Orioles getting offense in time as Mariners visit (Jun 25, 2018)
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles finally found some offense on its just-concluded six-game road trip, a big reason the team split six games.
They scored 20 runs while taking two of three from the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, and the Orioles want to try to keep that going against the Seattle Mariners when their four-game series starts on Monday at Camden Yards.
The Orioles scored 10, 7 and three runs against the Braves, and Mark Trumbo's bat has come to life. Trumbo had five homers in the past week after getting a pinch-hit blast on Sunday during a 7-3 loss.
Baltimore needs that kind of offense if it wants to continue playing competitively.
Baltimore (23-53) will take on Seattle (47-31) for the first time this season in this series. The Orioles lost two of three in Washington against the Nationals before taking those two games in Atlanta and finally got some good pitching and hitting.
Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.72 ERA) starts for the Orioles Monday against Felix Hernandez (6-6, 5.14). Despite his record, Cashner has not pitched that badly. The Orioles just have not given him a lot of offensive support at times.
He is 2-4 with a 4.04 career ERA versus the Mariners.
Hernandez has been inconsistent throughout much of this season but fared better lately. He has thrown well in three of his last four starts, and the Mariners are hoping for more of the same in this game.
Hernandez has a 5-4 career record and a 3.30 ERA against the Orioles.
The Orioles are starting to get back a number of players who were out due to injuries or have players who are finding their way after being out awhile.
Closer Zach Britton gave up four runs in the ninth inning of Friday's 10-7 victory over Atlanta. That forced the contest into extra innings, and the Orioles won that in 15, but Britton rebounded and closed out Saturday's win.
Trumbo has gotten hotter, and infielder Tim Beckham could return as early as Monday after missing about two months due to core muscle surgery.
"We're looking forward to getting Tim back," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun. "We're hoping to get him back to the player he was when he originally came over (in last summer's trade with the Tampa Bay Rays). I'm hoping this surgery and some of the things can help him."
Seattle is hoping that shortstop Jean Segura also will return Monday.
Segura has missed four straight games due to an infection in his right forearm. The arm was drained on Friday but he did not play over the weekend at the Boston Red Sox.
Nelson Cruz has hit in eight straight games and will face his former team in this series. He played for the Orioles in 2014 and helped them win the division and make it to the American League Championship Series before signing with the Mariners after that.
The Mariners could use help from Segura and Cruz as they have struggled throughout this East Coast swing. Seattle has gone just 1-5 on the trip so far, dropping three straight to the Yankees and two of three to Boston.
"We've got to get it turned back around," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "We had a lot of momentum going but this trip has not gone well, obviously."
