Ump pulled from Mariners game after getting hit with foul ball

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TORONTO, ON - APRIL 30: Home plate umpire Jim Wolf #28 signals to the first base umpire for an appeal during the Toronto Blue Jays MLB game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on April 30, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/G

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SEATTLE - Umpire Jim Wolf was pulled for precautionary reasons during the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game between the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners after taking a foul ball off his facemask.

Wolf was checked by the rest of his umpire crew and a member of the Mariners athletic training staff between the top and bottom of the fifth inning. Wolf was hit by the foul ball in the top half of the inning. After discussion, first base umpire Ryan Blakney went into the clubhouse to put on protective gear and Wolf left the field.

The game continued after a delay of about 10 minutes with just three umpires. Seattle led 2-0 at the time of the change.

Wolf has been a full-time umpire in the majors since 2004.

Mariners game recap

Ty France homered for the second time in three games, Bryan Woo allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings for his first win and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Wednesday.

The Mariners took two of three from the Royals and have won eight of their last nine series. Seattle will head out on a key 10-game road trip on the East Coast four games above .500 and leading the AL West.

France hit a solo shot off Kansas City starter Alec Marsh in the fourth inning to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. France also homered on Monday in the series opener.

Seattle also got an unearned run in the second inning after Adam Frazier was unable to cleanly field Luis Urías’ grounder behind third base with the bases loaded, and the Mariners added on two key runs late. Josh Rojas had a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning and Luke Raley added an RBI single in the eighth.

Woo (1-0) cruised through the first five innings allowing only one hit, before running into a jam in the sixth inning. Woo had a long fifth inning in the dugout due to an umpire change between the top and bottom of the inning, as home plate umpire Jim Wolf was replaced for precautionary reasons after taking a foul ball off the facemask.

When Woo returned for the sixth, he wasn’t as sharp and immediately ran into trouble with two singles and a walk. Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a sacrifice fly to score Freddy Fermin, but reliever Gabe Speier ended the threat by getting a foul pop out from Vinny Pasquantino and struck out Salvador Perez to end the inning.

Witt also had an RBI groundout in the eighth that scored Fermin. Andrés Muñoz got the final five outs for his seventh save, pitching around an error by Urías in the ninth.

Woo struck out five and walked only one. His first start of the season last Friday had been cut short due to tightness in his right forearm following a long inning in the dugout.

Marsh (3-1) allowed just one earned run but took his first loss of the season. He struck out seven and has allowed just two earned runs in his past four starts combined.