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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rockies Unplug Mariners, 13-0 Colorado Wallops Replacements; Kiro Cancels 2 Preseason Telecasts

Associated Press

The Seattle Mariners were losers on and off the field Tuesday, dropping a 13-0 decision to the unbeaten Colorado Rockies in an exhibition game and announcing the cancellation of two preseason telecasts.

The March 17 and March 23 games against the Rockies and the San Francisco Giants were cut from the KIRO-TV schedule, partly because of the ongoing major league players’ strike.

Glenn Wright, KIRO’s general manager, said some advertisers have balked at supporting replacement baseball.

“It certainly hasn’t been easy,” Wright said. “Some of our sponsors are on hold while others are saying they will go ahead with the Mariners regardless.”

Still on KIRO’s schedule are telecasts of March 31 and April 1 exhibitions against the Milwaukee Brewers in Las Vegas, Nev.

On the field, Colorado scored four unearned runs in each of the first two innings and coasted to its fourth consecutive exhibition victory. Garland Kiser (1-0), Kevin Wehn, Paul Romanoli, John Goodrich and David Tellers combined on a fourhitter. The M’s (2-3) have lost two straight.

“It’s getting close to making some replacement cuts,” Seattle coach Lou Piniella said. “You can’t just show up and expect to get a job. You have to show you can get people out.”

Piniella used six pitchers and only two - righthander Clint Gould and lefty Sal Urso - were effective. Four others absorbed the brunt of Colorado’s 16-hit attack.

Piniella said some of his pitchers were throwing so slowly they couldn’t be clocked.

“Some of (the pitches) were under the radar gun,” Piniella said. “You know if you fly low enough, you can’t be picked up (by radar).”

Colorado’s first-inning hit spree included three from first baseman Andy Hartung.