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Orioles-Mariners Preview

Apr 21, 2010 - 7:02 AM By ANDY LEFKOWITZ STATS Editor

Baltimore (2-13) at Seattle (8-7), 10:10 p.m. EDT

Surprisingly good pitching from the back of the rotation has put the Seattle Mariners in position for their ace to cap a rare home sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.

All Felix Hernandez has to do is earn his first career win at Safeco Field over the major leagues' worst team.

Hernandez will take the ball for the Mariners on Wednesday night against the Orioles, who haven't been swept in Seattle in more than six years.

With a new pitch apparently in his repertoire, Hernandez (1-0, 3.10 ERA) is coming off his first win. The right-hander struck out a season-high nine while allowing two runs over 6 2-3 innings of his home debut, an 11-3 victory over Detroit on Sunday.

Catcher Rob Johnson said on some of Hernandez's deliveries, the ball's seams continually caught air, gained speed and darted sharply low and away.

"Yep, everything was working today. It was great," Hernandez said after the Mariners had given the right-hander only four runs of support in his first two starts.

Hernandez will be facing an Orioles team that has managed two runs and nine hits in the series. Last year's AL Cy Young runner-up, though, is 0-3 with a 4.99 ERA in five home starts against Baltimore.

Seattle (8-7) hasn't swept Baltimore (2-13) in a three-game series at Safeco since Aug. 29-31, 2003.

After Doug Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of an 8-2 win Tuesday, Jason Vargas gave up three hits over seven innings of a 3-1 victory Wednesday. Fister, Vargas or Ian Snell could be bumped from the rotation when Cliff Lee comes off the disabled list later this month.

Kevin Millwood (0-2, 2.89) will try again to notch his first victory with the Orioles.

A 13-game winner with Texas last year, Millwood has gotten just seven runs of support in his three starts. The right-hander allowed four runs over six innings of a 4-2 loss to Oakland on Friday.

Millwood went 1-7 with a 6.56 ERA in his last eight starts versus Seattle.

Third baseman Miguel Tejada may back in the lineup for Baltimore. Tejada, who has missed the last three games with a strained groin, is hitting .239 but went 3 for 3 in a 4-3 loss to Oakland on Saturday.

The Mariners will be without left fielder Milton Bradley, who left Tuesday with tightness in his left calf following a first-inning RBI single. After a slow start, Bradley has hit .286 in his last eight games.