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Royals belt three homers to topple Mariners

Sep 17, 2008 - 4:04 AM By Pat Madden PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The light-hitting Kansas City Royals muscled up and used the long ball in winning their fifth straight game, a 6-3 triumph over the slumping Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

The Royals, who entered the game next-to-last in the American League with 106 home runs, hit three in four innings off Seattle starter Brandon Morrow to deal the Mariners their sixth consecutive loss.

John Buck, David DeJesus and Ryan Shealy each connected on home runs for Kansas City, which now has its longest winning streak since a six-game stretch in June.

"There was a lot to like tonight," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "It certainly makes it easier, especially when you're able to put crooked numbers up. Most teams are able to put those crooked numbers up because they hit the ball out of the ballpark and in the gaps, and we did a little of both today."

Brandon Duckworth (3-1) won his third game in five starts since being recalled from Class AAA Omaha, allowing two runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

"I was able to fight through a few things, and make some quality pitches when I was behind in some counts," Duckworth said. "Fortunately for me, the defense made some nice plays and we put some runs up. Any pitcher will take six runs a game and take your chances out there."

"I thought Brandon did a real good job, although once we got through the lineup the third time, his stuff started to flatten out a little bit," Hillman said. "He did a great job of keeping them off-balance with his repertoire. He's made it look relatively easy in his limited amount of starts. I felt like he was in control of the game."

Morrow (2-4) took the loss for the Mariners, allowing six runs and eight hits in four-plus innings while striking out two and walking a pair.

"Everything was dying," Morrow said. "The pitches I was throwing to the outside were coming back over the middle and I really couldn't get the breaking pitches over the plate. It was a mechanical problem. I knew it was going on during the game and I was trying to make adjustments, but it wasn't happening. When my mechanics are good and consistent I feel like I can pitch a lot better, but not tonight."

After Ramon Ramirez surrendered consecutive hits to start the ninth inning, Joakim Soria came on to earn his 39th save of the season for Kansas City.

Buck opened the scoring with his ninth home run of the season, a shot to the Seattle bullpen in left field to lead off the third inning.

DeJesus and Shealy each hit home runs in a four-run fifth inning for Kansas City. DeJesus' blast was his 11th of the season and first since July 12. Shealy's homer was the big blow of the frame, a two-run shot to center field. It was his fifth since being recalled from Omaha on September 2.

"I wanted to get a pitch down," Shealy said. "He was wearing me out with that fastball up, and I was having trouble laying off it. The one I hit was down a little bit more and I could get to it."

"He's done a great, great job of seizing an opportunity he's been given," Hillman said. "To do what he's done since call-up, hit five balls out of the ballpark and take it out to center today, that's impressive."

Jose Lopez's 15th home run, a one-out solo blast to left field, briefly tied the game at 1-1. The Mariners added a run in the sixth on Jeremy Reed's sacrifice fly and his run-scoring single in the ninth.

Lopez finished with three hits for Seattle, which has yet to win on its current 11-game road trip.

"I'm just tired of getting beat," Seattle manager Jim Riggleman said. "Winning is always nice, but this is really tough on the veterans."

DeJesus, Buck and Alberto Callaspo each collected two hits for Kansas City, which won its fifth game in seven tries against Seattle this season.

Kansas City pitchers combined for five strikeouts to establish a single season franchise record of 1,010.