Mariners edge Orioles

BALTIMORE (AP) — No one would have blamed light-hitting Matt Tuiasosopo for blabbing endlessly about his second home run in two games.

Instead, the Seattle Mariners utility player spoke excitedly about another rare occurrence: his fielding gem in the outfield.

Tuiasosopo extended his unlikely power surge with a three-run homer, and the Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Wednesday night for their season-high fourth straight series win.

Tuiasosopo’s drive off Jeremy Guthrie (7-12) in the second inning put Seattle ahead for good. Tuiasosopo has two homers and seven RBIs over the last two nights after totaling one homer and two RBIs in his first 30 games.

He also prevented the tying run from scoring in the eighth, making a diving catch of a two-out liner to left by Matt Wieters with Adam Jones running from first base on the pitch.

“I don’t make that catch and a run scores. It was definitely a thrill,” Tuiasosopo said.

It was his fifth start this season in the outfield, compared to 11 starts in the infield.

Asked the last time he made a catch like that, Tuiasosopo recalled making a similar play in high school. He said he nearly caught one like that in the minors, “but I missed it.”

On this occasion, the ball stuck in his glove after his dive toward the left-field line.

“The catch was as big as the home run at the time,” said Seattle interim manager Daren Brown, whose record improved to 6-3 since he took over for Don Wakamatsu.

Give Brown credit — after Tuiasosopo helped the Mariners win on Tuesday, he was back in the starting lineup again Wednesday.

“Very few times have I started two games in a row,” Tuiasosopo said.

David Pauley (2-4) allowed four runs and five hits in six-plus innings to win his second straight start after opening his big league career with seven consecutive losing decisions.

David Aardsma worked the ninth for his 24th save. After Cesar Izturis reached second with one out, Aardsma struck out Brian Roberts and retired Nick Markakis on a sharply hit comebacker.

The Mariners took two of three from Baltimore, their third consecutive series win under Brown, who replaced Wakamatsu after Seattle captured a three-game set against Kansas City.

Wieters homered and Luke Scott went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Baltimore, now 10-6 under manager Buck Showalter. After winning their first three series under their new manager, the Orioles have dropped two straight.

Wieters’ two-run shot chased Pauley and made it 5-4 in the seventh.

“I was a bit angry. I challenged him and he hit it for a home run,” said Pauley, who pitched in Baltimore’s minor league system last year.