Royals End M’S Streak At 6 Games

Youth will be served and Tim Belcher was the waiter Saturday.

The veteran was matched against a lineup dotted with Kansas City rookies - two of them making their major-league debuts - and each time Belcher made a misstep, some young Royal made history.

The result was the end of Seattle’s six-game winning streak and a 7-2 loss the Royals pinned on Belcher largely with players he’d never seen.

“Herk Robinson was a better general manager tonight than I was a pitcher,” Belcher said of the Royals GM, who’d called up a handful of players for this game.

Manager Bob Boone’s forced youth movement - the front office traded or released three veterans on Friday night - began with a lineup that included rookies Johnny Damon, Keither Lockhart, Jon Nunnelly, Brent Cookson and Michael Tucker. Cookson and Damon had never played in a big-league game, and for a while that showed.

Damon popped out in his first two at-bats, Cookson struck out swinging, and Belcher was embroiled in a pitcher’s duel with Kevin Appier, trailing 1-0 after three innings.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be a game where we could give up many runs,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “In six of the eight games we’ve played against the Royals, we’ve scored two runs or less.”

Belcher stumbled in the fourth inning, and it was his inability to retire those upstarts that beat him. After allowing back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to open the inning, Belcher walked Greg Gagne intentionally to load the bases for Cookson.

“Those two singles were ground balls, and if I’m lucky tonight, they’re outs,” Belcher said. “I wasn’t lucky. And what followed was inexcusable.”

Cookson fouled off four pitches, worked the count full and then took ball four to force in the first RBI of his career and put Seattle behind 2-0.

Up came Tucker - and Belcher hit him with a pitch to push home another run.

Later in the game, Damon tripled for the first hit of his career, then scored to make it 4-0 and Cookson doubled home a run that made it 5-0 and chased Belcher.

They kept the pressure on, and I didn’t stop them often enough,” Belcher said. “We made some calls today to get some information on their kids, because you want some. The first time you face anybody, I don’t know that anyone has the advantage. I didn’t pitch well enough to have an edge.”

Appier, meanwhile, was pitching for the first time since July 25 after undergoing treatment for tendinitis. His first three innings back, he was perfect - not allowing a Seattle baserunner. In each of his next three innings, the Mariners threatened to break through and never did.

“We had a couple of chances early, and Appier got through them,” Piniella said.

For the Mariners, it was their first loss in a week. For Appier, his first victory since June 23.

“He’s been chomping at the bit to get back out there, but he wasn’t going to go far - we had him on a 75-80-pitch pitch-count,” Boone said. “He threw 80 pitches and he wasn’t going to throw any more. He looked great.”

Not a huge surprise against Seattle. Appier’s record at Kauffman Stadium vs. the Mariners is 5-1, and his lifetime record - anywhere - is 8-1 against the Mariners.

In six shutout innings, he gave up two singles, one of them by Dan Wilson which extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.

Other than that, about the only offensive highlight the Seattle lineup could muster came in the eighth inning against reliever Rusty Meacham. The rally that averted their second shutout of the season? The Mariners got a walk and a Joey Cora double, then scored on consecutive ground ball outs by Alex Diaz and Edgar Martinez.

The loss dropped the Mariners (50-48) a half-game behind the Texas Rangers and into a tie with New York in the wild-card race.

The Royals (46-49) insist they’re still in that same wild-card race, and that an injection of young players immune to pressure - they’re just happy to be here - could make them the sleeper team among contenders.

Notes

Rumors in Kansas City say leadoff hitter Vince Coleman, batting .287 with 26 stolen bases, might be headed to Seattle. If he’s claimed on waivers, the claiming team would only owe the outfielder the pro-rated remainder of his $250,000 salary.

“We’ve got great chemistry right now, and we’re about to get Ken Griffey Jr. back,” Piniella said. “Sometimes you go with a little less talent to keep a little more chemistry. I like Coleman, but Richie Amaral and Alex Diaz have done all we could ask of them”

The Mariners, Piniella said, won’t pursue Coleman.

When Junior comes back - expected as soon as Tuesday in Minneapolis - who makes room for him on the 25-man roster?

If the Mariners decide to move a position player, the choices are limited. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez (.229) could be sent back to Tacoma or the team could eat the remaining year of Felix Fermin’s contract and release him.

If Seattle is willing to go from an 11-man pitching staff to a 10-man staff, pitcher Salomon Torres could be optioned to the Rainiers - or veteran Bill Krueger designated for assignment.

There’s also the possibility that someone could develop a minor ailment and hit the disabled list - Bill Risley, for instance, whose allergic reaction to prescribed medication has left him unable to pitch.

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