TJ Cotterill
The News Tribune
Baltimore Orioles are not like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. There’s more to do about which jersey star shortstop Manny Machado will be wearing in a month (or sooner) than the orange and white one he wore Monday.
This is to say that the Seattle Mariners’ four-game stop at Camden Yards amounts to what is essentially a chance to reset themselves off of tumultuous sojourns in Boston and the Bronx.
Orioles pitchers walked 10 batters, intentionally walked another, surrendered the Mariners’ go-ahead run on a wild pitch that bounced off their catcher before he proceeded to inadvertently kick it away. Their reliever and manager Buck Showalter were both tossed following a balk call in the ninth.
The Mariners gladly accepted it all.
And they rode another solid June start from Felix Hernandez, Jean Segura’s return to their lineup as well as what manager Scott Servais had to view as a refreshing performance from the Mariners’ bullpen for a 5-3 victory over the Orioles on Monday.
The Mariners (48-31) took the first of this four-game series, though this one seemed wrapped with a bow on top after going 1-5 last week against the Yankees and Red Sox.
Edwin Diaz earned his major-league leading 28th save, but first since June 16, with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out Tim Beckham on a 99-mph fastball for the final out.
“Outstanding night for our bullpen,” Servaid told reporters afterward. “Our bullpen has struggled a little bit on this trip, but guys were sharp.”
But the Mariners took advantage of Orioles starter Andrew Cashner’s lack of command early, scoring two runs when they had chances for more. Then broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh when reliever Miguel Castro threw a wild pitch that allowed Guillermo Heredia to score from third.
¡Victoria para #LosMarineros! Derrotaron a los Orioles, 5-3. Numeritos: https://t.co/jDBkbcq84h pic.twitter.com/2WyrWTCuKj
— Marineros de Seattle (@LosMarineros) June 26, 2018
The Mariners’ brass stresses controlling the strike zone, but this is the first time all season they’ve drawn this many walks. Actually, the most walks as a team they’d drawn entering the game was six.
The Orioles threw their ninth walk two pitches after they thought Nelson Cruz flew out in foul territory. But umpire Stu Scheurwater called a balk on reliever Darren O’Day, who then went ballistic and was tossed from the game. Showalter was tossed shortly after.
One more walk later loaded the bases, but the Mariners didn’t increase the lead.
For all their chances, the Mariners went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.
“We had a lot of traffic tonight,” Servais said. “We had opportunities to score more runs, but they made big pitches when we had guys in scoring position, and we maybe didn’t score as many runs as we should have.”
They did strike first, though.
Dee Gordon saw loaded bases in front of him in the second inning, following Denard Span’s single and walks to Chris Herrmann and Guillermo Heredia. He drew a full count before sending a two-out, two-run single into center field.
The Mariners didn’t get many other chances against Cashner after that. So Span created his own.
.@thisisdspan—gamer.#TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/fBYz6yTD4O
— Mariners (@Mariners) June 26, 2018
He barreled his second hit of the game in the sixth inning and sent the full-count fastball over the right-field wall for his seventh home run of the season and third with the Mariners.
“He has so much experience,” Servais said. “I think a lot of guys are learning watching him. I think they need to learn a little more at times. Those at-bats he has — he really grinds at-bats and finds a pitch to hit.”
Hernandez followed in similar fashion to Marco Gonzales against the Red Sox on Sunday, pitching four dominant, scoreless innings before things got away.
Hernandez left a changeup in the middle of the plate for Jonathan Schoop, who launched it for a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Baltimore then tied the game in the sixth, though at no fault of the Mariners’ defense. They loaded the bases with no outs following Machado’s single and then Hernandez’s bane — walks. He gave Mark Trumbo a free pass and then hit Chris Davis in the foot.
Segura to the rescue. He dived to his right to stop a grounder, then quickly threw to second base for the first out of the inning. The next play he chased down a ball redirected off of Hernandez and Segura just got the throw to first base in time to get Schoop out.
