M's on short end of pitchers' duel
BALTIMORE (AP) - For 11 innings, the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles couldn't even come close to scoring a run.
The Mariners broke the trend in the top of the 12th, and Baltimore did them one better in the bottom half.
J.J. Hardy singled in two runs with the bases-loaded in the 12th, and the Orioles rallied for a 2-1 victory Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.
"That's a character-building win right there," said Baltimore's Derrek Lee, who led off the 12th with a single.
After Miguel Olivo singled in the game's first run, the Orioles bounced back in their half against Brandon League (0-3). Lee hit a leadoff single, and League hit Vladimir Guerrero and Adam Jones with pitches to load the bases with no outs.
Matt Wieters hit a liner that shortstop Luis Rodriguez snagged with a dive, but Hardy followed with a bouncer up the middle that scored Lee and pinch-runner Jake Fox, who easily beat the throw with a headfirst slide.
"It was kind of a frustrating night offensively," Lee said. "We couldn't get anything going and they scored a run in the 12th. One run in this game seemed like 10 runs. But we hung in there and came right back with two to win it."
Hardy was mobbed by his teammates, who celebrated their second extra-inning comeback in the series. Two nights earlier, Baltimore scored twice in the 13th for a 7-6 win.
"I just wanted to hit the ball hard," Hardy said. "He threw a sinker first pitch and then he threw another sinker second pitch, and I was able to find a hole."
League hit only two batters with pitches all last year. He was 9 for 9 in save opportunities before blowing two in three games against the Orioles.
"I just didn't do my job. It all comes down to that," League said. "I didn't do my job coming in to close out the game. We have to recuperate and forget about this series."
Ichiro Suzuki led off the 12th with an infield single off Jim Johnson (2-1), Seattle's first hit since the fifth inning. Two straight groundouts got Suzuki to third base, and Olivo lined a single past third baseman Cesar Izturis for a 1-0 lead.
It wouldn't last.
Orioles rookie Zach Britton and Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas both went nine innings in an outstanding pitching duel that couldn't be decided until after both left the game.
Britton gave up three hits, struck out five and walked none in the longest outing of his brief big league career. The left-hander did not allow a runner past first base and retired the final 13 batters he faced.
"My job was to keep us in the game as long as possible," Britton said. "You've got to tip your hat to Vargas, who threw the ball really well. When's that going to happen again, two guys going like that?"
Vargas yielded seven hits, walked one and struck out four. He had only two perfect innings but was aided by three double plays.
"I didn't give up any runs," Vargas said, "so I guess that's all I can do."
After playing their first 34 games without going into extra innings, the Mariners have been extended beyond the ninth in three of their last four. They lost all three.
The Mariners turned a double play in each of the first three innings, making it five straight games in which they recorded at least two DPs. The last time Seattle had such a streak was August 8-12, 2009.