Orioles Can't Solve Elias, Fall To Mariners 4-2
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Roenis Elias took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Justin Ruggiano homered and the Seattle Mariners beat Wei-Yin Chen and the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Wednesday night.
Elias (1-1) allowed one run, six hits and no walks in 7 2-3 innings. The left-hander did not permit a runner past first base until the seventh inning and at one point retired 12 in a row.
Although Elias didn't give up more than three runs in any of his previous four starts this season, the Mariners scored only six runs while he was in the game.
Ruggiano turned things around this time, scoring twice and driving in two runs. He came in batting .213 with one homer and one RBI in 26 games.
Carson Smith got the last out in the eighth and Fernando Rodney yielded an RBI single to J.J. Hardy in the ninth before securing his 10th save.
Chen (1-3) allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings. It was the first time in eight starts that the left-hander yielded more than three earned runs.
Adam Jones had three hits for the Orioles to raise his batting average to .343.
Seattle used doubles by Ruggiano and Mike Zunino to go up 1-0 in the second inning.
Former Oriole Nelson Cruz led off the fourth with a double and Ruggiano hit a 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats for a 3-0 lead. It was the seventh homer allowed by Chen, most on the team.
Elias allowed only two singles over the first six innings, by Jones in the first inning and Manny Machado in the third.
After Chris Taylor tripled in a run in the seventh for Seattle, Jones led off the bottom half with a single and was promptly erased in a double play. Chris Davis followed with a double but was stranded.
Baltimore finally broke through in the eighth. After Elias got two quick outs, Rey Navarro and Machado both singled before Jimmy Paredes greeted Smith with an RBI single. Paredes, however, was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double after Cruz fumbled the ball in right field.
TRAINERS ROOM
Mariners: OF Austin Jackson (sprained right ankle) "was a little sore" after playing nine innings for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday, according to Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon. "We're not going to rush this," McClendon said.
Orioles: RHP Bud Norris (bronchitis) will start Friday for Triple-A Norfolk. He is eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday, but more likely will be activated for a May 28 doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP J.A. Happ (3-1, 2.98 ERA) brings a three-game winning streak into Thursday afternoon's series finale.
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (2-5, 6.34) makes his first start since May 12 after being sidelined with back spasms.
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