6/11/26

(Baltimore, MD) A tough start to the road trip was caused by a blown lead in the finale in Detroit and sent the Seattle Mariners to Baltimore for a four-game series with the Orioles on a low note. Still, the M’s weren’t feeling too bad as they entered Baltimore winners of 9 of their last 12 games and building momentum. Injuries have started to build up for Seattle as they would finish the road trip without J.P. Crawford and Colt Emerson would get hurt while warming up for the opener in Baltimore which would affect the Mariner infield.

One of the biggest splashes of the offseason was Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles as the O’s elected to bolster their lineup rather than their starting rotation that has cost them in the last few years. What looked like a golden era of baseball in Baltimore has been disappointing and this year has been more of the same. A strong offense but bad pitching staff has put the Orioles towards the bottom of the AL East yet again but have been playing better entering the week.

Mariners 6, Orioles 3 (Game One, June 8th)

Game one of the series would have a couple of young pitchers on the mound thanks to a late change. Emerson Hancock would take the ball for the M’s looking to get the team back on track as the best starter in 2026 for Seattle. The change came from Baltimore as Chris Bassitt was placed on the IL on Monday with low back discomfort. That thrusted Trey Gibson into duty as he would make the third start of his rookie season.

Luke Raley would take away a home run from Colton Cowser in the bottom of the 1st to keep the Orioles off the board. Seattle would leave two runners stranded in the 2nd and it looked like we were on our way to a pitchers duel. In the 3rd, Emerson Hancock lost feel of the strike zone and hit Blaze Alexander before walking Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson to load the bases with one out. The dangerous Pete Alonso came to the plate but Hancock minimized the damage as Alonso flew out to center. That would bring home Alexander but that was it for Baltimore in the inning as Hancock got Colton Cowser to fly out to Julio in center to keep it just 1-0.

Seattle continued to deal with baserunning blunders as Randy Arozarena got picked off to end the 4th in just the latest of those constant issues. Dominic Canzone and Jhonny Pereda would both single in the 5th to put runners on the corners for Ryan Bliss. In his first AB since being called back up, Bliss got the job done with a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Canzone to tie the game 1-1. That would not be all for Seattle as they rallied with two outs. A single by Cole Young and a walk for Julio Rodríguez loaded the bases and then game the big haymaker from Josh Naylor. The lefty sent a towering fly ball out to right that would break out the rye bread and mustard as Naylor circled the bases with a grand slam. It was the seventh home run of the year for Naylor and put Seattle in front for the first time in the game, 5-1.

Emerson Hancock would get Pete Alonso to fly out with runners on the corners and two outs to escape the 5th unharmed. That would be his final inning of work as a high pitch count forced Seattle to go to the bullpen early but Hancock was strong yet again with just three hits and one run allowed in his five innings. Cooper Criswell would have a quick 1-2-3 6th which allowed him to go back out for the 7th. He allowed a walk and a single and left the game with runners on second and third with one out as Matt Brash came on to pitch. Things got real bad for the M’s then. Brash was as wild as he has ever been missing badly with most of his pitches, including a wild pitch to score a run. He would hit Taylor Ward and walk Gunnar Henderson to load the bases and looked like he walked Pete Alonso on a 3-2 sinker. Jhonny Pereda challenged the pitch and it was overturned and turned a bases loaded walk into a strikeout and the second out. Brash would then get Colton Cowser to groundout and thanks to Pereda’s huge challenge, Seattle escaped with still a 5-2 lead.

The Mariners got that run back on an RBI single by Randy Arozarena in the 8th but Baltimore got an RBI single by Blaze Alexander to make it 6-3. Eduard Bazardo got in even more trouble as Baltimore put runners on the corners and brought in power hitting Samuel Basallo to pinch hit, representing the tying run. Basallo would hit a fly ball to center and Julio’s throw went into Bliss at second. Bliss would tag out Alexander at second but the umpires ruled Jackson Holliday scored first. Dan Wilson disagreed and challenged that call and Seattle won another huge challenge as the umpires overturned the call, ruling Alexander was tagged out before Holliday scored, negating that run and send the game to the 9th with Seattle ahead 6-3.

