Orioles-Mariners preview
SEATTLE -- Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter has been to a few rodeos, so he's not too concerned about his team's sudden power outage after an incredibly productive four-game stretch that led up to the four-game series in Seattle. Having followed a 12-hit, 12-run performance at San Diego with back-to-back losses that saw Baltimore score five runs on 13 hits, Showalter was able to shrug his shoulders Friday night. "Whoever pitches the best is the last team standing," he said after Friday's 5-2 loss to the Mariners. "It's not as complicated as people make it." "It's baseball," star third baseman Manny Machado said. "You're not going to hit every night, plain and simple. You keep grinding it and keeping doing what you do, and you get through it." Two consecutive losses haven't dampened the Orioles' spirits after Baltimore (47-32) rolled into Seattle on a seven-game winning streak, but the cushion this team built up isn't as soft as it once was. Friday's loss, combined with a Boston win, left four games separating the Orioles from the second-place Red Sox heading into Saturday's game against Seattle. Baltimore is scheduled to start right-hander Tyler Wilson (4-5, 4.50 ERA), but starting pitching isn't at the top of Showalter's list of concerns. "When we're not scoring runs," he said, "it gets magnified." Seattle's starting pitching is a big reason why the Orioles have been unable to get their bats going. Taijuan Walker and Wade LeBlanc kept Baltimore's offense quiet in much different ways. "Our pitching has stabilized," manager Scott Servais said after Friday's victory. "That's been the key to the homestand. "We're capable of playing this way for extended periods of time. We showed that earlier this year. We talked about it (during a team meeting before Thursday's game), and the guys are getting after it." Seattle plans to send left-hander James Paxton (1-3, 4.15 ERA) to the mound Saturday night. Like Walker, Paxton has a young, live arm and has top-of-the-rotation potential but has struggled with injuries and consistency during his career. The 27-year-old southpaw has been really good in the early innings of his past two starts but has faded down the stretch. Seattle's bullpen is in decent shape, but the Mariners used their top three relievers -- Mike Montgomery, rookie Edwin Diaz and closer Steve Cishek -- for an inning apiece Friday. Cishek pitched on back-to-back nights, including a four-out save Thursday, and probably won't be available to pitch Saturday. The struggling Mariners, who led the AL West for much of April and May but had a horrible month of June, haven't won more than two consecutive games since putting together a four-game winning streak May 19-22. Baltimore hasn't lost three in a row since the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Orioles June 10-12. The four-game series ends Sunday, with Baltimore sending struggling starter Ubaldo Jimenez out again despite a rough first three months. "Ubaldo's had two good outings in a row," Showalter said, "so we hope that continues." Seattle sends right-handed veteran Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound for the final contest of the four-game series. |