Twins provide punching bag for M’s

MINNEAPOLIS – The Seattle Mariners have been looking for better production from the middle of their lineup.

All they had to do, it seems, was wait for the Twins to appear on the schedule.

Kenji Johjima had three hits, three RBIs and a home run to lead the Mariners to their third straight victory, 8-2 over flustered Minnesota Monday night.

Six Seattle starters had at least two hits and the defense was spectacular in support of Joel Pineiro (3-2), who tossed his ninth career complete game and cruised behind a five-run sixth. He gave up nine hits without a walk or a strikeout.

Jose Lopez and Matt Lawton each had three hits, Yuniesky Betancourt went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Richie Sexson homered for his 1,000th career hit.

“The meat of our order hasn’t really done anything,” said Sexson, who has been struggling along with Carl Everett and Adrian Beltre – three sluggers making more than a total of $29 million this season.

“We’re still winning games and floating around .500, so that’s good. As soon as we start clicking and doing some things that we can do, we’ll start winning more consistently.”

Facing Minnesota sure helps.

The troubled Twins, who were hoping to write off a miserable April as a mulligan, have lost 11 of 14. They’ve been outscored 41-3 while losing four straight.

A pitching staff that ranked seventh in the majors last year in ERA and was supposed to be one of the best groups in the game is now last in baseball with a 6.35 ERA. The starters have a collective 7.25 ERA.

“Guys are trying. Guys are out there playing. You’ve also got to score some runs, too,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Our starters haven’t been getting it done. Our offense has to pick them up.”

Lew Ford had two hits and an RBI, and Justin Morneau homered for Minnesota, which is batting .251 as a team.

“I don’t know what to say about it,” Ford said in a silent clubhouse. “It’s just difficult right now.”

Gardenhire provided a perfect picture of the frustration in the bottom of the eighth inning when he came out to argue after Luis Castillo was called out on a grounder to first that was close to being a foul ball.

After pleading briefly with umpire Brian Gorman, Gardenhire trudged toward the dugout, tore off his hat and gave it an awkward drop kick – to the delight of the few fans left from the announced crowd of 11,796.

That was Gardenhire’s second ejection this season, and the 22nd of his five-year career.