A day after blowing a save in Detroit, Andrés Muñoz was on looking to make amends and save the opener here. Taylor Ward would be his first opponent and a fly ball to center was handled by J-Rod for the first out. He would then walk Gunnar Henderson before bouncing back to strikeout Pete Alonso for a big second out. All was right once again as Muñoz got Colton Cowser to chase a slider for strike three to put and end to this one. A couple of big challenges late went the Mariners way as they put any thoughts of a Baltimore rally to bed with Seattle taking the opener, 6-3.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Orioles

• Blaze Alexander- 2-3, RBI, R
• Taylor Ward- 2-3, BB
• Trey Gibson (L, 1-1)- 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

Mariners 6, Orioles 5 (10 Innings) (Game Two, June 9th)

Seattle was feeling good after taking the opener and the starting pitching matchup in game two would have them feeling pretty good about their chances in that game as well. Seattle would send Opening Day starter Logan Gilbert to the mound on a nice stretch as of late. Baltimore would give the ball to Trevor Rogers, who entered the game with an ERA over 6.

A great catch by Colton Cowser took extra bases away from Victor Robles to start the game and that built momentum for the Baltimore Orioles. In the bottom of the 1st, singles by Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso put two men on with one out. Logan Gilbert would then walk Colton Cowser on what should have been strike three to load the bases. Leody Taveras looked to find grass in the outfield on a fly ball, but a terrific sliding catch by Julio Rodríguez took away a hit and recorded out number two. A run would score on the great catch, but Gilbert would strike Coby Mayo out looking to minimize the damage with Seattle trailing just 1-0.

Runners would reach second and third for Baltimore in the 2nd with one out but a grounder by Taylor Ward was handled by Cole Young and he would cutdown Tyler O’Neill at the plate to prevent the Orioles from adding on. That kept the score 1-0 into the 4th when Seattle got something going with singles by Randy Arozarena and Rob Refsnyder. With two on and two outs, Mitch Garver battled at the plate and ran the count full but he knew Rogers was staying down and in against him. Garver made the adjustment and crushed a 3-2 fastball out to left field for his third home run of the season. The two-out, three-run blast turned things around for Seattle as they grabbed a 3-1 lead.

After throwing 58 pitches in the first two innings, it seemed like it was going to be a short night for Logan Gilbert. Baltimore strung together three hits and two walks in the first two frames, but after that they had no answers for Logan Gilbert. He would just need 47 pitches for the next four innings of work and retired the final 14 Orioles that he faced and managed a quality start in six innings of one-run ball with three hits and two walks allowed while striking out five. It wasn’t a top performance in Gilbert’s career, but it was a very gutsy one as he gave his side a chance to win.

In the top of the 7th, Seattle would get to the Baltimore bullpen. Singles by Victor Robles and Julio Rodríguez put two on with two away. Randy Arozarena would make it three in a row as he smacked a base hit the other way into right field. Robles was able to score to chase Andrew Kittredge as the Mariner lead grew to 4-1.

An error and a wild pitch gave Baltimore a run off of Alex Hoppe in the 7th to make it a two-run game once again. Gabe Speier put up a zero with just a hit batter allowed in the 8th to keep it 4-2 into the 9th. That lead would have to do as Jose A. Ferrer was on to close things out after Andrés Muñoz had pitched two days in a row. Ferrer did not have his best stuff as Coby Mayo welcomed him to the game with his ninth homer of the year to make it 4-3. A single by Jeremiah Jackson and a ground-rule double by Tyler O’Neill put the tying run at third and the winning run at second with just one out. A weak grounder by Samuel Basallo brought home Jackson to tie the game as Ferrer’s throw home wasn’t even close to being in time. With the winning run on third and just one out, Taylor Ward walked to load the bases. A grounder by Gunnar Henderson to Patrick Wisdom at third turned into a great defensive play as Wisdom cutdown the winning run at the plate for the second out. A grounder by Pete Alonso was handled by Ryan Bliss at second and he just beat Gunnar Henderson to second base to end the inning and somehow send this game to extras.

Rico Garcia was on for Baltimore with J-Rod at second as the automatic runner. Randy Arozarena would leadoff the inning and he pulled off quite the magic trick. A pitch well off the plate was put in play by Arozarena and just continued to carry, leaving the yard for a two-run shot. It was the farthest pitch off the plate away that Arozarena had homered on in his career and his seventh of the year put Seattle back in front, 6-4.

