Read More: Erik Bedard (P – SEA), Jeremy Guthrie (P – BAL), Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners

The Mariners (27-26) can win their fifth series in a row with a victory against the Baltimore Orioles (24-28) in Tuesday night’s game between the two ball clubs. Seattle is currently 1.5 games back in the AL West from the first place Texas Rangers who have won three straight games.

Erik Bedard (3-4 3.48 ERA) faces his old team for the third time since he joined the Mariners in 2008. In two starts against the Orioles in 2009, he struck out 15 and surrendered three runs over six hits in 10.1 innings. Bedard has not allowed an earned run and has only allowed three walks total in his last two starts.

The often injured left hander has now made nine starts since the beginning of the season and is starting to look like the ace the Mariners traded for three years ago,

“Obviously, the thing with Erik is that he’s healthy again, and he’s free and easy with his arm. That’s the No. 1 thing,” Mariners Manager Eric Wedge said. “But I think you’re seeing that his confidence is building with each outing, and that’s a great thing for him.”(Via: MLB.com)

Taking the mound for the Orioles is Jeremy Guthrie (2-6 3.63 ERA). Guthrie gave up four runs and nine hits in his last start on May 26 in a win against the Kansas city Royals.

First pitch at Safeco Field is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT with coverage on ROOT Sports and 710 ESPN AM.

For more news and information regarding the Mariners and tonight’s game head on over to SB Nation’s Mariners blog, Lookout Landing.he O

SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t so much that Jake Arrieta’s right arm gave him trouble against the Seattle Mariners on Monday.

It was his left leg.

The right-hander was hit on the left shin by a scorching line drive by Ichiro Suzuki in the third inning and he wasn’t the same after that. He threw 30 more pitches and never got out of the inning as the Baltimore Orioles lost their fourth straight, 4-3.

“It hurt and started to stiffen up right away,” Arrieta said. “I couldn’t move my toes up or down. But I didn’t want to come out of the game. I gave it a shot and couldn’t get it done.”

Brendan Ryan, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games, followed Suzuki with a single to left and Justin Smoak walked to load the bases.

Arrieta (6-3) got Jack Cust to fly out to shallow left, with the runners holding. But then he lost an epic 12-pitch battle with Adam Kennedy, forcing in a run with a walk.

“He threw everything up there,” Kennedy said. “He was a little effectively wild around the plate, around enough to make you swing. I was fortunate enough there to get a walk.”

Arrieta walked Miguel Olivo for a 4-1 deficit and that bases-loaded walk ended his afternoon after 68 pitches in just 2 1-3 innings. He allowed four hits, four runs and walked four.

“I just felt erratic and had trouble getting the ball down,” Arrieta said, “and just couldn’t figure it out in the third.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who has seen his starters struggle over the past four losses, said, “they are trying, almost too hard sometimes. It seems like Jake is trying to pitch so much instead of just trusting his fastball and going after it.”

Doug Fister (3-5) picked up his first victory since April 30. He went 7 1-3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits, walked one and struck out a career-high nine in his 49th start. He threw 23 of 30 first-pitch strikes. He is 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA over his past eight starts, but this was his first win in May.

“We’re doing a lot of things that are frustrating, not just not hitting with runners in scoring position,” Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. “We’re not being as aggressive both in the field and at the plate as we can be.”

Brandon League worked the ninth and Nolan Reimold put him on edge with an opening single. The Orioles beat League twice in final at-bats two weeks ago at Camden Yards. But League settled down and finished the inning on a double play by Robert Andino.

“I don’t really think about that anymore. I analyzed that and moved on,” League said of his Birds’ comebacks. “But now that you say that, it does feel good.”

League earned his 14th save in 17 opportunities.

Cust had the offensive highlight, his second career triple in the first inning, that drove in one run.

Suzuki, steeped in his worst career slump — 1 of 22 over his previous five games — had two singles and scored twice. He has a career .367 average against Baltimore, the best against any team. He has at least one hit in 40 of the last 42 games he has played against the Orioles.

Suzuki greeted Arrieta with a sharp first-inning single to right and scored on a groundout by Ryan. With one out, Smoak walked and Cust followed with the triple. The high flyball hit halfway up the right-center wall then bounced away from the fielders.

His first triple came on Aug. 18, 2007, for Oakland against Kansas City.

Mark Reynolds drilled the first hit against Fister in the third, a solo shot into the second deck in left field. It was his seventh.

The Orioles rallied for two runs off Fister in the eighth. Andino opened with a one-hop shot that third baseman Chone Figgins couldn’t handle. Felix Pie then singled to right with Andino going to third. With one out, Nick Markakis singled to right, scoring Andino to make it 4-2.

