run batted in with a single that gave Seattle its sixth run in the first.

Ken Cloude gave up two runs in four innings for the first save of his career.

Griffey, who was hitless in five at-bats Monday night, gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead, and Butch Huskey followed one out later with his 10th home run.