Jonathan Villar hit a three-run homer, Anthony Santander had a two-run shot and the Baltimore Orioles ended a 10-game skid with an 8-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
Andrew Cashner worked six strong innings for the Orioles, who snapped the eighth-longest losing streak in club history. Baltimore will have a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since May 6 in Sunday’s series finale.
Cashner (7-3) allowed two runs while scattering five hits and striking out three. He has gone at least six innings in six of his last eight outings and earned his team-leading eighth quality start.
Tommy Milone held the Orioles without a hit for the first three innings. In the fourth, Pedro Severino singled and Renato Núñez doubled before Villar took Milone (1-2) deep to left for his ninth homer of the season.
Santander extended Baltimore’s lead to 5-1 in the sixth, sending Gerson Bautista’s 0-2 pitch into the stands in right for his second home run of the season.
The Mariners, whose three-game winning streak ended, took an early lead off Cashner. Domingo Santana walked with one out in the first and scored on Daniel Vogelbach’s double to right-center.
But Seattle didn’t threaten again until the sixth. Santana led off the inning with a double and scored on a groundout by Omar Narváez, who reached first on a throwing error from third baseman Hanser Alberto.
Alberto bounced back by adding to Baltimore’s lead with two outs in the eighth, driving in two with a bases-loaded single against Jesse Biddle.
Santana finished 2-for-3 and scored three runs, including his 19th home run of the year, a solo shot off Josh Rogers in the eighth.
MEET THE ROOKIE
RHP George Kirby, Seattle’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft, toured T-Mobile Park and met with manager Scott Servais and the media. Kirby, the 20th overall pick, has reported to Class A Everett and said he will throw about 20 to 30 innings with the AquaSox this season, with plans to make his first start in July.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Baltimore: LHP John Means (6-4, 2.67 ERA) will throw a side session Sunday to gauge the status of a shoulder strain that placed him on the 10-day diabled list Thursday. Means is expected to return to the rotation for Baltimore’s three-game series against the Indians beginning June 28.
Seattle: OF Mitch Haniger has been cleared for light baseball activity. Haniger has been out since June 6 after suffering a ruptured testicle, and is expected to be out through the All-Star break. … RHP Sam Tuivailala was scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Class A Everett on Friday but was held out after concerns arose about the condition of the mound. Tuivailala, who warmed up in the bullpen before having his outing halted, had season-ending surgery last August to repair an injured Achilles tendon.
UP NEXT
Baltimore: RHP Gabriel Ynoa (0-4, 5.65 ERA) has yet to win since being converted to a starter at the end of May.
Seattle: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (3-5, 5.15) has given up five or more runs in four of his last five starts, and will attempt to snap a four-game losing streak on Sunday.
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