Jamey Wright took over for Fister and induced Vladimir Guerrero to hit a hard grounder to Figgins’ left. The ball bounced off Figgins’ glove for an error, allowing Pie to score.

Aaron Laffey entered and ended the rally by getting Luke Scott on a grounder.

“I’m really upset about this one,” Arrieta said. “I couldn’t give the team what I needed to give them. It is real frustrating to go out there, especially after (Oakland’s) sweep and I knew what I wanted to do today. To only get seven outs is pretty frustrating.”

NOTES: Orioles RHP Chris Jakubauskas returned from rehab (strained groin) at Triple-A Norfolk. He replaced RHP Chris Tillman, optioned to Norfolk. … Orioles CF Adam Jones sat out Monday as a precaution because of a sore shoulder. He is day to day. … LHP Brian Matusz will come off his rehab assignment (strained intercoastal) and start Wednesday against Seattle.

(Sports Network) – Erik Bedard tries to win his fourth consecutive decision
this evening when the Seattle Mariners continue a three-game series with the
Baltimore Orioles at Safeco Field.

Bedard had been acquired by Seattle from Baltimore in a six-player deal prior
to the start of the 2008 campaign. Injuries, though, have derailed a once
promising career, as he has made five trips to the disabled list since the
deal and last year missed the entire year recovering from left shoulder
surgery – his third in as many seasons.

The 32-year-old lefty signed a one-year incentive-laden deal with the Mariners
this offseason and got off to a horrendous start, losing his first four
outings, while pitching to a 7.71 ERA. Since that time, however, he has been
one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning his next three decisions and
allowing two runs or less in each of his last five outings.

“Obviously, the thing with Erik is that he’s healthy again, and he’s free and
easy with his arm. That’s the No. 1 thing,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said.
“But I think you’re seeing that his confidence is building with each outing,
and that’s a great thing for him.”

Bedard won his second straight start on Wednesday in Minnesota and extended
his scoreless innings streak to 15, as he held the Twins to six hits over six
scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 3.48 on the year.

“There was a time when his fastball was probably 94-95 mph, but now it’s 92
but still very deceptive,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after facing
Bedard last week. “He has a great breaking ball and changeup and doesn’t miss
his location much.

“We’ve seen this young man for a long time and he’s had a lot injuries, but
when he’s healthy — and it looked like he was today — he throws some pretty
good pitches. His breaking ball was snapping as hard as anyone we’ve seen this
year.”

Bedard has faced his former team twice and is 1-0 against them with a 2.61
ERA.

Baltimore will counter with right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who is 2-6 with a
3.63 ERA. Guthrie snapped a personal six-game losing streak on May 21, but
failed to follow it up with a win on Thursday against Kansas City, as he was
hit for five runs (four earned) and nine hits over seven innings of a no-
decision.

Guthrie is 2-4 lifetime against the Mariners with a a 4.32 ERA in eight
starts.

The Orioles could use a strong start from Guthrie after dropping their fourth
straight game in Monday’s opener, as Doug Fister threw 7 1/3 strong innings,
which included a career-high nine strikeouts, in Seattle’s 4-3 victory.

Fister (3-5) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in the Mariners’ 11th
win in their last 14 games.

Jake Arrieta (6-3) had the shortest outing of his career when he allowed four
runs on four hits and four walks in just 2 1/3 innings.

“I’m pretty upset about this one. I just couldn’t give the team what I needed
to give them,” said Arrieta. “It’s just real frustrating to go out there,
especially after a sweep, I knew what I wanted to do today and to only get
seven outs is pretty frustrating.”

The Orioles hope to have Adam Jones back in the lineup tonight. The
outfielder, who was also part of the Bedard deal in 2008, did not start
Monday’s contest because of a sore shoulder, but appeared late in the game as
a pinch-runner. He leads the team with 29 RBI this season.

Baltimore swept a three-game series from the Mariners earlier in the year and
has won six of the last nine meetings. The O’s, though, have dropped seven of
nine at Safeco.

The Sports Network

AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, right, is given a pat by manager Buck Showalter as he walks off the field in the third inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, May 30, 2011, in Seattle.

