M's bats freeze up against Royals

Monday night, the Mariners became the latest victims of the Zack Attack.

That would be Kansas City starter Zack Greinke, who handcuffed Seattle with a complete-game five-hitter in the Royals' 5-1 win over the Mariners at chilly Safeco Field.

Greinke, a 24-year-old who entered this season with a 21-35 career record, crossed up Seattle's hitters using his entire pitch repertoire. He improved to 3-0 in 2008, with the lone run he allowed raising his earned-run average from 0.60 to 0.75.

"He was funky," Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson said. "I don't know if you were watching the speed. It would go 90 [mph], then 94, then 92, 72, 69, 82. And it's the kitchen sink, too. Slider, curve, change, cutter, sinker, four-seam, so you really never knew what was coming. And he was throwing them all for strikes."

Sexson should know — he was one of Greinke's four strikeout victims. He also grounded into a double play and grounded back to the pitcher in his three at-bats.

"Greinke came as advertised," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "We knew he's one of the best young pitchers in the league, and we saw it."

It was that kind of night for the Mariners and 16,751 who witnessed the loss in 45-degree weather. To make it sting a bit more, two ex-Mariners provided some major lumber to the Royals' offense.

Jose Guillen doubled and scored on Miguel Olivo's two-run home run in the top of the second inning.

Guillen, who played 153 games for the M's in 2007, and Olivo, a former Seattle catcher, combined for five hits. Billy Butler had a solo homer in the inning.

The Mariners (6-8) were facing one of the AL's early surprise teams, and these Royals (8-5) didn't pitch, hit, run or defend like the struggling K.C. teams of recent years. The M's got their first run practically through pure hustle alone.

Brad Wilkerson led off the third inning with a walk and moved to second on Kenji Johjima's single. Yuniesky Betancourt grounded into a fielder's choice and beat the throw to first base to break up a double-play attempt, allowing Wilkerson to take third. Then Ichiro did the same, beating out a throw from shortstop and driving in Wilkerson.

That made the score 3-1 Royals, with Kansas City already having gotten to Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn. The left-hander lasted six innings, allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts.

Washburn (1-2) kept his team in the game, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.

"Really one bad pitch, the changeup to Olivo," Washburn said. "It seems to be a recurring thing — bad changeup in a game. I wish I wouldn't have thrown a changeup in that situation [a 2-2 pitch with one out]. I didn't really want to throw it, but I said yes when he [catcher Johjima] called it, and it lost the game for us."

In the sixth, the Mariners got Ichiro on base with a one-out single, but the threat ended with the next batter. Jose Lopez hit a shallow fly ball to center on what looked like an attempted hit-and-run, and Ichiro, who had no time to get back to first base, was doubled off first by center fielder David DeJesus.

Sean Green relieved Washburn to open the seventh and got into trouble immediately. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with none out, and Ryan Rowland-Smith was called in from the bullpen. DeJesus drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-1, but Rowland-Smith escaped further damage by inducing a pop-out and a ground out.

It was 5-1 when left fielder Mark Teahen robbed Betancourt of a potential two-run home run with a catch just in front of the wall in the Mariners' eighth, and after that the game was effectively over.

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey made his Mariners debut when he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth that included a strikeout.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com