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Guthrie, Orioles stymie Mariners

Aug 3, 2008 - 5:51 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- For Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembly, helping his ace pitcher achieve his first major league complete game was simply a matter of respect.

Jeremy Guthrie went the distance and pitched a masterful four-hitter and former Mariner Adam Jones had three hits and scored twice as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Seattle Mariners, 3-1, on Saturday.

It was the Orioles' second straight win over the Mariners and their eighth victory in nine meetings this year. The loss was Seattle's seventh in a row at home and 17th in the last 25 games.

"I thought it was there for him to win or lose," Trembly said when asked if he considered bring in closer George Sherill to nail down the victory. "It was a no-brainer. It was either you win it or lose it for yourself. It would have been disrespectful to him if we had taken him out and gone to the bullpen."

After allowing consecutive doubles in the first inning and walking Adrian Beltre, Guthrie (8-8) retired 22 of the next 23 he faced before Ichiro Suzuki reached base on a bunt single with two out in the eighth. Suzuki took second on the play when Guthrie's threw wildly to first for an error. But Guthrie got Jeremy Reed to fly out and end the inning.

Jose Vidro's infield single with two outs in the fourth was the only other baserunner the 28-year-old righthander allowed until Ichiro's hit.

"It's important to learn how to pitch deep in a game," Guthrie said. "I've only pitched in the ninth now two times in my career. I would love to work with that as a goal every time I pitch."

The victory was Guthrie's fifth in his last six decisions and followed a 6 1/3-inning, three-hit effort in a 13-4 win over the New York Yankees. Guthrie's first complete game was preserved by Jay Payton's incredible leaping grab of Jose Lopez's drive at the wall in left field to end the game.

"He's better than what his record has shown at certain points this season," Trembly said. "He's the number one guy on this ballclub and I think we're very fortunate to have him pitching for us. He's still growing and getting better, and I am just glad I was here to seen him throw his first major league complete game."

Mariners starter Felix Hernandez (7-7) failed for the sixth straight outing to make it past the sixth. He departed trailing, 2-1, after five innings during which he threw 109 pitches, giving up eight hits, striking out six and walking two.

"It was an example of some really good professional hitting," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "Guys like (Aubrey) Huff, and (Brian) Roberts and (Nick) Markakis and (Melvin) Mora, and a couple of other guys, they just would not swing at anything bad. And, when they did swing, they just kept fouling them off and got Felix to throw a lot of pitches.

The 22-year-old righthander has won once since June 17 and fell to 0-3 against the Orioles at Safeco Field.

"I don't like to throw five innings," Hernandez said. "I want to go out there longer, but it's not happening today. Guthrie threw an unbelievable game, he was outstanding. The last four starts I've thrown too many walks and too many balls, it's not good for me."

Singles by Melvin Mora, Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez gave the Orioles their 2-1 lead in the fourth.

Huff extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of singles, including one in the seventh to bring home the run that gave Baltimore a 3-1 advantage.

Hernandez battled through a 36-pitch first inning that saw the Orioles take a 1-0 lead on Mora's run-scoring double to drive in Jones.

The Mariners, who had 15 hits, all singles, in Friday's 10-5 loss to Baltimore, used back-to-back doubles by Jeremy Reed and Raul Ibanez to tie the game 1-1 in their half.

Baltimore loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but failed to score. Hernandez gave up a pair of singles and a walk, but struck out Mora and got Luke Scott on a routine grounder to end the threat.

Lopez went 0-for-4 to end his career-high hitting streak at 19 games.