Twins Power Past Moyer, Mariners

Kyle Lohse pitched six scoreless innings and the Minnesota Twins got home runs from David Ortiz, Matthew LeCroy and Torii Hunter to beat the Seattle Mariners, 7-2, Saturday night at Safeco Field.

Ortiz’s homer in the second ended Seattle starter Jamie Moyer’s scoreless innings string at 24 1/3 innings, 10 shy of the team record set by Mark Langston in 1988.

In a matchup of division leaders, both benches and bullpens emptied onto the field at the start of the fourth when Moyer (8-4) hit Ortiz in the backside with a pitch. It was apparent retaliation after the Mariners’ Bret Boone was hit by a pitch by Lohse above the left elbow in the third.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Ortiz walked toward the 6-foot, 175-pound Moyer but was held back by Mariner catcher Ben Davis. Lohse came out of the dugout and tried to get to Moyer but was held back by teammate Denny Hocking.

No punches were thrown and no players were ejected.

Ortiz gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the second with his fifth homer of the season, a towering shot to right, after a single by Corey Koskie.

LeCroy made it 4-0 in the fifth with Minnesota’s second two-run homer. Hunter was aboard with a single.

Hunter’s second homer in two nights and fourth in 14 games off Moyer in the seventh gave the Twins a 5-0 lead. Hunter’s team-leading 20th homer of the season landed in the second deck in left.

Seattle left 16 men on base.

Moyer gave up five runs and 12 hits in seven innings.

He didn’t walk a batter but had a wild pitch and hit a batter. He struck out nine.