Seattle, WA -- (Sports Network) - Raul Ibanez's leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the first of a four-game set at Safeco Field.

Trailing by a run in the eighth, Seattle tied the game in the frame as Wladimir Balentien led off with a double off the center field wall, moved to third on Bryan LaHair's single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Yuniesky Betancourt.

After J.J. Putz (5-4) worked the ninth inning, Ibanez ripped a 1-2 pitch that just stayed fair into the right field stands for the dramatic win.

"That was the hardest part, it was a tough pitch to keep fair," said Ibanez. "I was just trying to hit it and it worked out for us. It's a great feeling."

Jose Lopez had a pair of hits while Felix Hernandez was solid in his start as he gave up one run on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in eight innings of work for the Mariners, who have won four of their last five games.

Carl Crawford scored the lone run as Dan Wheeler (2-5) was saddled with the loss for the Rays, who had won five of six coming into the game. Andy Sonnanstine was solid in the start as he gave up just one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings of work and set a Tampa Bay record by retiring 17 straight batters.

"Ibanez is good, (I'm) not sure what the pitch was, but he was able to get it and won the game for them," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "We had plenty of opportunities to win the game ourselves, but it didn't really present itself in the ninth. Andy was really good for us and their guy was good for them as well."

In the first, Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and made it to third on a bunt from Jeremy Reed, but Sonnanstine got Ibanez to ground out and Adrian Beltre to pop out and end the frame.

Tampa Bay got its only run of the game in the fourth inning. Crawford led off with a walk and Evan Longoria followed with a single. After Carlos Pena hit into a fielder's choice that saw Crawford move to third, with Cliff Floyd at the plate, Hernandez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Crawford to score for a 1-0 lead.

After giving up a leadoff double to Lopez in the second, Sonnanstine retired the next 17 batters before Lopez broke the streak with a two-out single in the seventh.

Game Notes

Ichiro has a 13-game hitting streak...Ibanez is 12-for-28 with three home runs and 16 RBI in the first seven games of this 10-game home stand...Seattle has won seven of the last 11 games against Tampa...Attendance was 25,423.