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Wieters lifts O's over Mariners in extras

May 11, 2011 - 5:53 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Matt Wieters' RBI single in the 13th inning lifted the Orioles over the Mariners, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game series.

Felix Pie, who entered the game in the eighth as a pinch-runner, also added an RBI single in the 13th for Baltimore. Jeremy Accardo (2-0) was given the win despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th for the Orioles, who ended a four-game slide.

Brandon League (0-2) took the loss and the blown save for the Mariners, who have lost three in a row.

League started the 13th for Seattle with a one-run lead and allowed singles to Nick Markakis and Jake Fox around a Derrek Lee strikeout. Pie followed with a single to center that should have been a game-ending double play, but second baseman Jack Wilson whiffed on a short hop, and Markakis scored to tie the game.

Adam Jones then hit a grounder to short that Brendan Ryan threw home and got Fox out sliding at the plate. Wieters came up next and lined a single to center field that won the game.

Seattle gained the lead after Jack Wilson led off the top of the 13th with a double, and Mike Wilson followed with his first career hit to bring in what looked like the game-winning run against Accardo. Mike Wilson's hit shattered his bat and bounced out of the glove of shortstop J.J. Hardy. Jack Wilson was running on contact and would have easily been doubled up back at second if Hardy held on.

"It was a back-and-forth game," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "We put ourselves in position to win a few times, we just couldn't finish it off."

Adam Kennedy hit a two-run home run in the second to give the Mariners an early lead, but Hardy answered in the third with a line drive shot to left that put the Orioles within one.

Jones hit a two-run double in the sixth to give Baltimore a 3-2 lead. Vladimir Guerrero and Luke Scott hit back-to-back, two-out singles before Jones knocked them in.

Mike Gonzalez started the seventh inning in relief for the Orioles and got two quick outs before allowing consecutive singles to Michael Saunders and Ichiro Suzuki. Chone Figgins then doubled to plate Saunders and tie the game. Gonzalez then gave a free pass to Justin Smoak to load the bases before being pulled.

Koji Uehara then came in to face Miguel Olivo, who hit a sharp grounder to third that Mark Reynolds couldn't handle, allowing Suzuki to come home and give Seattle a 4-3 lead.

Reliever Jamey Wright started the eighth for the Mariners. He walked Lee and then allowed consecutive singles to Guerrero and Scott, the latter bringing home Lee. Jones followed with another single that scored pinch-runner Cesar Izturis and gave Baltimore back the lead.

Kevin Gregg entered in the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to Saunders. Suzuki followed with a hit right back to the mound that Gregg knocked down and threw to first to get Suzuki, but allowed Saunders to reach second. Figgins then grounded back to Gregg again and moved the tying run to third. Smoak then hit a bloop single to left to knot the game at five and give Gregg his second blown save of the year.

Baltimore had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the ninth off of reliever Aaron Laffey, but they could not capitalize. Hardy walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a Brian Roberts' sacrifice bunt. Then Markakis singled to left field, but the throw home easily beat Hardy and kept the game tied. Markakis moved to second on the throw, but after Lee was intentionally walked, pinch-hitter Fox popped out to force extras.

"We kept giving ourselves chanes," Hardy said. "In games like that, that's all you can ask for."

Olivo walked with two-down in the 12th and was followed by a shot off the right field wall by Jack Cust. Markakis played it perfectly off the wall, and his relay throw beat Olivo to the plate by a couple of steps to keep the game even.

Both starters pitched through six innings and did not factor into the decision. Michael Pineda allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk for Seattle and Jake Arrieta allowed two runs on four hits and three walks for Baltimore.

Game Notes

Cust has now reached base safely in 29 of the 31 games he has appeared in this season...Pineda threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of 26 batters he faced...Both benches cleared in the 10th inning after an altercation between Pie and Smoak.