Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for their season-high sixth consecutive victory, 4-3 over the host Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon.
Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 24th homer for the Mariners, who went 3-6 on their nine-game homestand.
Orioles starter Zach Eflin (5-2) pitched six quality innings and Bryan Baker worked the ninth for his second save of the season. Baker allowed a two-out single to Miles Mastrobuoni but struck out Dylan Moore to end the game.
Raleigh gave the Mariners a 3-1 lead with a two-run shot just over the right field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning with J.P. Crawford on base following a double.
Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday led off the sixth with a walk and Rutschman then hit a ball that bounced off the top of the wall in the right field corner and over to tie the score. Henderson followed with a drive to right off Mariners starter Bryan Woo (5-3) to put the Orioles ahead. It was the first time Woo allowed back-to-back homers in his three-year career.
Rutschman, who grew up in Portland, Ore., and went to Oregon State, had a successful return to the Pacific Northwest. He went 7-for-13 in the three-game series and also homered in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory.
The Orioles broke a scoreless tie in the third inning as Maverick Handley drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a flyout and scored on another wild pitch.
The Mariners tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single to left by Raleigh.
Eflin allowed three runs on eight hits. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out a season-high seven batters.
Woo gave up four runs on four hits over six innings. The righty walked two and fanned six.
–Field Level Media
