Honest Reed helps Twins to 3-2 victory

SEATTLE (AP) -- In Ron Gardenhire's opinion, Rick Reed's honesty overshadows his big-game prowess.

After losing his shutout bid on a home run by Jose Offerman and giving up a single to Desi Relaford in the eighth inning, Reed agreed to come out of Wednesday's game without protest.

"He did not lobby to stay in the game," the Minnesota manager said after the Twins ended a season-high five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory. "I asked him how he was doing and he said, 'I'm getting the ball up if that's what you want to know."'

Reed outpitched Jamie Moyer, and Jacque Jones had three hits for the AL Central-leading Twins, who won the season series (5-4) against Seattle for the first time since 1992.

Reed (13-7) stymied the Mariners until the eighth inning, sending them to their fifth loss in eight games.

Reed wanted to halt Minnesota's losing skid in the worst way. He won for the fourth time in his last five starts, in which he's compiled a 1.18 ERA.

"I was tired of losing. I'm kind of hoping everybody in this clubhouse is tired of losing," he said.

Third-place Seattle fell 3 1/2 games back of Anaheim in the wild-card race. The Mariners are seven games behind Oakland in the AL West.

"What are you going to do?" Mariners manager Lou Piniella said after watching his defending division champions fall further in both races with 23 games left. "These games here are precious and they're getting away from us."

Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth inning and got his AL-leading 39th save in 45 opportunities despite giving up a leadoff home run to Edgar Martinez. Guardado pitched for the first time since Sunday, when he gave up a three-run homer to Miguel Tejada in the ninth in a 7-5 loss in Oakland.

In 7 1-3 innings, Reed gave up six hits and one walk, with five strikeouts. When Martinez walked in the fifth, it was just the fifth walk given up by Reed since the All-Star break.

"He's done a great job hitting his spots," said Bret Boone, Seattle's No. 3 hitter who was 0-for-3 against Reed. "He's throwing 89-90 (mph) tops. It just goes to show you don't need to have a 95 mph fastball to be successful in this league."

MINNESOTA SEATTLE

ab r h bi ab r h bi

JJones lf 5 1 3 0 ISuzuki rf 4 0 1 0

CGzmn ss 4 0 0 0 Rlaford 3b 4 0 2 0

Koskie 3b 4 0 2 1 BBoone 2b 4 0 0 0

DOrtiz dh 4 1 2 1 Olerud 1b 4 0 0 0

THnter cf 3 0 2 0 EMrtnz dh 3 1 2 1

Mntkw 1b 4 0 0 0 Cmeron cf 4 0 1 0

Cddyer rf 4 0 1 0 CGillen ss 4 0 0 0

Przyns c 4 0 1 0 BDavis c 4 0 0 0

Rivas 2b 4 1 2 0 Offrmn lf 3 1 1 1

Totals 36 3 13 2 Totals 34 2 7 2

Minnesota 100 010 010 -- 3

Seattle 000 000 011 -- 2

E--Olerud (4). DP--Seattle 3. LOB--Minnesota 8, Seattle 6. 2B--DOrtiz (28), THunter (32), Rivas (19). HR--DOrtiz (17), EMartinez (11), Offerman (5). CS--THunter (7). S--CGuzman.

IP H R ER BB SO

Minnesota

RReed W,13-7 7 1-3 6 1 1 1 5

MJackson 1-3 0 0 0 0 1

Romero 1-3 0 0 0 0 1

Guardado S,39 1 1 1 1 0 1

Seattle

Moyer L,13-7 8 12 3 3 1 2

Creek 1 1 0 0 0 3

Umpires--Home, Brian Gorman; First, Phil Cuzzi; Second, Lance Barksdale; Third, Bruce Dreckman.

T--2:49. A--44,580 (47,116).

Twins 3, Mariners 2