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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- And now the Mariners' lead is down to a single
game.
Johnny Damon went 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and two RBI
to lead the Kansas City Royals over Seattle 6-3 Monday night,
cutting the Mariners' AL West lead to its smallest margin since
Aug. 4.
|  | | The Royals' Mike Sweeney hit a two-run homer off John Halama in the first inning. |
"Obviously, we've got to get more mentally focused," Seattle
center fielder Mike Cameron said. "We're not discouraged, but
we've got to find a ways to get over the hump."
Seattle is 9-19 since taking a seven-game lead Aug. 11.
Second-place Oakland, which beat Tampa Bay 5-1, plays a four-game
series at Safeco Field next week.
"I don't know if we're pressing, but all these games are
important," Mariners catcher Dan Wilson said.
Brian Meadows (5-2) and Jose Santiago combined on a seven-hitter
for the Royals, who went ahead on Mike Sweeney's two-run homer in
the first off John Halama (11-9).
The Royals had 15 hits, including seven for extra bases.
"Kansas City is a good-hitting ballclub and they showed it
tonight," manager Lou Piniella said.
Mariners reliever Kevin Hodges was ejected in the seventh after
throwing a pair of pitches close to Sweeney.
Hodges hit Carlos Febles on a shoulder with a pitch in the sixth
and Meadows threw a pitch close to Alex Rodriguez's head in the
bottom half before striking him out.
Apparently in retaliation, Hodges threw the first pitch of the
seventh close to Sweeney's head and was warned by plate umpire Dale
Scott. Scott then threw out Hodges after he threw a second pitch
inside.
"You've got to protect your hitters," Piniella said. "Our
pitchers know what they have to do."
Said Rodriguez: "It almost hit me. Then he struck me out. So he
won that war."
Royals manager Tony Muser denied Meadows was throwing at
Rodriguez. So did Meadows.
"If you think I was trying to hit anybody, I'll tell you I'm
not," the pitchjer said. "I think everyone knew I wasn't trying
to hit him. It's one that scared me as much as it did him."
Halama (11-9) dropped to 0-3 in September, allowing four runs
and nine hits -- six for extra bases -- in 4 1/3 innings.
"It's just not coming easy for me right now," Halama said.
"I'm in a bad rut and I've got to do something to get out of it."
Piniella said he would consider taking Halama out of the rotation and
replacing him with Brett Tomko, currently pitching long relief.
"That's an option," Piniella said. "But I didn't say I was
going to do that."
Meadows gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, and
Santiago finished for his second save in eight chances.
Damon, hitting .429 since the All-Star break, doubled leading
off the first and scored on Sweeney's 25th homer. He is batting
.516 (16-for-31) with two homers and four RBI against the
Mariners.
"There's just something that is going right," Damon said. "I
don't know if it's my approach. There's a lot of luck involved in
what's been going on and I'll take it."
Damon had a run-scoring single in the second, Joe Randa hit an
RBI double in the fifth and Carlos Beltran had a run-scoring
infield hit in the seventh for a 5-0 lead.
Carlos Guillen had a two-run double in the seventh off Meadows,
and Jose Santiago walked Rodriguez with the bases loaded. Edgar
Martinez followed with an inning-ending flyout.
Damon homered off Jose Mesa in the eighth.
Game notes
Damon's five hits gave him 196 for the season in his bid
for his first career 200-hit year. ... Damon's first five-hit game
came July 18 against the Chicago Cubs. ... Seattle 2B Mark McLemore
left with a mild strain of his left hamstring after flying out in the
fifth. ... Sweeney's two RBI gave him 131. He's two shy of tying
the team record set by Hal McRae in 1982. ... Meadows beat the
Mariners for the first time in his career after losing to them
twice when he was with the San Diego Padres this season. The Royals
acquired him July 31 in a trade.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Kansas City Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 4
NY Yankees 0
Chi. White Sox 10
Detroit 3
Baltimore 3
Anaheim 1
Oakland 5
Tampa Bay 1
Kansas City 6
Seattle 3
Philadelphia 5
Montreal 2
Montreal 7
Philadelphia 6
(2nd game)
Cincinnati 7
Chicago Cubs 6
St. Louis 8
Pittsburgh 4
Milwaukee 8
NY Mets 2
San Francisco 8
Houston 7
Los Angeles 6
Arizona 3
San Diego 7
Colorado 2
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