BALTIMORE – The temperature soared, tempers got hot and both starting pitchers had nothing left by the sixth inning.
The Seattle Mariners struck early Wednesday, getting a two-run homer from Adrian Beltre in the first inning, then held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 and end Erik Bedard’s seven-game winning streak.
Felix Hernandez pitched into the sixth inning and the Seattle bullpen did the rest. The Mariners won two of three from the Orioles and happily headed home after visiting Cleveland and Baltimore.
“Six tough games. For us to come away 4-2 on the road trip is huge,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said. “It’s a good sign.”
On a day when the temperature reached 102 degrees, the Orioles became steamed at plate umpire Mark Wegner, who ejected second baseman Brian Roberts and manager Sam Perlozzo for arguing third-strike calls. Roberts was thrown from the game in the bottom of the seventh after being called out on strikes for a second straight time, and Perlozzo was tossed before the start of the eighth after coming to Roberts’ defense.
“Well, I really didn’t see the pitches,” Perlozzo said. “I knew that there were a lot of guys complaining today. They all couldn’t be strikes. At least I took a shot at it.”
Bedard (12-7) allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out five, including Richie Sexson twice, but happily gave Perlozzo the ball when the manager came to the mound in the sixth.
“When I went out to the mound, I really going to ask him, ‘You done?’ And before I even asked him, he kind of handed the ball to me,” Perlozzo said. “He was gassed, and that’s understandable in today’s weather.”
Bedard won seven straight starts before getting a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The left-hander’s last loss was on June 11, at Minnesota.
“It’s all about the team,” he said. “I went out there and gave my team a chance to win. That’s all I can do.”
Hernandez (10-9) gave up one run and four hits in five-plus innings, walking four and striking out four. He was pulled after 88 pitches.
“It was funny that both pitchers got tired at the same time,” Hargrove said. “Both pitchers threw hard, both did a good job. Our guy did better.”
Mark Lowe allowed two hits in 2 1-3 innings, George Sherrill got one out in the eighth and J.J. Putz finished for his 23rd save.
Seattle has won four of five and eight of 11.
“It seems like when we’re not swinging the bats well, the pitching picks us up,” Sherrill said. “And when we’re not pitching well, the hitting picks us up. It’s becoming a team game.”
The Orioles chased Hernandez in the sixth but were left wanting more. Hernandez walked the first two batters and was replaced by Lowe, who gave up an RBI single to Jay Gibbons before striking out Jeff Conine and getting Corey Patterson to line into a double play.
Baltimore also got a runner in scoring position in the seventh before Lowe retired Melvin Mora on a grounder.
“We battled. We just couldn’t muster any runs,” Perlozzo lamented.
After absorbing their 12th shutout of the season one night earlier, the Mariners jumped on Bedard for two first-inning runs. Jose Lopez singled with one out and Beltre hit a 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats, his 10th home run.
“It was a good swing. I made good contact,” Beltre said. “He left a pitch over the middle of the plate.”
Seattle got runners on first and second with two outs in the third before Sexson looked at a third strike. In the bottom half, Miguel Tejada grounded out with two outs and the bases loaded.
In the fourth, Patterson hit a two-out triple before Ramon Hernandez grounded out.
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