BALTIMORE — A brief rain delay was just what Garrett Olson needed to calm down in his return to Camden Yards.
Getting a tape-measure home run from Russell Branyan didn’t hurt, either.
Olson gave up two runs before a 27-minute delay, then came out and threw three scoreless for his first win of the season in the Seattle Mariners’ 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.
“Olson came out a little too aggressive. He was amped up and couldn’t find his command,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “After the rain delay, I saw a different pitcher. He came back out, battled and saved the bullpen.”
Branyan contributed a sacrifice fly during a three-run rally in the third, then capped his night with a 450-foot blast in the seventh. Branyan’s team-leading 14th homer tied for the sixth-longest at Camden Yards.
Adrian Beltre went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run while Ichiro Suzuki doubled, tripled and scored two runs to help the Mariners win their fourth straight series.
Olson (1-1) spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles and made 26 starts before being traded to Seattle in the offseason.
“Being able to come back to this ballpark and get my first win of the season is special,” he said.
Baltimore has lost seven of its last eight games. The Orioles have not scored more than four runs since May 29 and are batting a paltry .207 (67-for-223) over their last 10 games.
“I don’t think we’re in an offensive funk. We’ve hit balls hard,” said Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, who was 0 for 4. “I’d say luck is not on our side right now.”
Suzuki reached base for the 40th straight game, longest in the AL this season and tying his career best.
Yuniesky Betancourt delivered an RBI double to help Seattle seal the victory by scoring twice in the seventh off Baltimore reliever Brian Bass.
Baltimore starter Koji Uehara (2-4) was returning from a trip to the disabled list. Activated before the game after being out since May 24 with a strained left hamstring, he gave up four runs on seven hits through five innings.
Luke Scott hit a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Orioles ahead 2-0.
Uehara was sharp early, allowing just one hit and striking out two through two innings. But after a 27-minute rain delay, he gave up hits on the first three pitches he threw.
Suzuki doubled while Branyan and Beltre followed with run-scoring singles. Jose Lopez capped the third-inning rally with a sacrifice fly as the Mariners took a 3-2 lead.
“The guy hasn’t pitched in two weeks and I think you could tell tonight. There was some rust there so obviously he was affected by the long layoff,” Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said.
Olson gave way to reliever Chris Jakubauskas to start the seventh. Although he allowed a run, Mark Lowe and David Aardsma pitched two perfect innings, and Aardsma got his 11th save in 12 chances.
“It’s a credit to (pitching coach) Rick Adair and (bullpen coach) John Wetteland and the work the pitchers are doing themselves,” Wakamatsu said. “Mechanically, what we worked on during spring training is starting to show through now. You see it in a lot more efficient deliveries. The starting pitching has set the tone and John has done a great job with the whole bullpen crew.”
NOTES: Orioles pitcher David Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk prior to the game… Ken Griffey snapped an 0-for-13 streak with a single in the fifth… Scott has hit nine home runs in the last 19 games. He leads Baltimore with 14 homers.
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