KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A lesson learned the hard way gave Scott Pose just enough poise.

	Joe Randa (16) is congratulated by Royals' teammate Johnny Damon (18) after scoring the winning run in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Showing greater patience than he did just last week, Pose worked the count full with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning Wednesday, then took ball four from Seattle's Kazuhiro Sasaki as Kansas City snatched a 5-4 victory over the Mariners.

It was the Royals' 11th walk-off victory of the year.

"We ran into a situation in St. Louis (on June 6), when I came up in a similar situation and I learned from that," Pose said.

Pinch-hitting against the Cardinals, he grounded out on the first pitch and the Royals took a 5-4 loss.

"I feel like I'm better for it," he said. "I was looking for a better pitch to hit."

The Royals scored twice in the ninth, preventing Seattle from winning its fifth in a row and claiming its first three-game sweep in Kansas City since 1978.

"I'd rather have him get a hit than walk him," Sasaki (1-5) said.

Sasaki, who entered the game with two out in the eighth, had blown only one save in his previous 11 opportunities. His final pitch was high and outside, but a couple of others had been close.

"There's nothing I can do if the umpire calls it a ball," he said. "I have to get stronger to overcome that."

Mike Sweeney doubled leading off the ninth and made it 4-all on Joe Randa's one-out triple off Sasaki. After an intentional walk to Carlos Beltran, Gregg Zaun drew a two-out walk, loading the bases.

After getting the count to 3-2, Pose fouled off a pitch as the crowd of more than 27,000 came to its feet and cheered.

"I've faced plenty of pitchers where they look like they're having tough innings and all of a sudden they're Cy Young against me," Pose said. "I knew if I could work the count in my favor, there'd be more pressure on him than on me."

Ricky Bottalico (6-1) went 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit, for the win.

Seattle manager Lou Piniella said catcher Dan Wilson pulled a muscle near his left rib cage during the game and will be put on the 15-day disabled list. The Mariners wil recall catcher Joe Oliver from Triple-A Tacoma.

"Kansas City's been playing well at home but we came in here and won two out of three," Piniella said.

Mariners starter John Halama went seven innings, giving up three runs despite allowing eight hits and five walks.

Jeff Suppan gave up four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four walks plus a costly balk and wild pitch.

The Mariners loaded the bases in the first on a pair of singles and Edgar Martinez's walk. But their only run came when Suppan's balk scored Mark McLemore.

Sweeney put the Royals ahead 2-1 with a two-run homer in the third.

John Olerud walked in the fourth ahead of Mike Cameron's 390-foot shot, his eighth home run.

John Mabry doubled one out later, took third on Stan Javier's single and came home for a 4-2 lead when Suppan threw a wild pitch.

Beltran, back in the lineup after sitting out one game for not hustling to first, singled to drive in Sweeney with the Royals' third run in the fifth.

Notes: Royals SS Rey Sanchez played his 57th straight game without an error. ... Cameron's home run in the fourth marked the eighth time in nine plate appearances he had reached base. The one time he didn't was a sacrifice bunt. ... The Mariners left 10 men on base and gave up 10 walks.