M’s power way past Kansas City
SEATTLE – Bret Boone has kept his sense of humor throughout what might be his most agonizing season in the majors.
“I only hit one,” Boone said with a grin. “It was nice, though. I haven’t hit many home runs this year. So this was nice.”
Boone hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners had a season-high six home runs in a 7-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals Friday night in Seattle.
The teams combined for nine home runs to match the most ever hit in a game at Safeco Field, which opened July 15, 1999. Cleveland and Seattle accomplished the feat on July 16. The Indians hit eight in an 18-6 win.
In a matchup of the teams with the two worst records in the A.L., the Mariners ended a four-game losing streak.
“I’ve said a lot this year. Any win right now is good. Any time a team hits six home runs in a game, it’s pretty rare,” said Boone, who had a career-high 37 homers for Seattle in 2001 when the team tied the big league record with 116 wins and 35 homers last season.
Trailing 5-4, Boone hit his 18th homer off D.J. Carrasco (2-2) with pinch-runner Ramon Santiago aboard. Scott Spiezio followed with a solo shot off Carrasco.
“I’m not thinking home run right there,” Boone said. “He left me a good pitch to hit with two strikes. As we know, I’ve missed a lot of them this year.”
Miguel Olivo, Jose Lopez and Hiram Bocachica hit consecutive home runs off rookie Zack Grienke in the fifth. Olivo added another homer in the sixth.
The last time the Mariners hit three consecutive homers came Sept. 21, 1996, by Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez against Oakland.
Seattle rallied after Abraham Nunez homered in his third straight game in the top of the eighth to put the Royals ahead.
It was Nunez’s fourth homer in 24 games since being acquired in a trade by Kansas City from Florida.
Nunez homered off George Sherrill (2-1), the third Mariners pitcher.
Mariners closer J.J. Putz pitched the ninth for his fourth save in eight opportunities.
Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, giving him 202 for the season, in his bid to break George Sisler’s single-season record of 257 hits in 1920. The Mariners have 35 games left.
“I’m sure we’ll talk about that every day,” Seattle manager Bob Melvin said of Ichiro’s bid to break Sisler’s record. “Hopefully, the last couple of weeks he’ll be in position where he can do it.”
“The Mariners claimed right-hander Brett Evert off waivers from the Atlanta Braves and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma.
Evert, 23, had a combined 5-3 record and 2.03 ERA in 29 games, including 14 starts, at Triple-A Richmond and Double-A Greenville this season.
Expos may not be able to use RFK
If Northern Virginia is chosen over Washington as the new home of the Montreal Expos, Washington could pass legislation that would ban the team from RFK Stadium, a District of Columbia Council member said.
Finance Committee chairman Jack Evans, whose committee would have to approve any ballpark financing plan, said he believed baseball would make a decision on the merits of the District’s proposal, but he said the city could act against a Virginia-based team.
“There would be enough anger in the city, including my own, that the council could pass legislation that would keep a northern Virginia team out of RFK,” he said.
Gwynn to have jersey retired
Tony Gwynn will have his number retired by the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.
The Padres announced Friday that Gwynn’s No. 19 will join the numbers of Dave Winfield, Randy Jones and Steve Garvey, which were previously retired by the team.
Mets trade Wheeler, sign Soler
The Astros acquired right-hander Dan Wheeler from the Mets for minor league outfielder Adam Seuss.
Wheeler, 26, is 3-1 with a 4.80 ERA in 502/3 innings this season. The Mets also signed Cuban defector Alay Soler, giving the pitcher a three-year deal worth $2.8 million.