For the second night in a row, the Orioles emerged victorious, defeating the Seattle Mariners, 4-2.
Adam Jones went an astounding 4-for-4, Chris Tillman went six innings, striking out five and allowing only one run. Kevin Gregg got his seventh save of the season.
When all was said and done, two former Mariner farmhands – Jones and Tillman – who came to Baltimore via now-infamous Erik Bedard deal did damage on Wednesday. I guess that’s the risk one takes when a trade happens and you let go of young, cheap talent for pitching.
If I were a Mariners fan, I would still be smarting over the trade.
Tillman found himself on the ropes during the game, but used an assortment of pitches and the defense behind him to avoid any big innings. He was consistent on the night and undoubtedly had one of his better starts in a good while.
As for Adam Jones, it looks like he’s on a tear. During this series – it’s been only two games – he’s 7-for-10 with five runs driven in.
Is he breaking out? Who knows, but he’s been a major part of the team’s success this week. Jones had two more RBI’s on the night on Wednesday and his batting average has skyrocked to .283.
Luke Scott and Derrek Lee also drove in runs.
It looks as if Buck Showalter tried to amend his lineup on Wednesday. Felix Pie got some playing time and started in right field as Nick Markakis sat out with the flu. He went 1-for-4 and honestly should be playing on a regular basis. I’m not sure if he can still hack it as an everyday player, but he brings a certain flair, excitment and explosiveness to the team. He looks the part of an amazing athlete and over the past few weeks, fans have been clamoring for him to play more — and have in him in left. I still don’t think it’s a good idea to sacrifice Luke Scott’s bat.
The Orioles plated three runs in the fifth inning and that’s all they needed. They defeated Felix Hernandez – the reigning Cy Young award winner for the American League – who allowed two earned runs in a little more than five innings of work. Every Oriole — except Roberts and Andino — had hits on the night.
Baltimore got Hernandez on an off night and they took advantage. The bad news is that Brian Roberts is scuffling badly and his average is down to .209. Mark Reynolds took the night off.
They will go for the sweep on Thursday.
