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Orioles blow out Mariners

Aug 2, 2008 - 6:19 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Jay Payton hit a bases-loaded triple and Adam Jones added a two-run single against his former team to highlight an eight-run fifth inning as the Baltimore Orioles cruised to a 10-5 triumph over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Baltimore improved to 7-1 against the struggling Mariners, who lost for the 16th time in 24 games.

The Orioles' onslaught in the fifth marked their biggest inning of the year, and largest since scoring nine runs in the seventh inning against Tampa Bay on July 22, 2006. All of the runs came after two were out and the bases empty.

"It was a good inning," Payton said. "Guys got on a roll and everybody kept getting some hits and pushing some runs across."

Baltimore carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth against starter Jarrod Washburn (5-10), who got Jones to hit into a double play before giving up two runs on four consecutive hits. Washburn left after walking Kevin Millar to load the bases, but Payton lined a triple to the center field wall off reliever Roy Corcoran to make it 6-0.

"I felt Corcoran was the right guy to put on their right-handed hitter (Payton) at that point, but it just didn't work out," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said.

Juan Castro singled in a run and after Brian Roberts doubled, Jones - who came to the Orioles from Seattle as part of the offseason deal for pitcher Erik Bedard - singled to center for two more runs and a 9-0 lead.

"It was great seeing us get hits and runs up and down the lineup," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "It seemed like early on we were hitting the ball on the button, but we were just hitting it right to them, but we finally broke through there in the fifth."

Rookie lefthander Garrett Olson (8-5), making his first career appearance against Seattle, gave up a single to Ichiro Suzuki to lead off the game, but did not allow another hit until Jose Lopez singled with one out in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games.

Olson allowed 11 hits, struck out one and walked one in 8 1/3 innings as he posted back-to-back wins for the first time since May. Lance Cormier relieved Olson with the bases loaded and watched the Mariners scratch out five runs before retiring Adrian Beltre on a fly ball to end it.

Olson was on the verge of hurling his first complete game and shutout before the Mariners' rally drove him from the mound.

"You definitely want that shutout," Olson said. "One day. It's something to work on. One step at a time."

Washburn, who was 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA over his previous nine starts, was largely ineffective. The 33-year-old lefthander gave up nine hits, tied his season high with four walks and was charged with six runs before leaving with two outs in the fifth and the bases loaded.

"I didn't feel as good warming up," Washburn said. "I couldn't put my finger on it. Mechanically, I felt just a tick off, and unfortunately I took that into the game."

"We had a bad inning and they really swung the bats good," Riggleman said. "As good as Wash has been for us for quite some time, he just wasn't as sharp tonight.

Nick Markakis, who had three hits for his third consecutive multi-hit game, doubled in the first to score Jones for the first Baltimore run.

Millar's two-out bases-loaded single in the eighth provided the Orioles' final run.

Orioles designated hitter Aubrey Huff left the game in the sixth with a minor head contusion apparently suffered when he hit his head on the dugout.