Coomer Steals Griffey/M's Show

If Minnesota manager Tom Kelly gets his way, Cindy Coomer will sing the national anthem every game.

Ron Coomer followed up his wife's pregame performance with two homers and rookie Dan Perkins got his first major league win Monday night as the Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 10-5 for their fourth straight victory.

"I told Ron she might have to sing tomorrow," said Kelly after Coomer broke out of an 0-for-12 slump with three hits and four RBI.

"If we keep winning that's fine by me. She can come back tomorrow," Coomer said after his fifth multihomer game. "The only thing is she makes me a little nervous. I get more nervous watching her sing than when I'm playing. I don't know if that's a good thing."

On Monday night it was.

Coomer started the scoring for Minnesota with a two-run homer off Jeff Fassero (2-6) in the first and finished it six innings later with a two-run shot off Ryan Franklin. In between he made a nice play at first on Ken Griffey Jr.'s one-hopper with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh.

"That was probably the play of the game," Kelly said. "You can't hit it harder than that."

Griffey hit one just as hard in the ninth off Bob Wells for his 17th homer, but it wasn't enough as the Mariners dropped their second straight. Griffey, who also had his 300th career double to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games, is tied for Jose Canseco for the most homers in the majors.

"I don't worry about records," Griffey said. "Someone mentioned to me that I've had five 12-game hitting streaks. I didn't know that."

Chad Allen -- one of Minnesota's 11 rookies -- added a three-run homer for the Twins, who were outscored by the Mariners 32-6 in getting swept in a three-game series at eattle last week.

Perkins (1-3), in his ninth career appearance and fourth start, allowed three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. The 24-year old struck out two and walked two in his longest outing.

"I've been watching it happen for other guys," Perkins said on getting his first win. "I finally got mine. It feels great. I'm as happy as I could be right now."

Fassero allowed eight runs and nine hits in just 2 1-3 innings for Seattle after pitching eight scoreless innings against Minnesota last week.

Seattle jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Griffey's RBI double and Edgar Martinez's run-scoring groundout.

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Ken Griffey watches his 17th home run leave the park. (AP)

Minnesota came right back with three runs in their half on an RBI single by Brent Gates and Coomer's first homer. The Twins made it 5-2 in the second on Cristian Guzman's RBI single and Torii Hunter's sacrifice fly.

Alex Rodriguez hit his fifth homer, a solo shot off Perkins in the third to bring Seattle within 5-3. Perkins and Rodiguez were high school teammates at Westminister Christian (Fla.) High School.

Marty Cordova and Coomer started the third with singles. After Matt Lawton struck out, Allen hit a 376-foot shot to left for his fourth homer to chase Fassero.

"They (Minnesota) are not going to give up, they're going to battle," Griffey said. "They are trying to make an impression for their team."

In the seventh, Seattle loaded the bases against Perkins and Joe Mays with two outs, before Travis Miller relieved. Griffey then lined a one-hopper that bounced right up into the glove of Coomer, who made the putout unassisted.

In the fifth inning, Minnesota center fielder Torii Hunter leaped to knock down a fly ball by Dan Wilson at the wall, starting an 8-7-6-2 relay to nail Wilson at the plate and prevent the inside-the-park homer.

Notes

• Griffey previously had four 12-game hitting streaks in his 10-year career.
• Griffey's 18 homers in the Metrodome are tied for his most in a visiting park. He also has 18 homers in Yankee Stadium.
• Minnesota placed LHP Eddie Guardado on the DL with a strained ligament in his left elbow and called up RHP Rob Radlosky from Salt Lake City of the PCL.
• Coomer's wife Cindy sang the national anthem.
• Perkins allowed seven runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings last Sunday in a 10-1 loss at Seattle.
• Coomer also hit two homers on May 15 at Oakland.
• Seattle, currently 139-138 against Minnesota, has an all-time winning record against just threteams. Texas (149-139) and expansion Tampa Bay (8-6) are the other two.
• Fassero had been 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA in four career starts against the Twins.

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