KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- With Bobby Madritsch on the disabled list, Seattle Mariners manager Mike Hargrove got more than he could have hoped for from the pitcher he chose to replace him.

Ryan Franklin carried a shutout into the ninth inning as the Mariners posted an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals .

Madritsch, who left his first start against Minnesota on Wednesday with a sore shoulder, was put on the disabled list Sunday.

Franklin (1-0) got the call and was in control from the outset, spoiling Kansas City's home opener. He started the contest with 16 straight strikes and retired 15 consecutive batters from the fourth to the ninth innings.

"His best pitch was a first-pitch strike," Hargrove said. "I don't think you can minimize the importance of pitching ahead."

Franklin threw a first-pitch strike to 27 of the 32 batters he faced.

"We came in knowing they're an aggressive team," Franklin said. "I felt like if I could make quality pitches early on I could be out there in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings."

Franklin walked rookie Ruben Gotay and allowed singles to Mike Sweeney and Emil Brown before being replaced by J.J. Putz in the ninth.

"When a guy pitches that well and that deep you'd like to see him go ahead and get the shutout," Hargrove said. "But the important thing is we got the win."

"The only thing that matters is we won," Franklin said. "A complete game is good, but a shutout is really something in this league. It just wasn't meant to be."

Franklin, who was 4-16 with a 4.90 ERA in 32 starts last season and lost his spot in the starting rotation this spring to Aaron Sele , allowed two runs and five hits in 8 2/3 innings. He threw 84 pitches, 63 for strikes.

"I think he'll get a couple more starts at the very least," Hargrove said of Franklin.

"I feel like I should be a starter," Franklin said. "I think I belong there."

Seattle got to Kansas City starter Runelvys Hernandez (1-1) for a run in the fourth inning when Bret Boone 's single plated Jeremy Reed .

"That's kind of the way our offense has been this year, starting slow and creeping along," Boone said.

The Mariners broke open the game with a seven-run eighth. Adrian Beltre started the onslaught with a two-run homer, his first with the Mariners, and Miguel Olivo provided a two-run single.

"It always feels good to get the first one out of the way," Beltre said.

"Runelvys threw good pitches and just left one up, it kind of backed up on him," said Royals catcher John Buck of the pitch Beltre hit for a homer. "But we shouldn't have been in that position; we should have gotten him some runs."

Hernandez, who allowed a run in seven innings in his start against Detroit on Wednesday, was charged with four runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.