SEATTLE - The only Seattle hitter with sustained success against Jered Weaver keeps on tormenting him.

Raul Ibanez hit two home runs off the previously stingy Angels starter, lifting Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners over Los Angeles 8-5 Friday night.

AP

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki hits a double against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning.

Ibanez drove in three runs during the season's first game between top rivals in the AL West.

Ibanez hit Weaver's first-pitch hanger nearly over the right-field bleachers in the first inning to give Seattle the early lead.

After Jeff Mathis' first home run of the season tied the game at 1 in the third - Hernandez's first earned run allowed in 17 innings - Ibanez tagged another slider from Weaver. This one landed lower into the same bleachers as his previous homer to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Ibanez is now 12-for-21 (.571) with four homers against Weaver. He added a double off Darren Oliver in the seventh for an insurance run that made it 6-4.

The Angels' bullpen, without closer Francisco Rodriguez since he sprained his ankle Monday, gave up three runs in 2 1-3 innings and has a 7.27 ERA this season - the worst in baseball.

Hernandez (1-0) allowed nine hits and four runs in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out a season-high seven and walked three.

After Kenji Johjima broke an 0-for-23 funk with an RBI double and Yuniesky Betancourt had an RBI double to make it 8-5 in the eighth, fill-in closer Mark Lowe finished ninth for his first career save.

Seattle has had its own bullpen woes since All-Star closer J.J. Putz went out April 1 with a ribcage injury. Entering Friday, the ERA for Mariners relievers was better only than Los Angeles.

Friday, Sean Green and Lowe allowed one run in 2 1-3 innings.

Seattle's only hits in the first 5 1-3 innings off Weaver (1-2) were Ibanez's home runs. But he got only one more out.

Jose Lopez doubled in the sixth and Weaver intentionally walked Ibanez. With two outs, Weaver walked Jose Vidro to load the bases for Richie Sexson, who was 0-for-11 against Weaver.

Weaver walked him, too, on a full count. That forced in Lopez with the tying run.

Then new right fielder Brad Wilkerson, 3-for-26 at that point, golfed a single to give Seattle a 5-3 lead. That doubled Wilkerson's RBI total for the season.

Hernandez ran out past the top step of the dugout to celebrate Wilkerson's hit. He had reason to: his attempt at being Hercules in the top of the sixth had given Los Angeles the lead.

Gary Matthews Jr. led off that inning with a home run that plopped over Ichiro Suzuki and the 405-foot sign in dead center field to make it 2-all.

Garret Anderson doubled and with two outs, Hernandez broke the bat of Casey Kotchman on a flare that didn't make it more than 30 feet up the first-base line. Hernandez sprinted and dived head first trying to catch the ball but it hit the ground just inside the line. Hernandez then lunged and missed trying to tag Kotchman as he ran safely to first with a weird infield single that scored Anderson to put the Angels ahead 3-2.

Hernandez just shook his head and grimaced.

After taking his 5-3 lead into the seventh, Hernandez allowed Erick Aybar's double and an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero, who had struck out in his first three at-bats. Green relieved and got Anderson to ground out, keeping Seattle in front.