Twins derail Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) -- Rookies Matt Kinney and Anthony Pierzynski of the Minnesota Twins got a couple of firsts. The Seattle Mariners got another loss.

"Look, we need to get hot," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said after the Twins beat his team 4-2 Friday night. "We're capable of it and I still feel that we will. We've got to swing the bats better with more consistency, though."

Although the Mariners maintained their two-game lead over Oakland in the AL West because the Athletics lost 4-0 to Tampa Bay on Friday night, Seattle's month-long slump continued.

They're 7-18 since leading the division by seven games on Aug. 11.

"Everybody knows what's at stake now," the Mariners' Mike Cameron said. "We've come too far to shut it down now."

Kinney got his first major league victory and Pierzynski hit his first home run in the majors as Minnesota beat Seattle for the third time in 10 games this season.

Making his fourth start since being brought up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 14, Kinney (1-1) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

Pierzynski, a catcher called up from Salt Lake on Aug. 13, homered in the sixth inning off Paul Abbott (9-6) as the last-place Twins beat the Mariners for the first time in four games at Seattle this season.

MINNESOTA SEATTLE

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Hcking 2b 4 0 2 1 Javier rf 4 1 0 0

CGzmn ss 5 0 0 0 AMartn lf 3 1 1 1

Lawton rf 4 0 1 0 ARdrgz ss 4 0 1 1

Coomer 1b 5 0 1 0 EMrtnz dh 4 0 1 0

DOrtiz dh 3 1 1 0 Olerud 1b 4 0 1 0

Koskie 3b 5 0 1 0 CGuilln 3b 3 0 0 0

THuntr cf 4 1 2 1 Ibanez ph 1 0 0 0

JJones lf 4 1 1 1 Cmeron cf 4 0 1 0

Przyns c 4 1 1 1 JOliver c 2 0 0 0

Mclmre 2b 3 0 1 0

Totals 38 4 10 4 Totals 32 2 6 2

Minnesota 000 301 000 -- 4

Seattle 100 010 000 -- 2

E--CGuillen (17). DP--Minnesota 1. LOB--Minnesota 11, Seattle 5. 2B--Hocking (23), Coomer (27), DOrtiz (32), JJones (20), ARodriguez (31). HR--Pierzynski (1), AMartin (4). SB--Hocking (6), AMartin (2), McLemore (28).

IP H R ER BB SO

Minnesota

Kinney W,1-1 6 6 2 2 2 0

BWells 2 0 0 0 0 2

Hawkins S,11 1 0 0 0 0 0

Seattle

PAbbott L,9-6 6 8 4 4 2 5

Ramsay 1-3 2 0 0 1 0

Mesa 2 2-3 0 0 0 1 2

Umpires--Home, Craft; First, McKean; Second, Fletcher; Third, Morrison.

T--2:47. A--32,081 (47,145).