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Royals shut out scuffling Mariners

Apr 16, 2011 - 10:13 PM Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Sean O'Sullivan and three other pitchers combined for a seven-hit shutout, helping Kansas City take a 7-0 win over Seattle.

O'Sullivan (1-1) gave up five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over five innings. Tim Collins worked one inning, Jeremy Jeffress pitched two frames and Aaron Crow tossed the ninth for the Royals, who have won four straight.

"I hadn't been in a game for more than a week, so it was just more or less focusing on what I had to do," said O'Sullivan. "Keep the ball down. Let my teammates play behind me. I'm not trying to do too much myself. With the way this team's playing right now, all I've got to do is go out there and just control what I can control and let these guys play the game behind me."

Alex Gordon went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two driven in, while Mike Aviles had two hits and three RBI in the win.

Felix Hernandez (1-2) was tagged for five runs -- two earned -- in five innings. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out six for the Mariners, who have dropped their last four -- including the first three of this four- game set.

"We just didn't play good baseball at all today," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge. "That's what pisses me off more than anything. We just didn't play very good baseball."

In the second with one out, Melky Cabrera doubled and came home when Aviles followed with a single for a 1-0 lead.

Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth, but Michael Saunders flied out to shallow left and Chris Gimenez struck out to end the frame.

A Cabrera sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scored Gordon for a 2-0 lead.

The fifth inning saw the Royals add three more runs. Alcides Escobar reached base on an error from Chone Figgins and Chris Getz later singled. Gordon doubled home both runners then came home himself on a Billy Butler single for a 5-0 lead.

Seattle again threatened in the sixth with runners on second and third and one out, but Saunders and Gimenez again failed on the chance as both struck out.

Seattle wasted another opportunity in the eighth when it recorded three straight outs after getting the first two batters on base, and Aviles added a two-run double in the bottom of the frame for a 7-0 lead.

Game Notes

KC took five of nine from Seattle last season...Sunday will see Jeff Francis take the mound for the Royals while Michael Pineda throws for Seattle as the Royals go for the four-game sweep...Seattle was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.