05/17/24 10:19:00
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05/17 22:17 CDT Gunnar Henderson's leadoff homer launches big 1st inning for
Orioles in 9-2 win over Mariners
Gunnar Henderson's leadoff homer launches big 1st inning for Orioles in 9-2 win
over Mariners
By DAVID GINSBURG
Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) --- Gunnar Henderson's fourth leadoff homer of the season
sparked a five-run first inning that backed an effective pitching performance
by John Means and carried the Baltimore Orioles past the Seattle Mariners 9-2
Friday night.
After Henderson's 13th home run --- tied with Houston's Kyle Tucker and the Los
Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead --- Baltimore's next
five batters reached base against Bryce Miller (3-4). A throwing error by
shortstop Dylan Moore let in a run and Colton Cowser followed a walk with a
two-run double down the right-field line.
The first out was a sacrifice fly by Jordan Westburg that capped the outburst.
"It was great to jump on them right away and get a bunch of runs there in the
first inning," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "It was nice to be able to
pitch with a little bit of a lead."
In his previous start against Seattle, Means threw a no-hitter on May 5, 2021.
In this one, Moore doubled on the first pitch of the game and scored on a
single by Mitch Garver.
But Means (2-0) settled down in his third start since opening the season on the
injured list with a left forearm strain. The left-hander allowed two runs and
six hits, walked none and struck out four over six innings.
"I thought Means battled," Hyde said. "He didn't have his best fastball
command, but that changeup is so good and he got some curveballs in. He kept
them off balance that way."
The Mariners were playing catchup before Miller retired one Baltimore batter.
"They jumped on us early tonight," manager Scott Servais said. "Bryce had good
stuff, but the execution wasn't great there in the first inning. You've got to
give Baltimore credit. They came out, they were swinging and they were on the
heater."
By winning the opener of the three-game set, the Orioles are assured of
completing their 106th consecutive regular-season series without being swept.
That's the third-longest streak in major league history, behind only the
1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals (124) and 1906-09 Chicago Cubs (115).
Miller rebounded from his poor start to keep the Orioles in check until he was
lifted with one out in the sixth. He got some help from center fielder Julio
Rodrguez, who reached over the wall to make a leaping catch and rob Anthony
Santander of a solo shot earlier in the inning.
Baltimore pulled away with a four-run seventh. Jorge Mateo tripled and scored
on a triple by Henderson before Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays hit successive
RBI doubles..
"I thought we had a chance to creep back into it, but we couldn't hold them
down in the seventh inning," Servais said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: Garver returned after missing two games with back spasms. ... SS J.P.
Crawford (oblique strain) was hit on his right hand by a pitch during his rehab
assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, which will likely delay his return from the
IL. "He does not have a fracture, but he's got some swelling going on," Servais
said. ... 2B Jorge Polanco missed a third straight game with hamstring
tightness.
Orioles: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) is poised to come off the injured
list, Hyde said. When that happens, Hyde said the Orioles will move to a
six-man rotation to help negotiate a stretch in which they are scheduled to
play 30 games in 31 days, beginning with this series against Seattle.
UP NEXT
A rainy weather forecast looms for Saturday's game, which matches Seattle's
Luis Castillo (4-5, 3.31 ERA) against a Baltimore starter that Hyde would not
disclose. Castillo is 4-1 with a 1.65 ERA over his last five starts.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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