By Dave Holcomb
Sitting a half game behind the red hot Cleveland Indians for the last playoff spot on Sunday, Baltimore had a rubber match game remaining against Seattle before taking their west coast trip starting Tuesday.
Despite eight hits before the 7th inning, the Orioles left eight men on base and finished the game 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position as the Mariners won Sunday 3-2.
Credit Seattle Starting Pitcher Joe Saunders for pitching out of trouble in this game. In each of the first five innings, Baltimore had runners in scoring position, but failed to knock in a run. First Baseman Chris Davis came to bat with a runner on second base in the first, third and fifth innings, but could not even more his teammate to third.
Saunders, the former Oriole, pitched six innings, giving up two runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking two. The pitcher, who had a complete game back in April against his former team, used Baltimore’s aggressiveness against them as he used the corners of the plate and made Oriole hitters chase pitches. Saunders improved his record to 10-10 on the season, and to 7-0 lifetime against the Orioles.
Baltimore felt confident coming into Sunday’s game with Starting Pitcher Wei-Yin Chen on the mound. Chen has spent some time on the DL this season but came into the game with a 2.87 season ERA.
Seattle scored first in the second inning with back-to-back doubles from Designated Hitter Michael Morse and Left Fielder Raul Ibanez. Morse’s double was a high fly ball that dropped next to the right field line because Oriole Right Fielder Nick Markakis was shaded closer to center. Morse scored during the next at-bat.
That occurred after an inning after Baltimore’s Adam Jones missed a home run by inches when his line drive hit the top of the wall. Davis failed to drive him in with two outs. Seattle had the lead 1-0.
Although the Orioles threatened, no one scored again until the bottom of the sixth when Baltimore finally broke through with a home run by Designated Hitter Danny Valencia. Left Fielder Steve Pearce walked to start the inning, and Valencia’s homer gave Baltimore its first lead of the day, 2-1.
The Orioles seemed in full control of the game even though Chen walked Center Fielder Michael Saunders and Shortstop Brendan Ryan after striking out Justin Smoak in the 7th. In between the two walks, Chen caught Saunders stealing second with his pickoff move, so the Orioles ace was one out away, with the nine hitting coming up, from seven innings of one run baseball.
Suddenly on a 0-2 pitch, 41-year-old Catcher Henry Blanco hit a high fly ball into the seats to give the Mariners back the lead 3-2.
Blanco spoiled Chen’s great pitching performance, but the Orioles hurler still went seven strong, allowing three runs on five hits and struck out five. Just like in Saunders’ case, the walk was costly because it was followed by a home run.
Baltimore falls to 61-51, now 1.5 games behind Cleveland and 0.5 games behind Texas for the last wild card spot. Tuesday is the start of the team’s west coast trip as they play two games in San Diego, three in San Francisco and then three in Arizona. In fact, the Orioles next eleven games are against National League opponents.
For Seattle, this win they stole from Baltimore is not going to help them make the playoffs this year, but they move back in front of the Los Angeles Angels for third place in the AL West. The Mariners go back home and start a series with the Blue Jays on Monday.
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