Kline and Scott return in the O's bullpen shuffle (game update)

SEATTLE - In just the last week or so the Orioles pitching staff has seen Josh Rogers join the team again along with Jimmy Yacabonis and Sean Gilmartin. Today Branden Kline and Tanner Scott returned. Among those headed out to Triple-A Norfolk were Paul Fry and Evan Phillips to join David Hess. Josh Lucas went on the injured list.

It's recently been a continuing shuffle for a bullpen that has an ERA of 10.70 during a nine-game losing streak.

But in bringing back Kline and Scott today the Orioles are adding homegrown products with live fastballs and big arms. They are two pitchers that club officials can envision one day as constants in a strong bullpen. That is the hope and the goal for both.

"For sure," manager Brandon Hyde said today. "We love both their arms and now it's about commanding the baseball. Both guys throw mid to upper 90s and have shown flashes of having putaway stuff. Shown flashes of being able to pitch here. Now you want to see some consistency. They've both been doing better since they've gone down."

Kline is on his third stint with the Orioles where he is 1-3 with a 5.89 ERA and has fanned 20 in 18 1/3 innings. He's pitched at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie and most recently threw three scoreless for the Baysox.

Scott has gone 0-0 with an ERA of 6.75 in eight games with the Orioles. In 15 games at Triple-A, the lefty is 3-1 with a 3.57 ERA. Over his past six games with the Tides, Scott has allowed two earned runs over 10 1/3 innings with two walks and 13 strikeouts.

He's been consistent in those recent outings at Triple-A.

"He's been able to repeat his delivery and throw strikes," Hyde said of Scott. "He's got wipeout stuff. We've seen that in stints so far. We just wanted him to go down and command the baseball, because his stuff plays. He was doing that for the most part and hopefully he can come here and continue the roll he was on and throw strikes."

Both pitchers had to fly from the East Coast to get here. Kline was on a bus last night from Hartford, Ct. to Harrisburg, Pa. on an overnight ride. On that bus he found out he was coming here. Got up on a few hours of sleep to fly to Chicago and then on to Seattle. Scott had a similar story with a bus ride from Scranton, Pa. to Buffalo, N.Y., then on to Chicago and Seattle.

If they can stay awake, maybe they can help the Orioles tonight at T-Mobile Park.

Meanwhile the club is using Gilmartin to start tonight and Hyde will try to pull a bullpen game together after scheduled starter John Means went on the injured list yesterday.

"He's probably the guy that has been stretched out the most so it made sense. We're going to take him as long as he can go. Got a couple of new guys in here today that are able to pitch. Try to piece it together," said Hyde of tonight's pitching plans.

Trey Mancini is not starting tonight, still out with a left elbow contusion from Wednesday in Oakland.

"Feels better. Still sore. Doubtful he can go in the game today. We'll talk about tomorrow in the morning. Think it will be in the next day or two," said Hyde.

Mancini finished 15th among American League outfielders in All-Star voting. He didn't make the cut of nine outfielders who will advance to the next round of voting to determine the three starters. He still remains a candidate to make the team as a reserve.

O's have a good top of the first: When they scored three runs in the first inning tonight the Orioles exceeded their runs total for five of their past seven games. They led 3-1 at the end of one. A Pedro Severino two-run double and Chance Sisco RBI single provided a 3-0 lead. Then the Mariners got one back against Gilmartin during his 24-pitch last of the first.

That lead is gone: The 3-0 lead following the top of the first was erased and it's 3-3 in the third. The Mariners scored twice in the second on Dylan Moore's solo homer and J.P. Crawford's bloop RBI single. All even at T-Mobile Park.

Long gone now: The Mariners scored five in the third to knock out Gilmartin and lead 8-3. Kline came on and gave up Domingo Santana's two-run double after Gilmartin allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings. The top three in the Seattle order - Mallex Smith, Crawford and Santana - are 7-for-7 with two walks and five RBIs already. Seattle went 10-for-19 in the first three frames.

O's rally: With Seattle leading 10-3, the Orioles scored five runs in the sixth to pull within 10-8. Down two with nine outs to go to avoid a 10-game losing streak.

It's a one-run game: Severino scorched an RBI single to left field to cut the Mariners' lead to one. Shawn Armstrong tossed two scoreless innings in relief. Heading to the eighth, it's 10-9 Mariners.