It wasn’t so much that Jake Arrieta’s right arm gave him trouble against the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
It was his left leg.
The right-hander was hit on the left shin by a scorching line drive by Ichiro Suzuki in the third inning and he wasn’t the same after that. He threw 30 more pitches and never got out of the inning as the Baltimore Orioles lost their fourth straight, 4-3.
“It hurt and started to stiffen up right away,” Arrieta said. “I couldn’t move my toes up or down. But I didn’t want to come out of the game. I gave it a shot and couldn’t get it done.”
Brendan Ryan, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games, followed Suzuki with a single to left and Justin Smoak walked to load the bases.
Arrieta (6-3) got Jack Cust to fly out to shallow left, with the runners holding. But then he lost an epic 12-pitch battle with Adam Kennedy, forcing in a run with a walk.
“He threw everything up there,” Kennedy said. “He was a little effectively wild around the plate, around enough to make you swing. I was fortunate enough there to get a walk.”
Arrieta walked Miguel Olivo for a 4-1 deficit and that bases-loaded walk ended his afternoon after 68 pitches in just 2 1-3 innings. He allowed four hits, four runs and walked four.
“I just felt erratic and had trouble getting the ball down,” Arrieta said, “and just couldn’t figure it out in the third.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who has seen his starters struggle over the past four losses, said, “they are trying, almost too hard sometimes. It seems like Jake is trying to pitch so much instead of just trusting his fastball and going after it.”
Doug Fister (3-5) picked up his first victory since April 30. He went 7 1-3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits, walked one and struck out a career-high nine in his 49th start. He threw 23 of 30 first-pitch strikes. He is 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA over his past eight starts, but this was his first win in May.
“We’re doing a lot of things that are frustrating, not just not hitting with runners in scoring position,” Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. “We’re not being as aggressive both in the field and at the plate as we can be.”
Brandon League worked the ninth and Nolan Reimold put him on edge with an opening single. The Orioles beat League twice in final at-bats two weeks ago at Camden Yards. But League settled down and finished the inning on a double play by Robert Andino.
“I don’t really think about that anymore. I analyzed that and moved on,” League said of his Birds’ comebacks. “But now that you say that, it does feel good.”
League earned his 14th save in 17 opportunities.
Cust had the offensive highlight, his second career triple in the first inning, driving in two runs.
Suzuki, steeped in his worst career slump — 1 of 22 over his previous five games — had two singles and scored twice. He has a career .367 average against Baltimore, the best against any team. He has at least one hit in 40 of the last 42 games he has played against the Orioles.
Suzuki greeted Arrieta with a sharp first-inning single to right. With one out, Smoak walked and Cust followed with the triple. The high flyball hit halfway up the right-center wall then bounced away from the fielders.
His first triple came on Aug. 18, 2007, for Oakland against Kansas City.
Mark Reynolds drilled the first hit against Fister in the third, a solo shot into the second deck in left field. It was his seventh.
The Orioles rallied for two runs off Fister in the eighth. Andino opened with a one-hop shot that third baseman Chone Figgins couldn’t handle. Felix Pie then singled to right with Andino going to third. With one out, Nick Markakis singled to right, scoring Andino to make it 4-2.
Jamey Wright took over for Fister and induced Vladimir Guerrero to hit a hard grounder to Figgins’ left. The ball bounced off Figgins’ glove for an error, allowing Pie to score.
Aaron Laffey entered and ended the rally by getting Luke Scott on a grounder.
“I’m really upset about this one,” Arrieta said. “I couldn’t give the team what I needed to give them. It is real frustrating to go out there, especially after (Oakland’s) sweep and I knew what I wanted to do today. To only get seven outs is pretty frustrating.”
NOTES: Orioles RHP Chris Jakubauskas returned from rehab (strained groin) at Triple-A Norfolk. He replaced RHP Chris Tillman, optioned to Norfolk. … Orioles CF Adam Jones sat out Monday as a precaution because of a sore shoulder. He is day to day. … LHP Brian Matusz will come off his rehab assignment (strained intercoastal) and start Wednesday against Seattle.

SEATTLE (AP) – Jack Cust hit the second triple of his career, driving in two runs to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Monday.

Doug Fister (3-5) went 7 1-3 innings to pick up his first victory since April 30. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out a career-high nine in his 49th career start.

Fister threw 23 of 30 first-pitch strikes. He is 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA over his past eight starts.

Brandon League worked the ninth for his 14th save in 17 opportunities.

Ichiro Suzuki, steeped in his worst career slump – 1 of 22 over his previous five games – had a pair of singles and scored twice. He now has a career .367 average against Baltimore, the best against any team. He has at least one hit in 40 of the last 42 games he has played against the Orioles.

The Mariners have won 10 of 12 games and are 19-11 over their past 30 games. They also have assured just their second winning May (14-11) since 2004.

Jake Arrieta (6-3) lasted just 2 1-3 innings for the Orioles, allowing four hits, four runs and walking four.

Suzuki greeted Arrieta with a sharp first-inning single to right. With one out, Justin Smoak walked and Cust followed with a two-run triple. The high flyball hit halfway up the right-center wall then bounced away from the fielders.

His first triple came on Aug. 18, 2007, for Oakland against Kansas City.