The Orioles scored two runs on those back-to-back defensive gems and tied the game, but the damage could have been worse. Span then ended the inning with a sliding catch in left-field on a line drive.
“That changed the whole game,” Hernandez said. “Segura made those plays and the catch, that was pretty good.”
But the Orioles continued to show signs of why they’re in the cellar of the American League East, entering the day 20 games below .500. Command of pitches was one of them.
Just like in the second, the Mariners drew a couple of walks around Gordon’s perfect swinging bunt to load the bases in the seventh. Orioles reliever Miguel Castro tossed a wild pitch that allowed Heredia to score and Gordon crossed the plate on Mitch Haniger’s ensuing sacrifice fly.
The Mariners had opportunity for more but Kyle Seager and Ryon Healy struck out to end the inning with Jean Segura at third base and Nelson Cruz, who earlier in the day was awarded American League player of the week, at first after he was intentionally walked.
But 5-3 Mariners lead after seven.
“Bunts, walks, sac flies — we’ve been doing that for the better part of the year,” Servais said. “It’s how we’re built. We’re not relying on the home run. It’s worked well.”
James Pazos, Alex Colome and Diaz then combined to not allow a hit over the final three innings to lock it down, coming after teh bullpen had some of its worst games during the New York-Boston swing.
A few takeaways:
Span of time
It seemed like Denard Span got in Andrew Cashner’s head with his long at-bat in the sixth inning. He took his time, twice calling time.
By the time he faced a 3-2 count, he powered an uppercut swing into a 95-mph fastball and sent it over the right-field wall for his seventh home run of the season.
It was Span’s second hit of the day and he continues to be a bright spot since the Mariners acquired the veteran outfielder from the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s batting .306 since he arrived on May 28.
He also had a sliding catch in left field to end the sixth inning, snatching the ball in the end of his glove to save at least one run.
Segura’s return
Fortunately, Jean Segura’s right forearm was hidden from public view.
He missed the past four games between New York and Boston because of a staph infection caused by a scrape on his forearm, as well as an illness caused by the antibiotics used to treat it.
The Mariners seemed pleased to have him back, especially his defense. Two runs scored, but he saved more with his diving play for the first out of the sixth inning and then charging on a redirected ball off of Felix Hernandez the next play.
He went 0-for-3 but drew two walks.
Fine Felix
Do your job.
Scott Servais enjoys echoing the phrase most notoriously coined to Bill Belichick. But four of his past five starts Hernandez has done his job.
They haven’t all been Cy Young dominant, but Hernandez has now pitched well in four of his past five starts. Take away his dud against the Rays, when he lasted three innings and allowed five runs at Tropicana Field, and he has a 2.08 ERA (26 innings, six runs) in the month of June.
He lasted six innings against the Orioles, with two runs scoring in his final frame after he walked two batters. He had walked four batters in four starts this month entering Monday’s game.
Hernandez’s final line: Six innings, four hits allowed, three runs, three walks, four strikeouts, his season ERA now at 5.10.
“Felix was OK,” Servais said. “I thought the stuff was really good early on and not as sharp later. He was able to get some sinkers and gets some outs with the fastball tonight and he wasn’t so reliant on the curveball and changeup.”
Play of the game
The Mariners were gifted the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when Miguel Castro threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded, with Guillermo Heredia scoring on the play and Dee Gordon moving up.
So Mitch Haniger followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Mariners a 5-3 lead.
Top batter
Denard Span drew a full count against Andrew Cashner in the sixth inning and then uppercut a 95-mph fastball past the right-field wall for his seventh home run with the Mariners.
He finished 2-for-5 with the solo shot and two runs scored.
Dee Gordon and Mitch Haniger also had two hits apiece. Gordon also picked up his 20th stolen base of the season.
Top pitcher
Alex Colome and Edwin Diaz combined to strike out four of the six batters they faced and didn’t allow a run.
Felix Hernandez got his seventh win because of that lock-down bullpen. James Pazos started it off with a 1-2-3 seventh inning before Colome and Diaz took over, with Diaz earning his major-league leading 28th save.
