SEATTLE (AP)– Joe Blanton retired from baseball last season after he was unable to make it in the minor leagues. Now, he’s shining for the first-place Kansas City Royals.
Blanton pitched six-plus innings of two-hit ball to lead Kansas City to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
“Being able to get back was kind of almost the pinnacle and now I’m just riding it out and enjoying it,” said Blanton, who struck out seven. “Probably more than I enjoyed it before because I definitely appreciate it more and know how hard it is and what it takes.”
Blanton (2-0) lowered his ERA this season to 1.73 after allowing one run. The 34-year-old, who stepped away from the game after being released by the Oakland Athletics in 2014 following two subpar outings with Triple-A Sacramento, was recalled to the big leagues on May 16.
“I don’t ever not sense him finding a rhythm,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We brought him in (relief) one game to get an inning in and it was like a 32-pitch inning, but every other time out there, he’s been able to execute almost flawlessly, his pitches.”
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a home run by Robinson Cano. Blanton retired the next 16 batters before Austin Jackson doubled to lead off the seventh.
Kelvin Herrera replaced Blanton and promptly moved Jackson to third with a wild pitch, but retired the next three batters to escape the jam.
Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland all pitched one inning of hitless relief. Holland earned his 14th save in 15 opportunities.
Felix Hernandez (10-4) took the loss after allowing four runs, nine hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five.
“I thought he had good stuff,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “You look at their numbers, they don’t walk, they don’t strike out. They just pester you.”
Alex Rios tied the game at 1 with a run-scoring single in the second. Rios advanced to second on the throw to the plate and Omar Infante followed with a double off the wall in right to score Rios.
Mike Moustakas doubled in the third to drive in Alcides Escobar and give the Royals a 3-1 lead.
Escobar, who had a three-hit night, drove in Jarrod Dyson with a single in the seventh. Dyson singled and stole second with two outs to get into scoring position.
