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Orioles-Mariners Preview

Apr 20, 2010 - 6:47 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (2-12) at Seattle (7-7), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Seattle Mariners' play at home has helped them regroup after a rough start to the season. Facing the Baltimore Orioles might help continue that success at Safeco Field.

After a blowout win in the series opener, the Mariners look to get back over .500 when they face the Orioles on Tuesday night.

Filled with high expectations, Seattle (7-7) lost five of seven on the road to open 2010. However, the Mariners are 5-2 on their nine-game homestand and in position to move back over .500 for the first time since winning in the season opener.

Casey Kotchman hit his third homer, Ken Griffey Jr., drove in two runs and Doug Fister didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning as Seattle won for the fifth time in six games, 8-2 on Monday.

Seattle went 48-33 at Safeco Field last season, compared to 37-44 on the road. The Mariners appear to be following a similar pattern early in 2010, hitting .275 and averaging 4.5 runs at home while batting .230 and scoring three runs per game on the road.

Baltimore (2-12), meanwhile, has struggled no matter where it's played. After scoring a season-high eight runs to snap a nine-game losing streak Sunday at Oakland, the Orioles matched a season-low with five hits Monday.

The Orioles have been held to two or fewer runs seven times this season.

"It's tough for everyone," said pitcher Brad Bergesen, who lost Monday.

Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez each had two hits for the Mariners, who scored seven times in the third inning. Gutierrez is 10 for 19 with seven RBIs in his last five contests, and 24 for 47 in 19 career games against the Orioles.

Following Fister's effort, the Mariners hope Jason Vargas (1-1, 5.56 ERA) can give them another solid effort when he takes the ball in this contest.

Vargas allowed two runs and struck out six in six innings of a 4-2 win over Oakland on Wednesday.

"He's got great poise on that mound," Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said of Vargas, who could find himself out of the rotation when 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee comes off the disabled list early next month.

Vargas, a left-hander, made all three of his career starts against Baltimore last season, going 0-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

Matt Wieters is 2 for 4 against Vargas, and had two hits Monday for the Orioles, whose lineup has struggled while dealing with injuries to Brian Roberts (strained abdominal), Miguel Tejada (groin) and Felix Pie (strained left shoulder).

Tejada, batting just .239, hopes to return Tuesday after missing the last two games.

Baltimore also hopes for a better outing from David Hernandez (0-2, 4.91) when he takes the mound. He allowed five runs in five innings - including three in the first two - of a 6-2 loss at Oakland on Thursday.

"When you go out to the mound, you definitely want to put up a zero to give our guys a chance to take the lead, and to take a little pressure off them," Hernandez told the Orioles' official website.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts against the Mariners.