Seattle ? Jamie Moyer ran his string of shutout innings to 23 by pitching a five-hitter as the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 7-0 Monday night.

Moyer (8-3) gave up three doubles, didn’t walk a batter and struck out three in lowering his ERA to 3.02.

	When: 9:05 tonight.Where: Safeco Field in SeattleTelevision: cable channel 51.Pitchers: Paul Byrd (10-5) vs. Rafael Soriano (0-3).

Moyer recorded his eighth career shutout and second this year. The 39-year-old lefty also had a 17-inning scoreless streak this season.

The Mariners record for consecutive shutout innings is 341/3 set by Mark Langston on Sept. 14-29, 1988.

It was Seattle’s ninth shutout of 2002, one behind Boston in the AL. The Royals were blanked for the ninth time, tied with Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Dodgers for most in the majors.

Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez gave the Mariners a 6-0 lead in the second. Boone hit a two-run homer and Martinez followed with a solo shot on the next pitch.

Boone hit his third homer in four games, while Martinez homered for the third time in five games since returning to the lineup as Seattle’s DH. Martinez, 39, had surgery April 13 to remove a ruptured tendon behind his left knee.

Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki, who went 3-for-4, took over the major league lead from Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney, who was 1-for-4. Suzuki is hitting .364 and Sweeney .360.

The Mariners took a 3-0 lead in the first with the help of two Kansas City errors on the same play.

With Suzuki at second and Jeff Cirillo at first, Boone hit a ball off Sweeney’s glove at first. Right fielder Aaron Guiel picked up the ball and threw it past third baseman Joe Randa.

Both Suzuki and Cirillo scored on the play, with Boone winding up at second. Boone was wild pitched to third and scored on Martinez’s sacrifice fly.

Desi Relaford had an RBI single for Seattle in the fifth.

Darrell May (2-5) went 42/3 innings and gave up seven runs six of them earned on eight hits and five walks.