Orioles beat Mariners 8-7 in 14 innings

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles have developed a knack for winning extra-inning games — especially long ones.

Adam Jones singled home the winning run in the 14th inning, and Baltimore beat the Seattle Mariners 8-7 Tuesday night after rallying from a five-run deficit.

It was the 12th straight win in extra innings for the Orioles, who have played five games of at least 13 innings and won them all.

“You know, it’s not a team that’s sitting there going, `Woe is me. Let’s get this over.’ They grind it,” manager Buck Showalter said. “They put in so much effort.”

Matt Wieters homered twice, J.J. Hardy contributed a pivotal three-run drive and Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who trailed 5-0 in the second inning and 7-2 in the sixth.

Once the game got past the ninth, it was Baltimore’s time.

Asked to explain the phenomenon, Wieters said, “I don’t know if anybody can give you an exact answer other than (we) just keep playing. There is no quit in this team. We know with our bullpen, they keep putting up zeros and eventually somebody’s got to score.”

It happened in the 14th, when the Orioles put an end to a marathon that lasted 5 minutes short of five hours.

Omar Quintanilla led off against Shawn Kelley (2-3) by hitting a grounder to second baseman Dustin Ackley, who made a great stop before throwing to first baseman Mike Carp. Umpire Brian Knight ruled Carp took his foot off the bag while stretching for the throw, and Mariners manager Eric Wedge was ejected for arguing the call.

Markakis followed with a single, Hardy sacrificed and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Jones then hit an opposite-field liner to right that glanced off the glove of Casper Wells, allowing Quintanilla to score.

Afterward, Wedge and Carp were still fuming.

“He was out,” Wedge said. “He didn’t even come close to coming off the bag. It was evident that he was on there, and noticeably so, and it’s just a shame that he has to make that call right there and cost us the ballgame.”

Carp added: “I’ve got nothing to say that’s worth saying. You guys saw it, the whole world saw it. I hope someone has the decency to say something about it.”

Darren O’Day (6-0), the seventh Baltimore pitcher, worked two innings.

It was the fourth straight victory for the Orioles, who moved eight games over .500 (59-51) for the first time since June 29. Baltimore has won 11 straight one-run games.

Kyle Seager and Miguel Olivo homered for the Mariners, who have lost four of five following a seven-game winning streak. Seattle finished with 18 hits but did not score after the sixth inning.

“The bullpen was the difference,” Showalter said.

Wieters launched Baltimore’s comeback with his second homer of the night, a sixth-inning drive that made it 7-3.

Mark Reynolds chased starter Blake Beavan in the seventh with a leadoff double, and Lucas Luetge promptly gave up an RBI single to Quintanilla. Markakis followed with an infield hit before Hardy sent an 0-1 pitch into the left-field seats to erase a lead the Mariners held from the top of the first.

That ruined Beavan’s bid to win a fifth straight start, a streak that began with his recall from Triple-A Tacoma on July 17.

Orioles starter Zach Britton gave up seven runs, four earned, and eight hits in five-plus innings. Despite the poor pitching line, the left-hander lowered his ERA to 8.10.

After the game, he was sent down to the minors.

The Mariners jumped in front with three unearned runs in the first. After Britton fumbled a dribbler by Ackley, Jesus Montero was credited with a two-out hit when Wilson Betemit couldn’t handle his hard grounder to third. Seager followed with his team-high 12th home run, the first in 19 games since July 18.

Seattle made it 5-0 in the second. After Olivo hit a solo homer, three straight singles — the last by Trayvon Robinson — produced another run.

In the bottom half, Wieters homered on a 3-2 pitch and Markakis added a two-out RBI single.

The Mariners went up 7-2 in the sixth when Wells tripled and scored on a single by Carp, who came home on a single by Ackley.

NOTES: The Orioles optioned Britton to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled RHP Steve Johnson, who will start Wednesday night. Former Orioles right-hander Kevin Millwood will pitch for Seattle. ... Seager leads the majors with 39 two-out RBIs. ... It was Wieters’ third career multihomer game, the second this season. ... Seattle’s Michael Saunders went 0 for 7 with four strikeouts.