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Kubel helps Twins sweep Mariners

Aug 18, 2008 - 12:11 AM By Brian Hall PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Jason Kubel might be disappointed to see the Seattle Mariners leave town. The Minnesota Twins' relievers likely feel the opposite.

Kubel tied a career high with four hits and Justin Morneau added his 19th home run of the season as the Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Mariners with an 11-8 victory on Sunday.

Kubel laced a two-run double to highlight a five-run first inning for Minnesota, which improved to 28-8 at home since June 1. The early run support made a winner of starter Glen Perkins, who tossed six innings to win his third straight decision.

Kubel went 8-for-10 with six RBI in the series and is 13-for-19 against Seattle this season.

"I'm just feeling good, seeing it decent and just hitting it all over the field, which isn't something I've been able to do too much this year, so I hope it keeps up," Kubel said. "Feeling good goes with having a ton of confidence. I don't feel overmatched by anybody right now, so I'm just actually looking forward to getting up there to hit."

Morneau and Randy Ruiz each had two hits and a pair of RBI. The win allowed the Twins (70-53) to keep pace with the Chicago White Sox (70-53) in the American League Central Division.

Perkins (10-3) surrendered four runs and eight hits, but was tagged for three home runs in the sixth as the Mariners began their ferocious comeback. Since June 1, the lefthander is 8-1 in 14 starts with a 4.26 ERA.

The Mariners scored eight runs in a late three-inning span to cut their deficit to 10-8 and had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth, but closer Joe Nathan came to on to wiggle out of the jam.

"He's such a good hitter so you've really got to make sure you work ahead. If you fall behind he becomes even more dangerous," Nathan said. "But it was just a matter of, once I got those two strikes, just trying to make a good, quality pitch against him."

After Denard Span knocked in a key insurance run in the top of the frame for Minnesota, Nathan stranded three runners in the ninth for his 33rd save of the season.

"We're not going to bow down to anybody the way we've hit the ball the last three weeks," Seattle manager Jim Riggleman said. "You can sense it, that the other club knows they've got their hands full when they play us. We are going to get it together and get it turned around."

Seattle starter Ryan Feierabend made his 2008 debut. The 22-year-old lefthander, who was recalled from Class AAA Tacoma when Carlos Silva was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right triceps tendinitis, was 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA at Tacoma.

Feierabend (0-1) went three innings, giving up six runs and 10 hits. In 12 career starts, he is 1-8 with a 9.76 ERA.

Kubel and Ruiz singled in the fifth, and Mariners reliever R.A. Dickey threw four wild pitches in the inning - along with walking two batters - allowing Kubel and Ruiz to advance and eventually score and increase the Twins' bulge to 8-0.

The four wild pitches tied a major league record for an individual pitcher in a single inning. It has been done five times, the last coming July 25, 2006, by Philadelphia's Ryan Madson.

"It was moving real erratically," Dickey said of his knuckleball. "It was hard to control. It was moving violently. If I could have thrown it for strikes, it would have been a real fun day, I think. But I couldn't throw it for strikes. I was releasing it the same way, this is just a good place to get movement on it."

In the sixth, Raul Ibanez led off a single and Adrian Beltre connected for his 20th homer of the season. With one out, Wladimir Balentien and Kenji Johjima hit back-to-back home runs to pull within 8-4.

Ibanez had five hits for Seattle, which has lost seven of its last eight games. The left fielder is hitting .413 with 12 runs, eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 20 RBI in August.