Baltimore would have Pete Alonso at second as the automatic runner and with a thin bullpen, Dan Wilson had to call upon the recently recalled Nick Davila for the 10th. He would hit Blaze Alexander and gave up an RBI single to Leody Taveras to make it 6-5 with runners on the corners and nobody out. Coby Mayo sent a pop up into shallow right field where Ryan Bliss made a terrific diving catch for the first out and kept the runners put. A chopper by Jeremiah Jackson was backhanded by Patrick Wisdom and again the veteran made a wonderful defensive play to throw Alexander out at the plate for the second out and it was the third Oriole thrown out at home in the game. It turned out to be the final one as well as Davila would strikeout Tyler O’Neill to earn his first big league save. An improbable and gritty win was quite the moment for the Mariners as they somehow found a way to take game two in Baltimore in 10 innings, 6-5.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Orioles

• Leody Taveras- 1-4, 2 RBI
• Coby Mayo- 1-5, HR, RBI, 2 R
• Trevor Rogers (ND)- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Orioles 7, Mariners 2 (Game Three, June 10th)

With two wins in the bank, the Seattle Mariners would look to secure a series win in game three of the four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. George Kirby would try to keep things rolling for Seattle and help out an overworked bullpen while Baltimore would have one of their breakout stars of 2026 take the mound in Brandon Young.

It was another long 1st inning for a Mariners starting pitcher as George Kirby threw 20 pitches in a scoreless 1st while Brandon Young was rolling early. Both teams stranded a couple of two-out baserunners in the 2nd before Baltimore really threatened in the 3rd. Singles by Sam Huff and Gunnar Henderson sandwiched a Taylor Ward walk to load the bases with nobody out as the Orioles looked to do some big damage. Kirby would keep Pete Alonso’s series struggles going with a strikeout before a fly ball to center by Colton Cowser wasn’t enough to score Huff. Disaster was averted as George Kirby struck out former Mariner Leody Taveras to get out of a bases loaded, no-out jam without allowing a run.

Both Young and Kirby would get 1-2-3 innings in the 4th and 5th and for Young also the 6th. Baltimore would finally get to Kirby in the home half of the inning as the scoreless tie was broken in the 6th. It was only a matter of time before Pete Alonso made an impact on the series and his 14th home run of the year would break the ice for Baltimore. A walk and stolen base for Colton Cowser was followed by Leody Taveras righting his wrongs with an RBI double to make it 2-0. He would then score on a ground-rule double by Blaze Alexander which made it 3-0 Baltimore as Kirby’s day was done after six innings. It was a quality start but three walks and seven hits erased his 10 strikeout performance.

With all sorts of bullpen issues, Domingo Gonzalez was called up and immediately thrust into action but his return to the big leagues was not as good as Nick Davila’s. Gonzalez would get some defensive help after a leadoff walk to Taylor Ward as Luke Raley robbed Gunnar Henderson of a home run for the first out. A single by Pete Alonso and a walk to Leody Taveras loaded the bases with two outs and then came the knockout shot. Gonzalez challenged Jackson Holliday with a 1-1 fastball down the heart of the plate and Holliday was up to the challenge. A 391-foot grand slam to right center would be Holliday’s third of the season and opened up a 7-0 lead for Baltimore.

Brandon Young was outstanding for the Orioles in the best start of his season. Young would manage seven scoreless innings with just two hits and two walks allowed while striking out five. As Baltimore continues to search for answers in the pitching situation, Brandon Young is quickly establishing himself as a piece of a future contending rotation for the O’s.

Seattle would avoid the shutout with a couple of runs in the 8th against the Orioles bullpen. Julio Rodríguez brought in a run with a groundout before Josh Naylor added his own RBI single. A 7-2 deficit is what Seattle faced going into the 9th against Yennier Cano and it was too much to overcome. Cano would retire Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone, and Mitch Garver in order to deny Seattle an early series win. They would still have a chance in the finale, but game three belonged to Baltimore, 7-2.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Orioles

• Brandon Young (W, 5-1)- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
• Jackson Holliday- 1-4, HR, 4 RBI, R
• Leody Taveras- 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB

Orioles 7, Mariners 5 (Game Four, June 11th)

The Seattle Mariners got off to a fast start but couldn’t overcome one disastrous inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 7-5 win Thursday night at Camden Yards, settling for a split of the four-game series.

