Baltimore @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 3, 2012 ) Baltimore 5, Seattle 4

The Baltimore Orioles reach the midway point of their schedule Wednesday and hope to complete an overachieving first half with a victory over the host Seattle Mariners in the third contest of a four-game set. Baltimore wasn’t expected to be in the second place in the tough American League East when July 4th arrived but the Orioles are 43-37 and sit just five games behind the first-place New York Yankees. Seattle has the worst record in the AL.

The Mariners have scored 10 runs while splitting the first two games of the series after totaling just eight runs in their previous nine contests. Seattle’s first 19 batters went down in order against Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen on Tuesday before the Mariners rallied against Baltimore’s bullpen to tie the contest in the eighth. The Orioles won the contest 5-4 on Robert Andino’s ninth-inning homer. The victory was just the second in eight games for Baltimore, which is 4-10 over the past 2 1/2 weeks.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (Baltimore), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (NR) vs. Mariners RH Hector Noesi (2-10, 5.69)

The 24-year-old Tillman is making his first start in the majors this season after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. He is 7-15 with a 5.58 ERA in 36 career starts over the past three seasons. Tillman beat Seattle last season when he gave up one run and three hits in six innings in his lone career start against the Mariners.

Noesi has lost seven straight decisions since beating the Minnesota Twins on May 6. He allowed four homers in five innings while losing to the Boston Red Sox in his last start and has been taken deep 19 times in 91 2/3 innings. Noesi has allowed five or more earned runs in four of his last starts and was touched up for five runs by Boston. He is 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA in five career relief appearances against Baltimore.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle’s Charlie Furbush had pitched 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings – third longest in franchise history for a reliever – until giving up Andino’s game-winning homer.

2. Baltimore OF Adam Jones had a run-scoring single Wednesday for only his fourth RBI in his last 19 games.

3. Mariners 1B Justin Smoak is batting just .163 in 36 home games.