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Orioles-Mariners Preview

Jul 8, 2009 - 7:12 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (37-47) at Seattle (43-40), 4:40 p.m. EDT

Luke Scott helped the Baltimore Orioles snap a three-game losing streak in their last contest. Now, he has a chance to help them meet another difficult challenge.

On Wednesday, Scott looks to help the Orioles win a rare road set against an AL opponent in the conclusion of their season series with the Seattle Mariners.

Scott had three hits with a career-high seven RBIs in Baltimore's 12-4 victory on Tuesday to even the series and put the Orioles (37-47) in position to win just their second road series against an AL team in 2009.

Though Baltimore has won series matchups at Philadelphia and Washington, it hasn't taken a set on the road in the AL since winning two of three at Texas from April 13-15.

The Orioles are 13-27 on the road, where they won for the second time in their last nine games Tuesday.

After manager Dave Trembley was ejected for a first-inning outburst, Scott hit his team-leading 17th homer as the Orioles set a season high for runs on the road - two more than they scored during their three-game skid. Baltimore also snapped a three-game losing streak to Seattle (43-40), which has won five of the eight meetings with the Orioles in 2009.

"I talked to (Trembley) after my second at-bat and he asked me, 'put one out for me,"' Scott said. All right, if I get something to hit. I put a pretty good swing on it."

Scott is 11 for 29 (.379) with three homers and 12 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak. He has the same amount of homers and RBIs in seven games versus Seattle this season.

Scott is 2 for 5 with a homer this season against Seattle's scheduled starter Jason Vargas (3-3, 4.14 ERA).

Vargas, who's 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two career starts - both last month - against the Orioles, looks to avoid a third straight rough outing overall.

After giving up five runs in 4 2-3 innings in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 26, the left-hander allowed four and four hits in four innings while trying to overcome the flu during an 8-4 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Baltimore counters with rookie David Hernandez (2-2, 4.15), who suffered the worst outing of his brief career by allowing five runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-2 loss at Seattle on June 2.

In his most recent outing, however, the right-hander surrendered three runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

Hernandez has earned a regular spot in the Orioles' rotation since fellow rookie Koji Uehara went on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis.

"He's the guy," Trembley told the Orioles' official Web site. "He needs to just relax and prepare himself to pitch every fifth day - or whenever his turn comes up, depending on days off."

Franklin Gutierrez singled off Hernandez last month and stayed hot by hitting a three-run homer Tuesday as the Mariners lost for the second time in six games. Gutierrez is 20 for 40 with two home runs and seven RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak, and 9 for 18 against Baltimore this season.