If the Baltimore Orioles aren’t going to produce much on offense, at least some timely hits can come in handy.
They will look for a few more key clutch hits in the series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon.
The Orioles didn’t score in the first 15 innings of the series, but they pulled out a 4-3 victory on Wednesday thanks to Jackson Holliday’s two-out RBI double in the bottom of the ninth. It was Baltimore’s first walk-off victory of the season.
“Just enjoy being a kid and playing baseball and it’s a whole lot of fun,” Holliday said.
In the decisive game of the three-game series, Baltimore will try to extend its streak of series victories against Seattle to six.
The Orioles have won only three of their past nine games, but uplifting results like Wednesday’s can fuel excitement.
“This game will beat you down,” Holliday said. “Luckily, I have really great teammates to lean on. I don’t think we’ve played the baseball that we would like to, but we have a great group of guys that pick each other up.”
While Baltimore’s offensive woes are well-documented, the Mariners have been unusually quiet with the bats in the current series. They have a total of four runs and no homers.
Manager Dan Wilson normally likes how the Mariners produce runs in a variety of ways — with or without long balls.
“We’ve talked about if you can do both, you’re going to have a consistent offense,” Wilson said.
Catcher Cal Raleigh, the big-league leader with 45 homers, believes the Mariners have enough sources on offense.
“That’s what having a deep lineup does,” said Raleigh, who is 0-for-8 in the series.
Right-hander Logan Evans (6-4, 4.36 ERA) will start for the Mariners on Thursday, looking to extend a personal two-game winning streak. The rookie has three wins in his past four outings despite compiling a 5.85 ERA in that span.
Evans will be opposing the Orioles for the first time.
Baltimore’s Thursday starter, Tomoyuki Sugano (9-5, 4.24 ERA), has won his past three decisions. The rookie right-hander didn’t allow a home run in his past two starts, his longest such streak of the season.
Sugano notched a June 3 victory at Seattle when he permitted one run on five hits in seven innings. The run came on a homer by Rowdy Tellez, who is no longer with the Mariners.
Bullpen issues have been troubling the Orioles recently. Yennier Cano and Keegan Akin combined to allow two ninth-inning runs on Wednesday, blowing a 3-1 lead, but they were bailed out by the run in the bottom of the frame.
“We’ve got to figure out how to get the ninth inning solved,” Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “It’s a very unique inning and it changes emotions and feelings.”
Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser is eligible to be reinstated from the concussion list on Thursday, but he won’t be activated for the game.
“I don’t see it being too long,” Mansolino said. “Still going through concussion protocol, but I think in the near future we’ll see him here in a major league game.”
–Field Level Media
