SEATTLE — Brian Dozier and Justin Morneau homered, Samuel Deduno pitched seven scoreless innings and the Minnesota Twins blanked the Seattle Mariners 4-0 Saturday.
It was the fifth shutout of the season for Minnesota, which has won four of its last six games and is 6-3 since the All Star break.
Brad Miller and Kyle Seager each had two hits for Seattle, which has lost three of four.
Deduno (7-4) allowed three hits, walked three and tied his season high with six strikeouts. He has thrown seven innings in each of his last three starts, winning all three.
Aaron Harang (5-9) threw 105 pitches in five innings, the ninth time in 17 starts he has gone five innings or less. Harang gave up one run on three hits in five innings, struck out five and walked two.
Morneau led off the fourth with a double for the Twins’ first hit. With one out, Chris Colabello hit a shallow pop fly to right field that fell between the Mariners’ defenders, and Morneau scored on Clete Thomas’ groundout, giving Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Reliever Charlie Furbush came on in the sixth inning. After getting two quick outs, Furbush gave up a single and walked two to load the bases, bringing in reliever Yoervis Medina, who walked Aaron Hicks to drive in a run and give the Twins a 2-0 lead.
Medina had more trouble in the seventh. Dozier led off the inning with his ninth home run and Morneau hit a solo shot with one out to knock Medina out of the game.
Medina has given up three home runs in his last two appearances after also allowing a homer to Colabello on Friday night. He had not allowed any home runs in his previous 36 appearances.
NOTES: The Seattle Mariners recalled RHP Brandon Maurer from Triple-A Tacoma before the game. “He’s going to go in the bullpen and probably be our long guy right now,” acting manager Robby Thompson said. … Seattle also optioned RHP Hector Noesi to Tacoma. … Newly signed free agent C Humberto Quintero was the seventh different catcher to start for the Mariners this season. … The Twins are 10-5 against AL West teams and have won eight of their last 11 games against West teams.
