Orioles fall to Mariners 7-2 for 1st home series loss
BALTIMORE (AP) - It took until the middle of the May for the Baltimore Orioles to finally lose a series at home.
The team to end the streak? The Seattle Mariners, the best team in the AL at winning on the road.
Adam Lind broke open a close game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Seattle rolled to a 7-2 victory on Thursday.
Leonys Martin also homered for the Mariners, who took two of three from Baltimore to improve to an AL-best 15-7 in away games and 6-0-1 in road series.
The Orioles were 6-0-1 in series at home before the Mariners (23-17) came to town.
"Yeah, they're doing really well," Baltimore designated hitter Mark Trumbo said of the AL West-leaders. "They're really hot, obviously. Their record shows that and they did all the little things that added up to a nice win for them."
Despite the loss, the Orioles are 24-15 and in a duel with Boston for first place in the AL East.
"Everybody's trying to seek their level right now," manager Buck Showalter said. "We're in the middle of May. Everybody's trying to figure out who they are, whether they're a dancer or someone who spins the records."
Pedro Alvarez and Adam Jones had RBIs for the Orioles, who have dropped three of four following a seven-game winning streak.
The Mariners were nursing a 2-1 lead when Robinson Cano led off the sixth with a double off Tyler Wilson (2-2). After Kyle Seager received an intentional walk, Lind hit an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the left-field wall.
"He was the story of the game," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We needed a big knock. He hit it in a good spot in the ballpark."
Said Lind: "I put a pretty good swing on it. And I hit it good enough to go over the wall."
Seattle starter Nathan Karns (4-1) allowed one run and four hits in five innings, striking out five and walking none. The right-hander is unbeaten in seven starts since April 9.
The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Jones drove in a run with groundout before Chris Davis hit a fly ball to center.
"We had a shot there with the bases loaded and some good people up," Showalter said. "We just couldn't get back in it."
Martin connected with a man on against Dylan Bundy in the ninth.
The Mariners got a first-inning run on a two-out RBI single by Nelson Cruz, who has reached base in 24 consecutive games at Camden Yards.
Alvarez tied it for Baltimore in the third, lining a pitch off the right-field scoreboard for a run-scoring double.
Seattle went up 2-1 in the fifth when Ketel Marte drew a leadoff walk and came home on a two-out single by Seth Smith.
One inning later, Wilson served up that ill-fated pitch to Lind.
"We were trying to get it up in under his hands and I missed out over the plate," the rookie said. "We accomplished what we were trying to do to elevate. I didn't think he hit it out, but he got good enough wood on it."
POSITION CHANGE
Mariners: The Mariners travel to Cincinnati for a three-game set this weekend, so Cruz will play RF since there's no DH. "We need his bat obviously. He's a big part of our lineup," Servais said. Seattle is 6-8 when Cruz plays RF and 17-8 when he's the DH.
Orioles: Ryan Flaherty got his first start of the season in RF on Thursday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: Shortstop J.J. Hardy, out 4 to 6 weeks with a fractured left foot, will travel to Sarasota, Florida, on Friday to begin weight bearing exercises, Showalter said. ... RHP Yovani Gallardo (shoulder tendinitis) had a throwing session from 120 feet on Thursday. He will throw off a mound Sunday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Hisashi Iwakuma (1-4, 4.38 ERA) makes his ninth start of the season in matchup with Cincinnati on Friday night.
Orioles: Baltimore begins a nine-game road trip Friday night, sending Mike Wright (2-3, 5.20) against the Los Angeles Angels.