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  Monday, Mar. 27 3:05pm ET
Seattle 13, San Diego 7
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) _ The Seattle Mariners still have plenty of power left.

Mike Cameron hit a pair of two-run homers, Jay Buhner added a three-run shot and Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer Monday as Seattle beat the San Diego Padres 13-7.

Seattle led the major leagues in home runs for the fourth consecutive year at 244, but the Mariners are without Ken Griffey Jr. and the Kingdome this year. They have 30 homers in 24 games this spring.

``Listen, I've said this all along, everybody calls us a little ball team,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ``We're not a little ball team. When you lose Junior, you lose a lot of home runs, but we've got some pop here. We probably have more little ball on our bench than we have on the field.''

For the second straight game, Mariners closer Jose Mesa struggled. Pitching with a 13-4 lead in the ninth, he gave up three runs and five hits before pitching coach Bryan Price brought in Rafael Carmona for the final out.

In his previous appearance two days ago against San Diego, he allowed two runs and three hits in one inning.

Piniella reiterated that Mesa, who tied a team record with 33 saves last season, would start the season as Seattle's closer despite the presence of Kazuhiro Sasaki, Japan's career saves leader. Sasaki pitched a scoreless seventh against San Diego.

``We're going to go into the season like I said we would,'' Piniella said. ``If we have to make some evaluations, then we can. But you let veteran pitchers have the opportunity.''

John Halama pitched six inning and gave up home runs to Ryan Klesko and Tony Gwynn, his sixth and seventh homers allowed this spring.

Right-hander Matt Clement, a 10-game winner for San Diego last season, surrendered Buhner's homer in the first and homers to Cameron in the second and fourth. In 4 1-3 innings, Clement allowed 11 runs and 12 hits.

Notes: Piniella said Halama will be his No. 4 starter against the New York Yankees on April 7 at Safeco Field. Halama, a left-hander who won 11 games last season, is temporarily replacing Gil Meche, who has been hampered by tightness in his right shoulder. Brett Tomko, another Mariners' starter, is ailing with an inflammation of his left Achilles tendon. ... Piniella said Edgar Martinez, who sustained a badly bruised left elbow when he was hit by a pitch against Arizona's Todd Stottlemyre, is not expected to play until Saturday when the Mariners face Milwaukee in an exhibition game in Seattle. ... Buhner leads the Mariners with 18 RBIs in 17 games this spring.

 


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