Final
Orioles-Mariners Preview
Jun 1, 2009 - 4:05 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS WriterBaltimore (23-27) at Seattle (24-26), 10:10 p.m. EDT
After a fantastic May, Ichiro Suzuki can begin June by matching his own franchise-record-hitting streak with Seattle.
Ichiro and the Mariners look to bounce back from a tough loss Monday when they open a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Ichiro had the fourth-best batting average in the AL during May, hitting .377. He closed the month by extending his hitting streak to 24 games after recording four hits, including two doubles and a home run, in Seattle's 9-8 loss to the Angels on Sunday.
The Mariners (24-27), who had won three straight, led 8-1 before the Angels rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth and added three in the ninth off closer David Aardsma, who suffered his first blown save in nine chances.
Ichiro's four hits matched a season high. He has 21 multihit games this season, and the Mariners are 11-10 in those contests.
The right-fielder set the team record of 25 games in 2007. He has a good chance at matching it Monday at Safeco Field, where he's gone hitless only three times in 23 games.
"It's not a fluke that a guy like that has consistency in his game," manager Don Wakamatsu told the Mariners' official Web site. "He's so strong mentally that you see the exact same approach day in and day out with him."
Ichiro hit .268 (11 for 41) in 10 games last season against the Orioles (23-28), well off his .371 career average against them. Baltimore won eight of those contests, including four of six at Seattle.
Baltimore is trying to avoid losing its third straight game after closing a four-game series against Detroit with back-to-back defeats. The Orioles, who won their previous five, were limited to two hits in Sunday's 3-0 loss. Highly touted prospect Matt Wieters, playing as a designated hitter after catching his first two games, went hitless in three at-bats.
"I've told all the guys, I've told Matt Wieters, 'Look man, it's going to get easier. You aren't going to get back-to-back starts like that. This isn't what the big leagues is all about,'" Aubrey Huff said.
The Orioles, who are 7-15 away from home, are starting a six-game road swing and haven't won a series outside Baltimore against an AL team since taking two of three at Texas from April 13-15.
Rich Hill (1-0, 6.14 ERA) takes the mound for the Orioles. The left-hander struggled in his third start of the season, allowing seven runs and six hits over 3 1-3 innings of a 12-10, 11-inning victory over Toronto on Wednesday.
Hill, who came to Baltimore after four seasons with the Chicago Cubs, made one start against Seattle in 2007, allowing three runs and eight hits over 6 2-3 innings of a 5-3, 13-inning win.
Seattle will hand the ball to the struggling Jarrod Washburn (3-3, 3.45), who has lost his last three decisions. The Mariners have lost his last six starts since a win against Tampa Bay on April 21.
Washburn, though, is coming off one of his better starts after pitching six scoreless innings against Oakland on Tuesday. He scattered six hits, but did not get a decision in Seattle's 4-3 loss.
Washburn is 6-5 with a 4.84 ERA against the Orioles but has lost his last three decisions.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BALTIMORE 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 6 1
SEATTLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: BAL - RICH HILL, JIM JOHNSON (8TH), GEORGE SHERRILL (9TH) AND MATT
WIETERS
SEA - JARROD WASHBURN, CHRIS JAKUBAUSKAS (8TH) AND ROB
JOHNSON
HOME RUNS: BAL - NONE
S
Jun 2 12:23 AM - AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY AUBREY HUFF SCORED ADAM JONES.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, N MARKAKIS ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BALTIMORE 1
SEATTLE 0 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: M MORA (.274, 0-FOR-2)
Orioles 1, Mariners 0 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 1 11:31 PM
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