BALTIMORE (AP) — Cal Raleigh and Dylan Moore hit RBI doubles in the eighth inning, capping a comeback that gave the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
The tight contest between AL contenders was delayed at the start by rain for nearly three hours and featured solid pitching by Baltimore's Grayson Rodriguez and three-time All-Star Luis Castillo.
Rodriguez returned from the injured list to allow one hit over six innings before leaving with a 2-0 lead.
The advantage vanished in the seventh, when the Mariners pulled even against Baltimore’s bullpen with three hits, including an RBI double by Ty France to end a 12-pitch at-bat.
Seattle then took the lead in the eighth against Yennier Cano (2-2). Raleigh made it 3-2 with a double to left-center, and Moore sent Raleigh home with a liner to left off Cionel Pérez.
“It was just one of those nights when we couldn't quite close it down,” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.
Ryne Stanek (2-0) got the last two outs in the seventh, and Andrés Muñoz gave up Gunnar Henderson's 14th home run in the ninth before securing his eighth save.
“They've got a good club. We know that," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "You've got to execute your pitches, keep it close, then hopefully get some big hits late. We were able to come through tonight.”
Back in action after being sidelined since April 29 with right shoulder inflammation, Rodriguez kept the Mariners hitless until the sixth, when Julio Rodríguez punched a one-out grounder to the right side that second baseman Jorge Mateo gloved too late to make a throw to first.
“The first five innings didn't look so great," Servais said. “We got no hits and the guy's dealing out there. It comes down to our starting pitching giving us a chance, keeping us in the game, keeping it close enough so if you get a rally together you're going to be right there.”
Rodriguez struck out seven, walked two and hit a batter with a pitch. Hyde said before the game the 24-year-old would be working with a “short leash” after coming back from an injury, and so the right-hander was lifted after throwing 82 pitches.
“To be able to go six innings off the three weeks off, I think that was big for me,” Rodriguez said. “I felt great. I've been feeling good for the last week, so I'm ready to attack the rest of the season.”
Castillo gave up two runs and four hits over six innings, the seventh straight game in which the right-hander has gone six innings while allowing no more than two runs. It's the first time in 15 starts dating to last year that Castillo did not get a decision.
“Luis Castillo put another quality start together and then our bullpen really stepped up,” Servais said.
Baltimore used a triple by Jordan Westburg and a sacrifice fly to go up 1-0 in the second, and Ryan O'Hearn added an RBI single in the second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: INF Jorge Polanco missed his fourth straight game with a hamstring strain. Servais said Polanco “is feeling a little bit better," but there is no timetable for his return.
Orioles: Activating Rodriguez from the IL forced Baltimore to designate right-handed reliever Mike Baumann for assignment. Baumann has pitched for the Orioles since 2021 and was 10-1 last year, so sending him packing was a difficult call. “It's been a gloomy morning," Hyde said. "Only being able to carry 13 pitchers and having guys that are out of options, you have to make some tough decisions.”
UP NEXT
George Kirby (4-3, 3.58 ERA) starts for Seattle in the series finale Sunday against Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (3-2, 2.68).
