A-Jax's walk-off single lifts Mariners over O's
SEATTLE -- Austin Jackson hit a walk-off single off T.J. McFarland to score Logan Morrison with no outs in the 10th inning to give the Mariners a 6-5 win over the Orioles and even the three-game series at Safeco Field on Tuesday night.
"Two pitches in, I was already first and third, nobody out," McFarland said. "Made some good pitches and they got some hits on me. I don't have any regrets in terms of location of pitches, two balls down each foul line. It's tough to lose, especially with the guys coming back."
The Mariners held the 5-2 lead they built by the second inning until Adam Jones and Chris Davis hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game in the eighth. Jones and Davis have combined to drive in six of Baltimore's eight runs this series.
Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker bounced back from a two-run first inning, striking out six and walking one over six innings in a no-decision, while the Orioles rallied to force extra innings despite Chris Tillman's eight-hit, 2 1/3-inning start in which he allowed five runs for the first time since June 21.
"I think I was just overthrowing, trying to do too much in the first inning," Walker said. "I felt really good coming out of the sixth. I felt like I was in a really good groove."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A-Jax's perfect 10: Just as Seattle's offense produced in the first inning, it returned to form in the 10th, as four straight hitters reached base to secure a win. Morrison led off with a bloop double to left and Brad Miller followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners. After McFarland walked Mike Zunino to load the bases, Jackson laced a first-pitch fastball just inside the right-field line to give the Mariners their sixth walk-off win of the season.
"I was standing there to see if it was fair or foul, and it looked like it hit fair so I was like, 'Yeah, cool,'" Morrison said. "Any time you get a win, it's good, and the way that we did win it today was pretty cool, too." More >
Video: BAL@SEA: Jackson doused as he talks walk-off hit
Two bolts bring Birds back: Held scoreless after the first inning and behind, 5-2, with one out in the eighth, Jones and Davis made it all even again. Jones hit a two-run shot -- his 19th homer -- to left off Tom Wilhelmsen, just the third homer he has allowed. Davis followed with his 31st homer to right on a 1-0 pitch from Joe Beimel. Davis has 12 homers and 30 RBIs in his last 20 games.
Video: BAL@SEA: Jones clobbers two-run homer to left-center
Cruz charges Mariners' bats: The first inning started quietly for the Mariners, as Tillman got Jackson and Kyle Seager to ground out. But Cruz quickly opened the floodgates, launching a 1-1 breaking pitch 406 feet to center for his 34th home run of the season and his eighth in his last 11 games. Two singles later, Mark Trumbo's big fly gave Seattle a 4-2 lead. Cruz, however, left with neck spasms after the sixth inning. More >
Video: BAL@SEA: Cruz extends hitting streak with homer
Tillman rocked by Cano: Tillman had more than baserunners to deal with during Seattle's first-inning rally. After Cruz's homer, Tillman took a hard liner from Robinson Cano off the back of his upper right arm, the ball caroming another 100 feet into center field for a single. He stayed in the game, but he wasn't the same. Six of the next 10 batters had hits off the righty, and he was pulled with one out in the third with the Orioles trailing, 5-2. More >
Video: BAL@SEA: Tillman hit with sharp comebacker, stays in
WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Three cities, two off-days and one long West Coast trip ends Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-3, 4.56 ERA) makes his eighth start, coming off an 8-4 loss on Friday vs. the Angels. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up a season-high nine hits and six runs.
Mariners: Hisashi Iwakuma (3-2, 4.41) takes the mound in the final game of this series at 12:40 p.m. PT at Safeco Field. Iwakuma threw a career-high 118 pitches to get through seven innings against the Rangers on Friday. He is 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA in two August starts.
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