MARYVALE, Ariz. — Even Justin Smoak is surprised by how comfortable he's feeling batting from the left side.

Smoak delivered a two-run, eighth-inning home run Tuesday to help in a 6-5 Cactus League baseball win by the Mariners over the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Peguero had just tied the game with a double when Smoak launched a 2-0 pitch from Brewers closer John Axford over the right-field wall.

It's the second home run by Smoak from the left side this spring. The switch-hitter batted just .208 from that side last season, but spent the winter shortening his swing.

"I feel like it's slowing the ball down a little bit," Smoak said. "Early on (in spring training) you normally feel like everything's a little quick and you're trying to get your rhythm and timing down, but for me I've actually been seeing it a lot better than I thought it would be."

Smoak also ripped a single into right field earlier, then lined a ball the other way to left field before Ryan Braun robbed him of a hit with a diving catch. He is 5 for 9 (.556) in his first three spring games.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge was pleased to see Smoak line the ball the other way as well.

"Not only was he driving the ball pull-side, but he was driving the ball the other way too," Wedge said. "His bat head's in the zone longer, he's in a strong position to hit. He's just much more grounded up there than he used to be."

Notes

• Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma needed just 15 pitches to dispatch the Brewers on three ground-ball outs in his only inning.

"I feel a lot stronger than I was last year," Iwakuma said, through interpreter Antony Suzuki. "And I'm very comfortable with my strength

"I started (training) a lot earlier than I had in the past."

• Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders hit back-to-back homers off Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo in the third inning. Gutierrez sent his two-run blast clear over the batter's eye in straightaway center field. "When he hit it, I knew he got it good, but I didn't think he got it that good," Wedge said of Gutierrez, slowed by illness and injury most of the ast two seasons. "That ball went a long way."

Seattle						Milwaukee
	AB	R	H	BI			AB	R	H	BI
F.Gutierrez cf	3	1	1	2		Aoki cf	2	1	0	0
F.Martinez cf	2	0	0	0		Mrphy 2b-ss	2	0	0	0
M.Snders lf	3	1	1	1		R.Weeks 2b	3	0	0	0
Thames lf	0	1	0	0		Bianchi 3b	2	0	0	0
Morse rf	3	0	0	0		Braun lf	2	0	1	0
C.Peguero rf	1	1	1	1		K.Davis lf	1	0	0	0
Smoak dh	4	1	2	2		Ar.Ramrz 3b	3	0	0	1
Shoppach c	3	0	2	0		J.Prince cf	1	0	0	0
J.Hicks c	1	0	0	0		Lucroy c	3	1	1	0
Jacobs 1b	4	0	1	0		Lalli c	1	1	1	1
Andino ss	3	0	1	0		A.Gonzlz 1b	3	1	2	1
Franklin ss	0	0	0	0		T.Grn pr-2b	1	0	0	0
V.Catrcla 3b	3	1	1	0		C.Gindl rf	4	1	1	0
Triunfel 2b	4	0	0	0		Segura ss	2	0	1	1
						S.Halton 1b	1	0	0	0
						H.Morris dh	4	0	0	0
Totals	34	6	10	6		Totals	35	5	7	4

Seattle	003 000 030	—	6
Milwaukee	021 100 010	—	5

E — Franklin (1). DP — Seattle 3. LOB — Seattle 4, Milwaukee 6. 2B — C.Peguero (1), Jacobs (1), Lucroy (1), Ale.Gonzalez (1), Segura (2). 3B — C.Gindl (1). HR — F.Gutierrez (1), M.Saunders (1), Smoak (2), Lalli (1). SB — Thames (1), Franklin (1), V.Catricala (1).

Mariners	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Iwakuma		1	0	0	0	0	0

	J.Saunders		1	3	2	2	0	0

	O.Perez BS,1-1		1	0	1	1	1	0

	Loe		2	2	1	0	0	2

	J.Arias		1	1	0	0	1	2

	C.Smith W, 1-0		1	0	0	0	0	0

	B.LaFromboise		1	1	1	1	0	1

	Farquhar S,1-1		1	0	0	0	0	2

Brewers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Gallardo		2 2/3	5	3	3	0	2

	A.Leon		1/3	0	0	0	0	0

	Estrada		3	1	0	0	0	4

	J.Sanchez		1	2	0	0	0	0

	Axford L, 0-1 BS, 1		2/3	2	3	3	1	2

	D.Hand		1/3	0	0	0	0	0

	Henderson		1	0	0	0	2	1

HBP — by O.Perez (Braun). WP — O.Perez. PB — Shoppach. T — 3:01. A — 1,732.