Mariners 4, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE -- Roenis Elias allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings, and Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer as the Seattle Mariners downed the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Wednesday night.
Ruggiano, Seattle's center fielder, also doubled and scored the team's first run.
Shortstop Chris Taylor also drove in a seventh-inning run with his first career triple, one of the Mariners' five extra-base hits. Right fielder Nelson Cruz added two hits to raise his career average to .353 (59-for-167) against the Orioles.
Elias (1-1) shut out the Orioles over the first seven innings. The Cuban-born left-hander retired 10 batters in a row between the third and sixth innings.
The Orioles threatened against Elias in both the seventh and eighth innings, collecting two hits in both frames and knocking him out of the game in the eighth.
Elias retired the first two batters in the eighth before second baseman Rey Navarro and third baseman Manny Machado singled. Designated hitter Jimmy Paredes singled, scoring Navarro and extending his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games, but he was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.
Closer Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for Seattle to earn his 10th save, but not before center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Delmon Young reached on back-to-back singles to start the inning. After two strikeouts, shortstop J.J. Hardy singled to make it 4-2. Pinch hitter Travis Snider grounded out to end the game.
Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen (1-3) went seven innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Chen did not walk a batter, and he fanned four in his 103-pitch outing.
The Mariners jumped in front 1-0 in the second when Ruggiano doubled to right and scored on catcher Mike Zunino's double to center.
Seattle's lead became 3-0 in the fourth when Cruz led off with a double and Ruggiano hit a 2-2 pitch into the left field bleachers for his second homer of the season.
Tyler Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Orioles, making his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.
NOTES: C Welington Castillo, who joined the Mariners on Wednesday after he was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, will likely start the series finale Thursday. ... Seattle optioned C Jesus Sucre to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Mariners CF Austin Jackson (right ankle sprain) will continue his rehab stint with Tacoma during its upcoming series with Iowa. ... Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said RHP Bud Norris (bronchitis) likely will be activated off the disabled list Tuesday, the first day he is eligible to return. ... Baltimore C Matt Wieters, rehabbing from elbow surgery, is dealing with a hamstring issue. However, he is due to catch an extended spring training game Thursday.