Mariners 8, Rangers 4

SEATTLE (AP) — When the phone rang late Wednesday night, Travis Blackley wasn't sure who could be on the other end.

Turned out it was Seattle Mariners manager Bob Melvin, with a proposition that was too good to pass up. How would Blackley like to drive up from Tacoma and pitch the next day against the Texas Rangers?

”I said as calmly as I could, 'Sure, why not?”' Blackley recalled.

The Australian left-hander showed the same kind of composure on the mound to win his major league debut, and Randy Winn drove in three runs to help Seattle beat Texas 8-4 on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Blackley (1-0), who had won his last seven decisions at Triple-A Tacoma, allowed four runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings against the Rangers. He walked three and struck out one.

”Not too bad,” Blackley said. ”I didn't have any filthy pitches that were just awesome today. I went as good as I could with what I had, and it worked.”

He got into a jam in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs. But Blackley limited the damage to one run with a double-play groundout by Mark Teixeira and a fly ball by Hank Blalock.

”Composure is one of his biggest attributes, not letting things bother him,” Melvin said. ”He's not a high velocity guy, but he's a command guy who pitches to both sides and he's not afraid to come inside.”

Ichiro Suzuki and Bret Boone each had two doubles among their three hits. Seattle finished with six doubles and 12 hits, gaining a split of the four-game series with the AL West-leading Rangers.

Ron Villone and Shigetoshi Hasegawa finished with 3 1-3 innings of hitless relief.

It was Blackley's day, although he confessed to feeling a little weary after a rough night. After the call from Melvin, it took Blackley five hours on the phone to reach his parents in Australia.

His barking dog seemed to sense the excitement and kept him awake. Still, he was eager to go when he reported to Safeco Field.

”It was an adrenaline rush,” Blackley said. ”I didn't feel tired at all. I could go again.”

Blackley got plenty of offense, too, because the Mariners had their bats going early. They jumped on Texas starter John Wasdin (1-1) for three runs in a 30-pitch first inning. Seattle had four hits in the first, highlighted by Winn's RBI double.

After trading All-Star right-hander Freddy Garcia last weekend, Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi promised fans they'd get to see the pitching talent that has been stockpiled in the minor leagues.

Blackley didn't disappoint, using his curveball and off-speed pitches to set up an 86 mph fastball.

”The changeup was real good. He changed speeds on his fastball exceptionally well,” catcher Pat Borders said. ”He threw strong and his composure was strong. To be able to throw like that in your first start is a big asset, something you can't teach.”

Texas hitters hadn't seen him before, and it showed when Blackley breezed through the early innings.

”You can see why they like him so much,” Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. ”He's got good stuff. He's impressive.”

Blackley's first walk wasn't issued until Ken Huckaby got on base in the third, and he didn't give up a hit until Michael Young's double in the fourth.

”The first time through, we weren't sure what to expect,” said Kevin Mench, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth. ”He threw the ball well. They staked him some runs early. That probably helped him relax a little more.”

Blackley left after allowing Mench's two-out shot in the sixth. The left-hander received an enthusiastic standing ovation as he came off the field while Villone trotted in from the bullpen.

Blackley became the sixth Seattle pitcher to win his major league debut. The others were Joel Pineiro (2000), Garcia (1999), Bob Wolcott (1995), Mark Langston (1984) and Matt Young (1983).