M's losing skid hits six after 6-3 defeat to Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ryan Shealy, John Buck and David DeJesus homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 6-3 Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to five games.

The Mariners are 0-6 to start an 11-game three-city trip and have lost 10 of their past 13.

Shealy and DeJesus both homered in the four-run fifth as the Royals batted around. DeJesus led off the inning with a home run off Brandon Morrow. It was DeJesus' first home run in 178 at-bats. His previous was on July 12, a game-winner in the ninth also off Morrow.

Shealy's home run was his fifth in nine games since a Sept. 2 promotion from Triple-A Omaha. His homer with Mike Aviles aboard finished Morrow's night.

Morrow, who did not allow a hit until two out in the eighth against the New York Yankees in his first big league start on Sept. 5, faced four batters in the fifth and retired none. Morrow (2-4) gave up six runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.

Alberto Callaspo, who tripled in the fifth and had a career-high 10-game hitting streak, scored on a Mike Aviles single for the other Kansas City run in the inning.

Buck, who had not homered since July 29, led off the Royals third with his ninth home run. Buck also contributed a run-producing single in the fourth.

Brandon Duckworth (3-1) went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out two and walking two, to pick up the win.

Jose Lopez homered in the fourth off Duckworth for the first Seattle run. Jeremy Reed's sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Yuniesky Betancourt for the other run off Duckworth.

Lopez doubled and scored on Reed's single to start the ninth off Ramon Ramirez, the fourth of five Kansas City pitchers. Joakim Soria replaced Ramirez and got the final three outs for his 39th save in 42 opportunities.

Ichiro Suzuki had an infield single in the Seattle third for his 197th hit. He needs three hits to reach 200 for the eight straight year, which would tie a big league record. Hall of Famer Willie Keeler from 1894-1901 had 200 hits in eight straight seasons.

Notes: When Duckworth struck out CF Wladimir Baltentien to end the sixth, it was the Royals' 1,007 strikeout of the season, which is a franchise record. The 1990 Royals pitching staff held the record with 1,006.