#110: Looks Like A Long-Ball Series In Baltimore

GAME: Mariners (50-59, 3rd, AL West, -13.5 GB) at Orioles (61-49, 3rd, AL East, -4.5 GB). GAME #: 110. SERIES: 2nd of 3 games. MEETING: 5th (Orioles lead 3-1). WHEN: Saturday, 4:05 p.m., Camden Yards. STREAKS: Mariners L 4; Orioles W 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

The Mariners and Orioles, who continue their three-game series Saturday at Camden Yards, entered ranked 1-2 in the major leagues in percent of runs scored via the home run. Seattle tallied 435 times, 205 via the homer, or 47.1 percent. Baltimore had scored 225 of its 510 via the homer, or 44.1 percent.

Nothing changed Friday night as the Mariners bashed four long balls and Baltimore three. Unfortunately for Seattle, a grand slam by Nate McLouth, the first of his career, and Chris Davis’ major league-league leading 40th, trumped Seattle’s effort in an 11-8 Oriole victory.

“It was the kind of a game where you felt like you had to outscore them,” McLouth said. “The ball was flying, and they’re a really good hitting team.”

The Mariners have hit six home runs and scored 21 times in the first four games of the six-game road trip, but have allowed eight homers and 32 runs, threatening to make this eastern junket a disaster unless Seattle can come up with some pitching in the final two games.

In the trip’s first three contests at Boston, Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez combined to allow one earned run and no homers in 12.2 innings. Since Hernandez departed after the seventh inning Thursday, Charlie Furbush, Tom Wilhelmsen, Oliver Perez, Yoervis Medina, Aaron Harang and Brandon Maurer have combined to yield 18 runs on 16 hits with four homers.

Now comes Erasmo Ramirez, who will take the ball for Seattle Saturday. In three starts since his recall from AAA Tacoma, Ramirez allowed 14 earned runs on 21 hits with a homer surrendered in each start. Bats bailed him out in his last two, scoring 10 runs.

Ramirez, who has never thrown a pitch in Camden Yards, will try for his third victory in a row. He’ll face Scott Feldman, who’s had so-so success (5-5) during his career against the Mariners. A closer look:

SATURDAY’S PROBABLES

MARINERS: RHP Erasmo Ramirez (2-0, 7.71 ERA, 1.77 WHIP)

The 23-year-old Ramirez, a Nicaragua native in his second major league season and first with Seattle, will make his fourth start and first against the Orioles. Ramirez can hold a team down with his strikeouts, but he is prone to giving up big innings. The Orioles’ big bats will provide a good test for the rookie, who has given up a home run in all three of his starts.

• LAST START: July 28 vs. Minnesota, won 6-4; 4 earned runs on 7 hits in 6.0 innings; 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 home run, 106 pitches, 65 for strikes.

• LAST VS. ORIOLES: Sept. 18, 2012, took a no-decision in Seattle’s 4-2 loss; 2 earned runs on 4 hits in 8.0 innings; 6 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 98 pitches, 64 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. ORIOLES: 0-0, 2.25 ERA in 1 start covering 8.0 innings; 6 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 0.50 WHIP.

• AT CAMDEN YARDS: Never pitched.

• LOVES TO FACE: Chris Davis (0-for-3, .000), J.J. Hardy (0-for-3, .000), Manny Machado (0-for-3, .000).

• HATES TO FACE: Ryan Flaherty (1-for-1, 1.000), Nate McLouth (3-for-4, .750).

• CURRENT ORIOLES VS. RAMIREZ: 4-for-20, .200 BA, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, .200 on-base percentage.

ORIOLES: RHP Scott Feldman (2-2, 5.12 ERA, 1.16 WHIP)

The 30-year old Feldman, a Burlingame, CA., native in his ninth major league season and first with Baltimore, will make his sixth start 21st start and first against the Mariners. The Orioles acquired Feldman from the Chicago Cubs July 2 and he has gone 2-2, 5.12 in five starts, his two losses sandwiched around two wins. Feldman had his best outing May 6 against Texas when he did not allow an earned run in 7.0 innings in a 9-2 victory.

• LAST START: July 27 vs. Boston, lost 7-3; 4 earned runs on 6 hits in 5.0 innings; 1 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 home run, 90 pitches, 56 for strikes.

• LAST VS. MARINERS: Sept. 21, 2012, took a no-decision for Texas in a 6-3 loss; 0 runs on 1 hit in 3.0 innings of relief; 5 strikeouts, 0 walks, 0 home runs, 36 pitches, 25 for strikes.

• CAREER VS. MARINERS: 5-5, 4.05 ERA in 26 games, including 12 starts, covering 86.2 innings; 59 strikeouts, 26 walks, 8 home runs, 1.26 WHIP.

• AT CAMDEN YARDS: 4-2, 4.58 ERA in 10 games, including 6 starts, covering 39.1 innings; 14 strikeouts, 11 walks, 1 home run, 1.34 WHIP.

• LOVES TO FACE: Kendrys Morales (2-for-13, .154), Brendan Ryan (1-for-5, .200), Michael Saunders (3-for-12, .250).

• HATES TO FACE: Kyle Seager (4-for-8, .500), Raul Ibanez (5-for-12, .417), Justin Smoak (3-for-9, .333).

• CURRENT MARINERS VS. FELDMAN: 29-for-104, .279 BA, 24 strikeouts, 11 walks, 4 home runs, .342 on-base percentage.

MARINERS STATS / NOTES

• CURRENT ROAD TRIP: Three at Boston (Tuesday-Thursday), three at Baltimore (Friday-Sunday). The Mariners return to Safeco Field Monday to begin a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Kendrys Morales has produced consecutive four-hit games, 4-for-5 vs. Boston Thursday and 4-for-4 at Baltimore Friday. He’s 13-for-17 on the road trip.
• The Mariners are 2-7 since the end of their eight-game winning streak. They have dropped four in a row and six of eight.
• Nick Franklin went 0-for-5 Friday and is battling an 0-for-17 skid.
• The Mariners have lost 10 of their past 12 meetings with the Orioles.
• Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 10 games at Camden Yards.
• When Henry Blanco hit his fifth-inning grand slam against Boston Thursday, he became the second-oldest catcher in MLB history with a salami at 41 years, 337 days. The oldest: Carlton Fisk at 43 years, 281 days Oct. 3, 1991. Blanco is also the third oldest with two slams. He hit one June 15, shortly after signing with Seattle, at Oakland at 41 years, 290 days.

UPCOMING PROBABLES