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Monday, Jun. 12 8:05pm ET
Martinez raises RBI total to 68 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- It's not only because he's strong that Edgar Martinez is leading the major leagues in runs batted in. He's smart, too. After Miguel Batista missed the plate on nine straight pitches in the first inning Monday night, Martinez figured he might see something fat and inviting from a pitcher searching desperately for control. He did, and hit a three-run, 444-foot home run to center as Seattle beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3. "When the pitcher gets behind, I get aggressive," said Martinez, who has 19 homers and 68 RBI. "I tried to keep it simple and get a good pitch to hit. And I got it." Martinez added an RBI grounder as the Mariners moved back into first place in the AL West, a half-game ahead of Oakland. Batista (2-6) walked Mark McLemore and Alex Rodriguez on eight pitches before Martinez went deep on a one-ball, no-strike delivery. "I don't want to go defensive early in the game and take pitches when the pitcher's going to try to throw a strike," Martinez said. At 33-27, the Mariners have the best 60-game record in franchise history. Seattle had been 32-28 three times, most recently in 1997. "Thirty-three and 27 the best ever? That's a very humble record," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. "But look, we're pleased. We've had some adversity here, especially injuries to our starting pitching. These kids have played hard." Jamie Moyer (4-2) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one runner -- on a walk -- during a 13-batter stretch starting in the third. "He's a finesse pitcher who comes at you with a fastball and changeup," Kansas City's Mike Sweeney said. "That's basically his arsenal. He changed locations, changed speeds and we were just getting under the ball, popping it up." Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances, retiring Gregg Zaun on a game-ending flyout to the wall in right-center with a man on. "We had a chance, as lopsided as that game was for a number of innings," Kansas City manager Tony Muser said. "Zaun hit that ball pretty good." Batista lost his fifth straight start, giving up five runs, seven hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Joe Randa hit an RBI grounder in the bottom half, and Martinez's grounder made it 4-1 in the third. Johnny Damon and Jeff Reboulet singled leading off the bottom half before Moyer retired Sweeney and Randa on flyout and Jermaine Dye on a foul pop. McLemore had an RBI single in the fifth for a 5-1 lead. Damon hit a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh, and Jose Paniagua relieved Moyer.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Seattle Clubhouse Kansas City Clubhouse RECAPS Chi. White Sox 8 Cleveland 7
Seattle 5
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