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Millar, Hernandez lead Orioles past Mariners

Apr 5, 2008 - 5:31 AM By Sean Burns PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - A trio of home runs from Kevin Millar, Ramon Hernandez and Melvin Mora provided just enough cushion for the pitching staff of the Baltimore Orioles in a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Millar and Hernandez hit solo shots in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, while Mora hit a two-run shot in the seventh.

Baltimore's home run onslaught turned a 2-2 tie into a four run lead. Both Millar and Hernandez, who entered the game hitless in seven at bats, had three hits.

"Everybody contributed. Starting pitching set the tone, and we made (Seattle starter) Jarrod Washburn throw a lot of pitches," Millar said. "Everybody's starting to play team baseball. Don't sleep on the O's."

"It's 2008. Hopefully you're not going to live and die by the home run, but when you do get it, you don't want to waste it," Baltimore manager David Trembley said. "It's nice to see the guys come out and play as well as they did, especially coming after a rainout."

Steve Trachsel (1-0) earned the win in his season debut, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and two runs both of which came on a home run in the fourth inning by Adrian Beltre.

Trachsel left with a 3-2 lead and a runner on in the sixth, but the Baltimore bullpen held on to the lead despite a long home run by Richie Sexson in the ninth.

Dennis Sarfate, Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker bridged the gap from Trachsel to the ninth with 2 1/3 innings of near-perfect relief, as Sarfate allowed a walk to Brad Wilkerson but erased him with a strike-out, throw-out double play.

Bradford and Walker each retired both batters they saw before Greg Aquino came in to start the ninth.

Aquino gave up a quick single to Raul Ibanez, followed by Sexson ripping a shot to dead center that narrowed the gap to three and ended a 10 inning scoreless start to the season for Baltimore's relief corps.

"It was middle-in, it just felt good," said Sexson, who started the season 1-for-11 before his two hits on Friday, two run showing. "It's just been four games, I felt fine before and had some hits that I just missed."

After an out, Brad Wilkerson knocked a double down the right field line, prompting Baltimore manager David Trembley to bring in closer George Sherrill.

Sherrill won a lengthy battle with Jose Vidro, inducing a pop out to Millar at first, then picked up his second save with a Kenji Johjima pop out to short left.

Before the ninth, Seattle had just one inning where two players reached base, with Sexson lacing a double just before Beltre's homer. Jose Lopez was the only other Mariner with multiple hits, while Wilkerson reached base three times with a hit and a pair of walks.

Baltimore shortstop Luis Hernandez knocked home the Orioles' first two runs of the game, scoring Jay Payton on a second inning sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 and bringing Ramon Hernandez in with another sacrifice fly in the fourth.

"(Baltimore) battled, and fouled off some good pitches," said Washburn who took the loss, throwing over 100 pitches in five innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs. "I'm not upset about how I threw, they just did a good job of fighting off strikes and staying alive.

"I just gave up a couple mistakes, and got caught with the wind blowing out on a couple of balls."

Baltimore scored three more off reliever Cha Seung Baek and its final run came off Ryan Rowland Smith.

The Orioles, who had their series finale against Tampa Bay rained out Thursday, improve to 2-1 on the season while Seattle falls to 2-2.