Mariners 5, Brewers 1

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Don't tell Arthur Rhodes this was a meaningless exhibition game.

Seattle's 38-year-old left-hander pitched a perfect inning in his first outing since last March -- and said it felt like the World Series -- as the Mariners beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 Wednesday.

The former Oakland closer, who had ligament replacement surgery on his pitching elbow last May, walked off the field to a rousing ovation from the crowd and his teammates after appearing in a game six weeks ahead of doctors' estimates. Rhodes stood in the grass in front of Seattle's dugout and responded with a pronounced bow and both arms extended above his head.

"I was surprised," said Rhodes, who has 653 appearances since entering the major leagues in 1991 with Baltimore, where he still lives. "I was like, all right, I'm the old guy and I pitched a pretty good inning -- then I get a standing ovation. I was excited. It felt like we won a World Series.

"To tell you the truth, I walked out of the bullpen and I thought I was going to get lost going to the mound. ... I felt like a little kid."

Mariners manager John McLaren reiterated he will not set a timetable on the return of Rhodes or Chris Reitsma, the 30-year-old right-hander who allowed two hits and one run in his comeback from a fifth surgery on his elbow last summer.

But Rhodes said he's ready.

"Oh, I'm ready to go right now," he said. "By the end of spring training, I want to be on this team."

Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki, who is 0-for-21 this spring, did not play.

Seattle scored once in the seventh and four times in the eighth off Chris Capuano, who also took a drive by Rob Johnson off the lower part of his left leg two batters before leaving in the eighth.

Capuano, in a competition with Carlos Villanueva and others for three open spots on the Brewers' pitching staff, allowed six hits and five unearned runs in 3 2-3 innings.

Villanueva allowed just two hits and walked one in four scoreless innings. He struck out Richie Sexson with Adrian Beltre at second base in the first.

"I was very pleased with the way both of them pitched. Very, very encouraged," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "There's three jobs to be had. Somebody is going to get them ... and I'm being picky."

The Brewers played without left fielder Ryan Braun. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year was a late scratch because his right Achilles' tendon tightened after he arrived for practice Wednesday morning. Yost said he didn't see it as a "major ordeal," though Braun might miss Milwaukee's trip to Tucson for a game Thursday.

Carlos Silva, signed to a $48 million, four-year contract to be Seattle's No. 3 starter, allowed seven singles but no runs in five innings. That was an improvement over the six runs he allowed Friday against the Chicago Cubs, but the bullish Silva wasn't satisfied.

"It's not enough to see a lot of zeros on the board," he said. "I've got to be more consistent."

Game notes
The Mariners released oft-injured and ineffective LHP Horacio Ramirez, 15 months after they acquired him from Atlanta to be their No. 4 starter. ... Milwaukee LHP Randy Choate, scratched from an outing Tuesday, has a bruised pitching hand. He is day to day.