BALTIMORE — Tomoyuki Sugano pitched into the sixth inning before a lengthy rain delay, and the Baltimore Orioles capitalized on Seattle mistakes in the fourth to secure a 5-3 victory over the Mariners on Thursday afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The win snapped a two-game skid for Baltimore, which improved to 55-66 and remained in fifth place in the American League East.
Sugano, the 35-year-old right-hander from Japan, earned his 10th win of the season, allowing three hits and one run over 5 1/3 innings while striking out two. He threw 81 pitches before the 2-hour, 18-minute delay halted play in the sixth. Reliever Rico Garcia surrendered a two-run homer to Julio Rodriguez immediately after the resumption, but Baltimore’s bullpen held firm. Dillon Enns notched his first save with a scoreless ninth, navigating a bases-loaded jam that included a forceout scoring Seattle’s final run.
The Orioles scored all five runs off Mariners starter Logan Evans, who fell to 6-5 after four innings of work. Evans yielded three hits and three walks, with two wild pitches contributing to Baltimore’s decisive fourth inning. Jordan Westburg scored on a wild pitch, and Ryan Mountcastle stole home during a double steal with Daniel Johnson, who later crossed on Jeremiah Jackson’s single to center. In the fifth, Gunnar Henderson doubled in Jackson Holliday, and Mountcastle added a sacrifice fly to plate Westburg.
Baltimore’s offense collected eight hits, with Henderson going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Mountcastle drove in one and stole two bases, including home, marking his third theft of the year. Jackson, in right field, contributed an RBI single and threw out Josh Naylor attempting to stretch a single in the seventh. The Orioles turned two double plays and benefited from an outfield assist, holding Seattle to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Seattle, which dropped to 67-55 and 1 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Houston, managed three runs on four hits. Rodriguez provided the highlight with his 24th homer, a two-run shot to right-center off Garcia that trimmed the deficit to 5-2. Naylor singled twice, and Dominic Canzone doubled and scored in the ninth. The Mariners left eight on base and committed one error, with Evans’ fielding miscue in the fourth aiding Baltimore’s rally.
Sugano’s outing continued his strong stretch, posting a 2.31 ERA over his last four starts, all wins. He improved to 3-0 in that span, helping Baltimore avoid a sweep after Wednesday’s walk-off loss via Holliday’s double. For Seattle, the defeat marked consecutive losses following an eight-game winning streak, highlighting ongoing bullpen concerns despite a solid team ERA ranking 10th in MLB at 3.81.
Evans, a rookie making his 15th start, matched his shortest outing, allowing three earned runs while striking out one. His 4.37 ERA reflects inconsistencies, particularly with control, as evidenced by two wild pitches and 70 pitches through four innings. Mariners manager Dan Wilson rested catcher Cal Raleigh, MLB’s home run leader with 45, for only the fifth time this season; Raleigh walked as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Baltimore’s victory provided a boost amid a challenging season, where the team ranks 25th in team ERA at 4.98 but has shown flashes of resilience.
Seattle’s offense, ranked 11th in runs scored at 4.6 per game, struggled against Sugano’s precision, fanning only four times but failing to capitalize early. Rodriguez’s blast, his second in three games, underscored his .259 average and 67 RBIs, keeping the Mariners in wild-card contention with a 0.549 winning percentage.
The series split 1-2 in Baltimore’s favor, with the Orioles winning six of their last nine against Seattle dating to 2023. Baltimore heads to Houston for a three-game set starting Friday, while Seattle visits the New York Mets. Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.19 ERA) starts for the Mariners against an undecided Mets pitcher.
Seattle’s deadline acquisitions, including Naylor and Eugenio Suarez, have bolstered the lineup, with Naylor batting .292 and Suarez at .234. Yet, the Mariners’ 8.9 strikeouts per game rank fifth-worst, a vulnerability Sugano exploited. Baltimore’s relievers, including Akin (hold No. 13) and Strowd, combined for 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball, dropping the team’s bullpen ERA to 4.43 over the last 10 games.
As the season winds down, Baltimore focuses on youth development, with prospects like Holliday (.248) and Coby Mayo (.210) gaining experience. Seattle, chasing Houston, emphasizes its fourth-ranked home run total (171) but must address road woes, now 30-32 away. The game underscored both teams’ pitching strengths, with combined seven strikeouts and four walks.
