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Mariners' offense aims to continue torrid stretch

Jun 5, 2007 - 2:33 PM Baltimore (27-31) at Seattle (29-25) 10:05 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) - The Seattle Mariners are certainly making life much easier on their pitchers.

The Mariners continue their three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Safeco Field on Tuesday.

Over an 11-game stretch, Seattle has won eight contests behind a powerful offense, which is averaging almost eight runs per game and batting .329 during the stretch. As a result, the Mariners have vaulted into second place in the majors in team batting average (.285), two points behind the Detroit Tigers.

Just as impressively, Seattle has scored less than five runs just once in 14 games.

Cha Seung Baek (3-2, 4.93 ERA), who has benefited from 11 runs of support over his last two outings, will try to win his third straight start. In his last start on Thursday, a 9-5 victory over Texas, the righthander surrendered five runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Baek will be facing Baltimore for the first time in his career.

Following a six-game winning streak, the Orioles have dropped four straight but will be sending the last pitcher that won, Brian Burres (3-2, 3.08), to the mound. He defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Thursday, 3-2, to cap Baltimore's winning streak.

The lefthander, who has yielded no more than two runs in four straight outings, will be opposing the Mariners for the first time in his career.