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Sele pitches M’s past Royals

Seattle's Aaron Sele pitches in the fifth inning Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Doug Tucker Associated Press
Seattle's Aaron Sele pitches in the fifth inning Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If the first 999 had been this harrowing, Mike Hargrove might never have made it to 1,000.

“I’d be dead,” said the Seattle manager.

With two out and runners at first and second, a shaky Eddie Guardado struck out Angel Berroa on a 3-2 pitch Wednesday, preserving a 2-1 victory over Kansas City and giving Hargrove his 1,000th win as a major league manager.

Aaron Sele allowed three hits in 6 1/3 innings and outdueled Kansas City’s Zack Greinke, who pitched six scoreless innings.

“You realize the great managers that are on that list, and to be among them is a unique honor,” Hargrove said. “It says a lot about the players you’ve had play for you over the years. I think it’s about the fact that I’ve done this a long time.”

Hargrove, who won five division titles and two A.L. championships with Cleveland, got splashed with champagne as he came into the clubhouse. The milestone win made him 1,000-968 in 14 seasons and the 51st major league manager to reach the milestone.

Ichiro Suzuki was 0 for 4 and failed to hit safely for the first time in 20 games, ending a streak that began Sept. 20 against Oakland. He reached in his first at-bat on a throwing error by third baseman Tony Graffanino.

Sele (1-0) allowed one run, struck out three and walked two. Guardado allowed a hit and a walk before striking out Berroa.

Ruben Gotay led off the ninth with a single, but was erased on Mike Sweeney’s forceout. Pinch-hitter Eli Marrero struck out, pinch-hitter Emil Brown walked and Guardado fanned Berroa for his second save.

Greinke, who’d been hit on the arm and knocked out of the game in the third inning of his previous start, was on a strict limit of 85-90 pitches. He gave up four hits in six shutout innings, but Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the seventh against Jaime Cerda (0-1). Bret Boone singled leading off and scored on Mike MacDougal’s wild pitch, and Miguel Olivo’s RBI single made it 2-0.

Matt Stairs tripled leading off the seventh for Kansas City and scored on Calvin Pickering’s sac fly. Shigetoshi Hasegawa followed with 1 1/3 hitless innings.