• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Royals hold off struggling Mariners

Apr 16, 2011 - 4:18 AM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Jeff Francoeur roped a two-run homer in the third inning, and the Royals worked out of a ninth inning jam, topping the Mariners, 6-5, in the second of a four-game set.

Francoeur finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and scored two runs, and Matt Treanor added a solo homer in the fourth for Kansas City, which has won five of six.

Luke Hochevar (2-1) got the win for allowing one run on one hit in seven innings, while striking out four. Joakim Soria recorded his fourth save of the year by getting the Royals out of the ninth inning trouble.

Erik Bedard (0-3) took the loss for Seattle, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits with six strikeouts, in 4 2/3 innings. Ichiro Suzuki finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in the loss, Seattle's third straight. The Mariners have lost 10 of 12 since starting the season with back- to-back victories.

"Every start is progress and I actually felt good," Bedard said. "Maybe (with) the score, it didn't seem like that, but I felt really good. I had good velocity on the fastball and I threw some good breaking balls."

The Royals took a 6-2 lead into the ninth, until the Mariners started a late comeback. Tim Collins started the inning for Kansas City, and was pulled after walking Jack Cust and Adam Kennedy to begin the frame.

Soria then entered the game, and allowed both runners to move over on a wild pitch. He struck out Miguel Olivo to record the first out, but the Mariners got on the board with a Michael Saunders single to left that plated Cust. Seattle then loaded the bases on a walk to Luis Rodriguez.

Pinch-hitter Justin Smoak worked a bases loaded walk, and Suzuki scored Saunders on a fielder's choice to second to put the game at 6-5.

Soria got Chone Figgins to line out to third to end the late Mariners rally and end the game.

Both teams scored in the first. Suzuki came home on a Cust fielder's choice, and the Royals got on the board in the home half with a Francoeur infield RBI single.

After Billy Butler doubled to begin the third, Francoeur smacked his second homer of the season, over the left field wall. Treanor led of the fourth with his second home run of the season, and Mike Aviles put the Royals up 5-1 with a two-out double to left in the fifth that plated Francoeur.

The Royals scored for the fourth straight inning in the sixth when Butler plated Alcides Escobar on a two-out single to right.

The Mariners added a run on a Suzuki single to left in the top of the eighth that scored Rodriguez from third, and the Royals then worked through the ninth inning jam.

Game Notes

Hochevar is now 2-0 against the Mariners...Kansas City won five of its nine meetings with the Mariners last season...Prior to the game the Royals celebrated Jackie Robinson Day with a special ceremony that honored Frank White as this year's recipient of the Negro Leagues Museum Jackie Robinson Legacy Award for lifetime achievement.