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Tuiasosopo leads Mariners over Orioles 6-5

Aug 19, 2010 - 3:13 AM By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE(AP) -- No one would have blamed light-hitting Matt Tuiasosopo for blabbing endlessly about his second home run in two games.

Instead, the Seattle Mariners utility player spoke excitedly about another rare occurrence: his fielding gem in the outfield.

Tuiasosopo extended his unlikely power surge with a three-run homer, and the Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Wednesday night for their season-high fourth straight series win.

Tuiasosopo's drive off Jeremy Guthrie (7-12) in the second inning put Seattle ahead for good. Tuiasosopo has two homers and seven RBIs over the last two nights after totaling one homer and two RBIs in his first 30 games.

He also prevented the tying run from scoring in the eighth, making a diving catch of a two-out liner to left by Matt Wieters with Adam Jones running from first base on the pitch.

"I don't make that catch and a run scores. It was definitely a thrill," Tuiasosopo said.

It was his fifth start this season in the outfield, compared to 11 starts in the infield.

Asked the last time he made a catch like that, Tuiasosopo recalled making a similar play in high school. He said he nearly caught one like that in the minors, "but I missed it."

On this occasion, the ball stuck in his glove after his dive toward the left-field line.

"The catch was as big as the home run at the time," said Seattle interim manager Daren Brown, whose record improved to 6-3 since he took over for Don Wakamatsu.

Give Brown credit - after Tuiasosopo helped the Mariners win on Tuesday, he was back in the starting lineup again Wednesday.

"Very few times have I started two games in a row," Tuiasosopo said.

David Pauley (2-4) allowed four runs and five hits in six-plus innings to win his second straight start after opening his big league career with seven consecutive losing decisions.

David Aardsma worked the ninth for his 24th save. After Cesar Izturis reached second with one out, Aardsma struck out Brian Roberts and retired Nick Markakis on a sharply hit comebacker.

The Mariners took two of three from Baltimore, their third consecutive series win under Brown, who replaced Wakamatsu after Seattle captured a three-game set against Kansas City.

Wieters homered and Luke Scott went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Baltimore, now 10-6 under manager Buck Showalter. After winning their first three series under their new manager, the Orioles have dropped two straight.

Guthrie gave up six runs, five earned, and eight hits in eight innings. He won his previous three starts and had a 1.52 ERA over his last six outings.

He most lamented the slider he threw to Tuiasosopo on a 2-1 pitch in the second.

"It wasn't the right pitch nor did I execute it like it should have been executed," Guthrie said.

Wieters' two-run shot chased Pauley and made it 5-4 in the seventh.

"I was a bit angry. I challenged him and he hit it for a home run," said Pauley, who pitched in Baltimore's minor league system last year.

Casey Kotchman hit an RBI double for Seattle in the eighth, but Baltimore got a run back in the bottom half when Scott doubled off Jamey Wright, took third on a balk and scored on a wild pitch.

Tuiasosopo prevented further damage with his outstanding catch in left.

"That was a major league play," Showalter said.

After a two-run single by Scott put the Orioles ahead in the first inning, Seattle went up 3-2 in the second. Guthrie gave up two hits, got two outs, then served up that lamentable pitch that Tuiasosopo sent into the left-field seats.

"I second-guessed it when I threw it. I shouldn't have thrown it," Guthrie said. "I didn't feel that pitch in that moment. I had already shaken it two or three times in the inning."

The Mariners made it 5-2 in the fifth. Josh Wilson hit a leadoff single and scored on a double to right by Ichiro Suzuki, who continued to third when Markakis bobbled the ball. Chone Figgins followed with a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Seattle won the season series 6-3. ... Suzuki stretched his hitting streak at Camden Yards to 12 games. ... Baltimore fell to 17-5 in one-run games at Camden Yards.