O's win dramatic pitcher's duel 1-0 in 10 at Seattle

SEATTLE – Locked in a remarkable pitcher's duel for nine innings and held to just three hits in nine innings by Seattle starter George Kirby, the Orioles still pulled out a win tonight to end the Mariners' eight-game win streak.

Ryan Mountcastle's single to center broke the 0-0 tie in the top of the 10th and O's closer Félix Bautista pitched two innings and struck out the side in the last of the 10th to get the win.

The Orioles (72-45) improved to 7-5 in extra innings and remained two games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the American League East.

Placed runner Cedric Mullins stole third base in the 10th and scored on Mountcastle's single to center that produced the lead along with an exit velocity of 109.5 mph. 

Bautista got the game to extras with a scoreless last of the ninth.

Cade Marlowe, thrown out stealing to end the ninth for the Mariners, started the bottom of the 10^th on second. He would stay there as Bautista struck out Josh Rojas, Julio Rodríguez and Eugenio Suárez. 

Bautista is now 7-2 with an ERA of 1.60. He fanned four over two innings on 28 pitches.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Bautista wanted the ball in the 10th.

"I asked him what he wanted to do, honestly," he said. "If we score, he said he wanted to go back out. He threw, I think, only 13 pitches, right around there, that first inning. That is why that caught stolen base was enormous for us. It allowed Félix to go back out.

"What he has done this entire season is unbelievable. There are no other closers that are doing that. Five-out save in Toronto. Ninth, 10th innings, what he is doing and doing it in the fashion he is too."

This game early on was a big-time pitcher’s duel between Baltimore lefty Cole Irvin and Kirby.

While Irvin’s season stats coming in showed a 1-3 record and 5.44 ERA, Irvin’s ERA was just 3.60 in 12 games since his return from the minors June 10. And, in five starts in that span, Irvin was 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Tonight he fanned the first two batters he faced in a nine-pitch first. And then rolled through the second on only 11 pitches and the third on 14 more.

But the Mariners rallied in the fourth before Irvin shut them down. After he fanned Eugenio Suárez, he walked Ty France and with two outs, Teoscar Hernández singled. That put two on with two outs, but Irvin got catcher Tom Murphy on a fly to right on an 0-1 changeup.

Making his first start since July 7, Irvin pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, with one walk and six strikeouts on 67 pitches. His ERA is 2.20 over his past six O’s starts.

Mike Baumann, Jacob Webb, Cionel Pérez, Yennier Cano and Bautista followed Irvin to the mound and teamed on a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts.

Now the Orioles can win this series on Sunday afternoon in the finale at Seattle.