Orioles open homestand with 10-0 loss to Mariners (updated)

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn’t carry any delusions of a long start tonight by Bryan Baker. He wasn’t raising the bar to three innings. This was strictly an opener arrangement followed by, if it worked as planned and hoped, significant coverage from Zac Lowther until Hyde could begin calling upon some of his high-leverage relievers.

The game didn’t reach the point where a tie or lead needed to be protected. The Orioles were in damage control. Live to play another night.

Baker was charged with three runs in 1 2/3 innings, Lowther let two inherited runners score and six of his own over 5 1/3, one unearned after a Ramón Urías error that assisted the Mariners in sending 10 batters to the plate in the third, and the Orioles began their homestand with a 10-0 loss.

Lowther retired 12 of 13 beginning with the final out in the third inning and got into the seventh at 100 pitches. Marcos Diplán didn't let the Mariners score in 1 1/3, and infielder Chris Owings made his second career pitching appearance in the ninth, allowing one run on two doubles.

Owings was trusted with 1 2/3 innings for the Royals in 2019 and surrendered four runs and six hits, including two homers. He allowed a leadoff double tonight to Eugenio Suárez after starting him with a 49 mph slider, induced a ground ball and shallow fly, and was burned by Taylor Trammell’s double down the right field line.

Catcher Austin Wynns was the last Orioles position player on the mound in Aug. 14, 2021.

The Orioles have won or lost their last three games by 10 runs.

"In the third there, I didn't know what we were going to do," Hyde said. "If (Lowther) wasn't going to last very long, I was going to throw a bunch of guys that I didn't want to throw in a game like that. So, for him to get a scoreless fourth, five and sixth inning, that was big."

Every ground ball against Lowther found outfield grass, or with Trammell, second base – the deflection leaving it in shallow center field as a run scored that was charged to Baker.

Jesse Winker had an RBI single in the second. A walk, single and hit batter loaded the bases in the third, and the Mariners expanded their lead with Trammell’s sacrifice fly, Cal Raleigh’s two-run single with an exit velocity of 109 mph, and Ty France’s run-scoring single on a ball punched into right field after Urías’ fielding error.

France’s hit was the last against Lowther until Dylan Moore, twice hit by pitches earlier, tripled to right field with outs in the seventh and scored on Trammell’s bloop single to left.

"I thought after the third he settled in pretty nice," Hyde said. "Kind of behind in the count there the second and third inning. Couple bad breaks, ball off the bag, potentially a double play ball that didn't go our way. He had a tough time in the third, but he did a nice job on a night where we were down a bunch. To be able to give us some innings and keep a lot of guys fresh in the bullpen so they didn't have to pitch."

"Just getting my innings up, trying to eat innings for the bullpen," said Lowther, who was recalled this afternoon. "I knew coming in that we were a little short staffed, so trying to chew up those innings and be productive with it.

"I know the first two innings were a little rough for me, but got through three more and was able to kind of save the bullpen a little bit."

Lowther said he began to trust his pitches.

"I came out of the bullpen a little too hot and mechanics were a little out of whack," he said, "but really just settling down, get my breath and kind of remembering where I am."

The Orioles didn’t score in the first inning, but they had a few gripes.

Trey Mancini was hit on the forearm by a 97 mph fastball from Mariners rookie George Kirby. Mancini was annoyed but removed the guard and headed to first base. An unintentional pitch but also painful, nonetheless.

Austin Hays walked with two outs, and third base umpire Ramon De Jesus ruled on appeal that Adley Rutschman didn’t check his swing with the count full. Replays showed that De Jesus was wrong. Players in the dugout raised their arms in unison as if starting the wave out of rhythm.

Jorge Mateo had the first hit off rookie George Kirby with an infield single leading off the third. Anthony Santander singled into center field leading off the fourth. Urías doubled with one out in the fifth.

Santander singled with one out in the sixth.

Kirby didn’t crack.

In his fifth major league start, Kirby struck out eight batters in six scoreless innings.

"I thought that Kirby was really good," Hyde said. "I like his stuff a lot. I thought we took some good swings on him in the first inning. We got a bad break there on a check swing that could have changed at least the first part of the game, bringing (Ryan) Mountcastle up with the bases loaded."

Rutschman hit a 107.1 mph foul ball headed to Eutaw St. in the sixth, fans cheered and he grounded out. He struck out three times tonight.

Down on the farm, DL Hall started tonight at Triple-A Norfolk and allowed two runs and three hits in three innings with two walks, six strikeouts and a home run. He threw 60 pitches, 37 for strikes. His ERA is 4.86.

DJ Stewart hit his second home run.

Double-A Bowie’s Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson and César Prieto each had two hits by the third inning. Henderson collected his third hit, a run-scoring double, in the fourth inning. Prieto also finished with three hits.

Drew Rom allowed one earned run and two total with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Outfielder Reed Trimble, a second-round pick in 2021 who underwent left shoulder labral repair surgery in December, was 1-for-2 with two walks at extended spring training.

Terrin Vavra doubled twice in his first rehab game with high Single-A Aberdeen. Colton Cowser had a two-run double.