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Friday, Sep. 8 10:05pm ET
Twins' Kinney earns first victory | |||||
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RECAP
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Mariners are playing like they're feeling the pressure. Rookie Matt Kinney got his first major league victory and rookie Anthony Pierzynski hit his first home run in the majors as the Minnesota Twins kept up Seattle's slump by beating the Mariners 4-2 Friday night. Seattle, which had a seven-game AL West lead on Aug. 11, is 7-18 since then. Its lead remained at two games because Oakland lost to Tampa Bay 4-0. "Look, we need to get hot," manager Lou Piniella said. "We're capable of it and I still feel that we will. We've got to swing the bats better with more consistency, though." Said Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron: "Everybody knows what's at stake now. We've come too far to shut it down now." Kinney (1-1), making his fourth start since being brought up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 14, gave up two runs and six hits in six innings as Minnesota won for just the third time in 10 games. Pierzynski, a catcher called up from Salt Lake on Aug. 13, homered in the sixth inning off Paul Abbott (9-6) as the last-place Twins beat the Mariners for the first time in four games at Seattle this season. Abbott allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. Last Sunday at Boston, Abbott had a no-hitter for 7 1/3 innings and combined with Jose Paniagua on a one-hitter. "That game was something I was trying to build on, something I wanted to feed off of," Abbott said. "I was trying to bring that to this game. But I wasn't consistent tonight. I pretty much had to battle." Al Martin gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead in the first with his fourth homer in 29 games since he was acquired from San Diego on July 31. "Hopefully, I can start doing more of that," said Martin, who snapped an 0-for-17 slump Wednesday. "I'm feeling better. If I get my stride and start seeing the ball, I'll start hitting." Minnesota took a 3-1 lead in the fourth, getting a run-scoring single from Torii Hunter and RBI doubles from Jacque Jones and Denny Hocking. Alex Rodriguez doubled in Seattle's second run in the fifth. Bob Wells pitched 1-2-3 seventh and eighth innings for Minnesota, and LaTroy Hawkins finished with a perfect ninth for his 11th save in as many chances. "We played one of the better games than we've played in awhile," Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said. "We were sharp on defense and we had some good at-bats. We played a solid game." Said Kinney: "I didn't trick anybody. They took some pretty good hacks, but our defense played great." Game notesBecause of threatening skies, Safeco Field's retractable roof was closed for the 10th time in 69 games this season. The Mariners are 7-3 with the roof closed. ... The Twins planned to start two other rookies in the series, Mark Redman on Saturday night and J.C. Romero on Sunday. ... Minnesota had four doubles, giving the Twins 26 in nine games. ... Edgar Martinez was 1-for-4 and is hitting 19-for-40 (.475) against Minnesota this season. ... 3B Carlos Guillen of the Mariners committed his team-worst 17th error in 75 games. ... Hawkins got his first major league save May 28 against Texas. He has not allowed an earned run in 22 of his last 26 appearances, covering 24 2-3 innings. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Minnesota Clubhouse Seattle Clubhouse RECAPS NY Yankees 4 Boston 0
Minnesota 4
Pittsburgh 3
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