Gardner Assures Sweep of Mariners

SAN FRANCISCO —  Mark Gardner gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings, and Stan Javier hit his third interleague homer as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep.

Gardner (8-2), who retired the first 13 batters before giving up Jay Buhner’s 17th homer in the fifth, struck out four and walked two. The second hit he gave up was Russ Davis’ 10th homer leading off the eighth.

Rod Beck struck out the side in the ninth for his NL-leading 23rd save.

Javier hit a solo homer in the sixth as the Giants won their fourth in a row. He added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Javier has three homers this season, all since interleague play began last Thursday. Javier hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the Giants’ 4-3 victory Tuesday night.

Darryl Hamilton and Bill Mueller added run-scoring doubles for the Giants, who are 5-1 in interleague play. The Mariners fell to 4-2 in interleague games.

Gardner, who went two for two with a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt, was helped by a couple of excellent defensive plays in the outfield.

Javier leaped for a blast by John Marzano at the right-field wall in the fifth, deflecting the ball with his glove to his bare right hand. In the sixth, Barry Bonds made a diving catch on a liner by Joey Cora to shallow left.

Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. again struggled at the plate. Bonds went one for four with a single and three fly-ball outs, and finished the series two for eight. Griffey was one for four with a double, two strikeouts and a weak grounder to first, also finishing two for eight.

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Next Series for Dodgers

WHO: San Francisco Giants

WHERE: San Francisco

WHEN: Thursday: 7 p.m., Friday: 7 p.m., Saturday: 1 p.m., Sunday: 5 p.m.