Orioles rise above .500 with 7-6 win over Mariners (with quotes)

The Orioles finally are reminded of how it feels to be on the other side of .500.

Chris Davis doubled to score Trey Mancini in the seventh inning and break a tie, and the Orioles held on for a 7-6 victory over the Mariners before an announced crowd of 15,106 at Camden Yards.

Adam Jones hit the 250th home run of his career, and the Orioles improved to 66-65 with their fifth straight win and sixth in the last seven games. They're above .500 for the first time since June 11.

The Orioles also moved ahead of the Mariners in the chase for the second wild card. They're 1 1/2 games behind the idle Twins.

Left-hander Donnie Hart earned the win with a scoreless inning after the Orioles recalled him earlier in the day. Darren O'Day shut out the Mariners in the eighth after back-to-back singles to open the inning and Zach Britton notched his 12th save to start a new conversion streak.

That's one.

Britton issued a one-out walk before getting Mitch Haniger to ground into a 6-3 double play. Davis dug out the throw.

Jones' leadoff shot in the fifth increased the lead to 6-4 and gave him a team-record seven consecutive seasons with at least 25 home runs, passing Cal Ripken Jr.

Mancini singled after Jones' home run and his leadoff single in the seventh made him 14-for-27 in the last seven games to raise his average to .297. Davis followed with his double into the right field corner to give the Orioles a 7-6 lead.

Mychal Givens let two inherited runners score in the top of the sixth to tie the game 6-6, all the runs charged to Chris Tillman, who issued two of his four walks before departing. The Orioles failed to answer in the bottom half after loading the bases with one out.

The Orioles filled the bases in three of the first six innings.

Givens threw 27 pitches yesterday in Boston while recording two outs and he was needed again tonight for 13 pitches in two-thirds.

Tillman gave up three hits in 5 1/3 innings, but the six runs raised his ERA to 7.91 and he still hasn't earned a win since his debut on May 7. He's been charged with 10 runs in 10 2/3 innings since moving back into the rotation.

In a game of back and forth, the Orioles reclaimed the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning after again loading the bases against left-hander Marco Gonzales. Craig Gentry lined a single into left field to score Mancini and Tim Beckham was hit on the left foot.

Tillman retired the side in order in the first inning and he needed only eight pitches, one nice defensive play and one absolute gem.

Beckham ranged far to his left to field Jean Segura's ground ball and throw to first for the out. Mancini made a diving catch in left-center field with two outs to deny Robinson Canó.

Tillman was sporting a 10.69 ERA in the first inning this season and a career 5.50 mark, so getting away clean tonight qualified as an important achievement.

It didn't carry over to the second. Danny Valencia homered with two outs to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. The Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the second and once in the third, but Ben Gamel hit a three-run homer in the fourth to move the Mariners ahead 4-3.

Tillman walked Nelson Cruz with one out and Valencia with two outs, and Gamel launched a slider over the center field fence.

The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the second and Welington Castillo lined a two-run single into left-center field. Castillo, who had three hits tonight, tried to advance to second base on Craig Gentry's fly ball and was out.

Castillo is 4-for-6 with the bases loaded.

Manny Machado doubled with one out in the third, the ball almost going through third baseman Kyle Seager, and he scored on Jonathan Schoop's bloop single to right. Schoop, with 96 RBIs, was out trying to advance to second base.

The baserunning was a tad aggressive.

Beckham had three plays that deserved special notations on the scoresheet, including a tremendous backhand stop of Mitch Haniger's scorching ground ball in the seventh to start a double play. Beckham was falling backward as he threw to Schoop.

The Orioles are moving forward. They just stumbled a few times tonight along the way.

Manager Buck Showalter on the importance of being above .500: "I think it's pretty obvious that if you're .500 or below you're not going to the playoffs. That's the obvious thing. But until you take care of some other things ... Mathematically we know that's a given. That's what I take out of it. Got another game tomorrow that could take you back in the other direction. That's the world we live in."

On whether it's important to pass another team: "No, not really, because tomorrow they could be ahead of you. You can't take anything for granted, you can't assume anything. You've just got to keep your head down and try to win the next game and figure out a way to score enough runs to do it. Tonight it was seven runs. Tomorrow it could be nine, it could be three. A lot's dictated by how you pitch and how they pitch. Just assume the position and see what you need to deliver to win the game."

On whether he's relieved to get Britton back in there: "I don't know if 'relieved' is the word. It just takes some patience to, for instance, not use him yesterday or the day before and let stuff take its course. It's just the patience. It's hard this time of year to have that. We all know what Zach's capable of doing. Just like Chris Tillman. We know what he's capable of because you've got a track record with him. But Zach will be the first to tell you tonight was tonight and tomorrow is tomorrow. Just hope we get another situation for him."

"He was going to pitch the ninth inning tonight regardless of the score. I told him that after the 7th inning. It's tough because you're trying to manage that game and have a safety valve if he has an issue, physically out there, which he didn't. We made some adjustments and some things. I'm not going to use (Miguel) Castro or (Richard) Bleier tonight. If we don't make that move for Donnie Hart we may not win tonight. Those are the things you have to do."

On winning five in a row and the consistency: "The consistency comes from delivering what is needed that night. If we gets shutouts every night we're going to win a few in a row. Tonight, we needed to score seven runs. You've just got to deliver what the need is that night.

"Tim Beckham had a great night at shortstop defensively. That's probably one of the keys to the game. From the first play on. That was needed tonight. You never know when a major spot in the game may turn it one way or the other. You know how hungry they are for what we're all trying to get to."

On Jones passing Ripken: "That's some select company. I've said many times, you couldn't ask for a more consistent personality, a more consistent player. I know I appreciate him every day. I think he's one of those guys that everybody does appreciate because he does a lot of things other people can't do. Post up. Through thick and thin. There's a common denominator you can count on and that's Adam."

On Tillman: "That's a good lineup and there's not many breathing spots. He elevated some balls, hung a slider to Gamel. Trying to contain guys like Canó and Cruz, you drop your guard against the rest of them. It's a challenge. But Chris elevated a lot. But there was some good, too."