SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners entered Sunday’s game against Kansas City having already won five consecutive series for the first time in five seasons.
However, Kansas City starter Ian Kennedy and four relievers combined to keep the Mariners in search of their first series sweep of the season as the defending World Series champion Royals won 4-1 on getaway day before 37,053 sun-drenched fans at Safeco Field on Sunday.
The Royals, who were scoreless for the first two games of the series and 272⁄3 innings dating back to Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Angels, scored the game’s first three runs against Mariners starter Taijuan Walker and never trailed as they snapped a five-game losing streak.
“We kept them at bay the last couple days, but they found some holes and got some key hits,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Walker wasn’t probably quite as sharp obviously as he had been the last couple times. That’s going to happen. But he kept us in there. He gave us a shot. We just couldn’t get the big hit today.”
The 23-year-old Walker entered the game with a 2-0 mark and a 1.44 earned-run average in four April starts. Sunday’s effort was his shortest outing of the year as he was lifted after five innings with the Mariners staring at a 3-0 deficit.
“They really drove my pitch count and that was something I was trying to (avoid),” said Walker, who threw 96 pitches in Sunday’s game.
Indeed, Walker threw 118 pitches in his previous start against Houston and has thrown at least 100 in his other four starts this year.
“There were some balls that were up (in the zone), and some deep counts and his pitch count was getting up there,” Servais said. “His last couple of outings we had extended him. You kind of have to look at groups of three or four outings with those guys and he wasn’t quite as sharp today. That is going to happen.”
Walker’s counterpart Kennedy (3-2, 2.61 ERA) was masterful through five innings before appearing to tire in the sixth. By then he already had a three-run cushion.
“I thought he threw the ball real well,” Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager said. “He didn’t really leave too much over the middle of the plate. He had good stuff going. It was definitely a tough one.”
Trailing 3-0, Seattle’s Seth Smith and Robinson Cano opened the sixth with singles, and Nelson Cruz walked to load the bases. That was enough to chase Kennedy, who was lifted for Danny Duffy.
The hard-throwing southpaw fanned right-handed pinch-hitter Dae-Ho Lee and lefty Seager. Chris Iannetta followed with a two-out RBI single to right that scored Smith, but Cano was gunned down at the plate by right fielder Jarrod Dyson to end the inning and keep the score 3-1.
“It was a big point in the game,” Servais said. “It would have been a big run for momentum and everything in our favor, but they made a play. That happens in the big leagues.”
The Mariners had another chance to cut into the lead the next inning when pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki singled with one out and Smith walked one out later. But Cano’s drive to left-center was easily hauled in by center fielder Lorenzo Cain to end the threat.
All told, the Kansas City relievers combined for four scoreless innings while striking out four and scattering four hits.
“You really don’t want to be in a position where you have to score some runs against (the bullpen),” Seager said. “It’s obviously a strength for them.”
Seattle reliever Vidal Nuno served up a home run to Eric Hosmer leading off the eighth inning to make it 4-1. That was the game’s final run.
The Royals, who were shut out 1-0 on Friday and 6-0 on Saturday, scored their first run of the series in the second inning Sunday. With two outs Walker hit Alex Gordon with a pitch. Salvador Perez singled, and Omar Infante followed with a blooper to center to score Gordon.
Cain pushed the Royals’ lead to 2-0 in the third when his one-out single up the middle plated Alcides Escobar, who led off with a double.
Cain then scored Kansas City’s third run in the fifth. With two outs, Cain singled, stole second and scored when Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte overthrew first baseman Adam Lind in an attempt to get Hosmer. Hosmer wound up on second, but Walker induced a popup from former Mariner Kendrys Morales to keep it 3-0.
Seattle (13-11) heads to Oakland for three games beginning Monday followed by a four-game set at Houston.
“I thought we had a very good homestand,” Servais said. “We played with good energy, we battled all day today, the atmosphere in the ballpark was very good, and we’ll be out on the road and two big series for us there.”
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