Seattle wasted no time getting on the board when rookie Cole Young launched a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning, giving the Mariners a quick 1-0 advantage. Young finished with three hits and continued his impressive stretch at the plate.

Bryan Woo cruised through the first two innings, but the game turned dramatically in the bottom of the third. Colton Cowser tied the game with a solo homer before Baltimore loaded the bases. A wild pitch gave the Orioles the lead, and Adley Rutschman followed with a two-run double. Pete Alonso then capped the six-run inning with a two-run blast to left field as Baltimore suddenly held a 6-1 lead.

The Mariners answered immediately in the fourth. Luke Raley connected on a two-run homer and Dominic Canzone followed with a solo shot on the very next pitch, marking Seattle’s first back-to-back home runs of the season. Julio Rodríguez later added an RBI single, trimming the deficit to 6-5 and putting the pressure back on Baltimore.

However, that would be as close as Seattle would get. Rutschman drove home another run in the fifth inning to extend Baltimore’s lead to 7-5, and Orioles reliever Tyler Wells shut down the Mariners over three scoreless, hitless innings to stabilize the game. Baltimore’s bullpen escaped an eighth-inning threat before Andrew Kittredge closed out the ninth for his first save of the season.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Orioles

• Adley Rutschman- 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R, BB
• Pete Alonso- 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Kyle Bradish (ND)- 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

Roster Moves

• RHP Cooper Criswell placed on 15-day IL (Right Shoulder Strain)
• Mariners recall RHP Nick Davila from Triple-A Tacoma
• Mariners acquire RHP Carson Fulmer from Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash
• INF Miles Mastrobuoni activated from 60-day IL
• 2B Ryan Bliss optioned to Triple-A Tacoma
• RHP Matt Brash placed on 15-day IL (Right Lat Strain)
• Recall RHP Michael Rucker from Triple-A Tacoma
• Designate RHP Domingo German for assignment

What’s Next

The Seattle Mariners (36-34) are now 3-4 on this 10-game road trip with just three games to go. It has not been a good road trip but a series win to close it out will do wonders for the team that still sits atop the AL West. They are just one game ahead of Texas who took two of three from Kansas City and two games ahead of the Athletics who won two of three with Milwaukee. Houston lost two of three to the Los Angeles Angels so the Astros are five back while the Angels sit 8 1/2 out. Texas heads to Boston for three while the A’s welcome the Colorado Rockies to Las Vegas for three. Houston visits Kansas City for three games and the Angels host Tampa Bay for three.

A series win feels necessary for Seattle to close out the road trip and it will have to come in the nation’s capital as the M’s visit the Washington Nationals for three. Washington (35-34) is having a surprising season as the young team sits in third in the NL East after trading ace MacKenzie Gore to Texas during the offseason. It felt like a punt of the season but an explosive offense has carried the load. Washington is second in baseball in runs scored at 372, just one run behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot. They can hit for power (6th most home runs) and can beat you with speed (2nd in stolen bases) so there is not much weakness in the lineup. Pitching is a different story as the Nationals have the allowed the fourth most runs in baseball this season.

Last year, the Nationals came to Seattle and took a series from the Mariners. The Nats scored 18 runs in the final two games of that series and it was a big breakout for James Wood. He had just four hits in that series, but two left the yard and two went for doubles. He drove in six runs and scored three as he punished Seattle pitching. While the second half of 2026 did not go well for Wood, he has started hot again as we get into the summer months. Wood is tied for sixth in baseball in home runs with 18 and has also driven in 43. The combo of Wood and CJ Abrams, who is third in baseball with 51 runs batted in, has lit a fire in Washington D.C. as the Nationals young core is taking shape and will challenge Seattle’s strong rotation this weekend.

• Game 1, Friday 3:45pm- Bryce Miller (2-0, 1.33 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (6-4, 4.76 ERA)
• Game 2, Saturday 1:05pm- Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.16 ERA) vs. Cade Cavalli (3-4, 3.88 ERA)
• Game 3, Sunday 10:35am- Emerson Hancock (5-2, 2.74 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (1-5, 5.90 ERA)

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