Mariners Overcome Injuries

Jay Buhner hit a three-run homer as the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals, 10-2, on Friday night despite losing four starters because of injuries.

Mike Cameron, Edgar Martinez, John Mabry and starting pitcher Freddy Garcia all left the game because of injuries, but the Mariners still had enough to hand Kansas City its seventh consecutive loss.

Buhner hit his fifth homer in the sixth inning, while Dan Wilson doubled in two runs in the fifth against Chad Durbin (1-1) to put the Mariners ahead, 6-1.

John Olerud had two doubles as Seattle scored 10 or more runs for the fifth time in six games and the first time at Safeco Field this season.

Before the game, the Mariners put their No. 1 starter, left-hander Jamie Moyer, on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained muscle in his left shoulder.

It got worse for the Mariners in the first four innings. Cameron, Seattle’s center fielder, suffered a bruised left knee when he was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Wilson in the second.

Garcia, the Mariners’ No. 2 starter, left in the top of the third after suffering a twisted right knee while attempting to cover first base.

Mabry suffered a pulled right groin while trying to field Jermaine Dye’s hit in the third and Martinez, the Mariners’ designated hitter, injured his left quadriceps in the third when he had a run-scoring groundout.

Frankie Rodriguez (2-0) pitched four innings after Garcia left, giving up no runs and four hits.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the third on Carlos Febles’ RBI double that ran Febles’ hitting streak to 15 games, longest in the majors this season.

In the bottom of the inning, the Mariners scored three runs. Alex Rodriguez walked with the bases loaded. Olerud and Martinez then had RBI groundouts.