Mark Reynolds drilled the first hit against Fister in the third, a solo shot into the second deck in left field. It was his seventh.

Suzuki then initiated the Mariners two-run, third-inning rally with a leadoff single that caromed off Arrieta’s left leg. Brendan Ryan followed with a single to left, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. Smoak walked to load the bases.

After Cust flied out to shallow left, Arrieta issued successive bases-loaded walks to Adam Kennedy and Miguel Olivo for a 4-1 score.

The Orioles rallied for two off Fister in the eighth. Robert Andino opened with a one-hop shot that third baseman Chone Figgins couldn’t handle. Felix Pie then singled to right with Andino raced around to third. With one out, Nick Markakis singled to right, scoring Andino to make it 4-2.

Jamey Wright took over for Fister and induced Vladimir Guerrero to hit a hard grounder to Figgins’ left. The ball bounced off Figgins’ glove for an error, allowing Pie to score.

Aaron Laffey entered and ended the rally by getting Luke Scott on a grounder.

NOTES: Figgins, struggling with a .193 batting average, was moved from second to eighth in the Mariners’ lineup. “I’ve been through stuff like this before. My mind says I’m not going to change. I’ll try to do the same things, play defense and try to create some havoc.” Manager Eric Wedge says Figgins is looking for the ‘feel’ a hitter needs. “That’s what he’s lost and what he’s working to get back,” he said. Figgins was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and an error. RHP Chris Jakubauskas returned from rehab (strained groin) at Triple-A Norfolk. He replaced RHP Chris Tillman, optioned to Norfolk. Orioles CF Adam Jones sat out Monday as a precaution because of a sore shoulder. He is day to day. LHP Brian Matusz will come off his rehab assignment (strained intercoastal) and start Wednesday against Seattle.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SEATTLE – Jack Cust hit the second triple of his career, driving in two runs to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Monday.

Doug Fister (3-5) went 7 1-3 innings to pick up his first victory since April 30. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out a career-high nine in his 49th career start.

Fister threw 23 of 30 first-pitch strikes. He is 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA over his past eight starts.

Brandon League worked the ninth for his 14th save in 17 opportunities.

Ichiro Suzuki, steeped in his worst career slump — 1 of 22 over his previous five games — had a pair of singles and scored twice. He now has a career .367 average against Baltimore, the best against any team. He has at least one hit in 40 of the last 42 games he has played against the Orioles.

The Mariners have won 10 of 12 games and are 19-11 over their past 30 games. They also have assured just their second winning May (14-11) since 2004.

Jake Arrieta (6-3) lasted just 2 1-3 innings for the Orioles, allowing four hits, four runs and walking four.

Suzuki greeted Arrieta with a sharp first-inning single to right. With one out, Justin Smoak walked and Cust followed with a two-run triple. The high flyball hit halfway up the right-center wall then bounced away from the fielders.

His first triple came on Aug. 18, 2007, for Oakland against Kansas City.

Mark Reynolds drilled the first hit against Fister in the third, a solo shot into the second deck in left field. It was his seventh.

Suzuki then initiated the Mariners two-run, third-inning rally with a leadoff single that caromed off Arrieta’s left leg. Brendan Ryan followed with a single to left, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. Smoak walked to load the bases.

After Cust flied out to shallow left, Arrieta issued successive bases-loaded walks to Adam Kennedy and Miguel Olivo for a 4-1 score.

The Orioles rallied for two off Fister in the eighth. Robert Andino opened with a one-hop shot that third baseman Chone Figgins couldn’t handle. Felix Pie then singled to right with Andino raced around to third. With one out, Nick Markakis singled to right, scoring Andino to make it 4-2.

Jamey Wright took over for Fister and induced Vladimir Guerrero to hit a hard grounder to Figgins’ left. The ball bounced off Figgins’ glove for an error, allowing Pie to score.

Aaron Laffey entered and ended the rally by getting Luke Scott on a grounder.

NOTES: Figgins, struggling with a .193 batting average, was moved from second to eighth in the Mariners’ lineup. “I’ve been through stuff like this before. My mind says I’m not going to change. I’ll try to do the same things, play defense and try to create some havoc.” Manager Eric Wedge says Figgins is looking for the ‘feel’ a hitter needs. “That’s what he’s lost and what he’s working to get back,” he said. Figgins was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and an error. RHP Chris Jakubauskas returned from rehab (strained groin) at Triple-A Norfolk. He replaced RHP Chris Tillman, optioned to Norfolk. Orioles CF Adam Jones sat out Monday as a precaution because of a sore shoulder. He is day to day. LHP Brian Matusz will come off his rehab assignment (strained intercoastal) and start Wednesday against Seattle.