BALTIMORE — Felix Hernandez turned in another solid outing on the mound and Jose Lopez picked up right where he left off at the plate.
It added up to a nice night for the Seattle Mariners.
Hernandez pitched seven sharp innings, Lopez homered twice and the Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 on Wednesday.
Lopez finished with three hits, raising his batting average over the last 11 games to .372 (16 for 43). He hit a solo drive in the second inning and a two-run shot in the sixth for his third career multihomer game.
“Sometimes when they (throw) inside, I move my hands quick to put the ball in play,” Lopez said.
Hernandez (6-3) allowed just one run and seven hits to improve to 4-0 for his career at Camden Yards. Hernandez has a minuscule 0.95 ERA over his last four starts this season.
“Felix was outstanding,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. “He’s been that way for a couple of weeks now. He came out and competed. He got a little tired at the end. But he gave us enough for a chance to win.”
Sean White pitched the eighth and David Aardsma got three outs for his 10th save.
The Mariners have allowed three runs or less in a franchise-record eight straight games.
Ichiro Suzuki doubled, walked and was hit by a pitch to reach base for the 39th straight game, the longest streak in the American League this season. He is batting .371 (124 for 334) in his career against the Orioles.
Brian Roberts had three hits and Matt Wieters went 2 for 4 for the Orioles.
Jeremy Guthrie (4-6) pitched well for Baltimore but was hurt again by the longball. He has allowed 16 homers this season, tops in the American League.
“It’s a result of pitching, pitching in the zone and up. It happens,” Guthrie said. “I think the track record is different, and I’m hoping for things to turn around.”
Lopez’s eighth homer in the sixth gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead. Yuniesky Betancourt drove in Seattle’s other run with a groundout in the fourth.
Hernandez got out of a jam in the first after Baltimore put runners on first and second with no outs, retiring Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora to get out of the inning.
“The scoring opportunities against him are not going to be plentiful, you’re going to have to get to him early,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “We had the opportunity, we had the right guys up, he just made really good pitches and got good hitters out.”
Wieters doubled and scored on Roberts’ single in the fifth to cut Seattle’s lead to 2-1. The Orioles put runners on second and third later in the inning but Huff flied to right to end the threat.
“The first inning they don’t score a run, and now I say ‘I got it,’” Hernandez said. “Now you’re gonna pitch with more confidence and be better. We played some great defense today, we scored some runs and we win the game. That’s the most important thing.”
Guthrie gave up four runs, three earned, and six hits in six innings.
NOTES: Seattle CF Franklin Gutierrez left in the third inning with a bruised left knee. … White has pitched 17 consecutive scoreless innings over his last 14 appearances.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
