SEATTLE – Four years after one of the worst trades in team history, the Seattle Mariners got a firsthand look Monday night at two big pieces they gave away.
Adam Jones scored four times and Chris Tillman pitched six effective innings to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 10-4 victory over Seattle.
Jones and Tillman were two of the five players Seattle sent to the Orioles in a lopsided deal for oft-injured pitcher Erik Bedard in February 2008. Tillman is 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA in four career starts against his former club — and 11-17 with a 5.44 ERA against everyone else.
"He's done well, period," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "He's pitched well this year but, yes, he has pitched well against us, too. He's kind of short arm, over the top, a little bit sneaky, real good breaking ball. Then he mixes in his changeup a little. He did a nice job."
Tillman (8-2) allowed one run and three hits, striking out four and walking none. The right-hander said he doesn't hold a grudge against the Mariners for trading him.
"Every game you have to go out and help give your team the best chance to win. It's nothing different facing this team or other teams," he said.
The Orioles jumped on Seattle starter Hector Noesi (2-12) from the first batter and didn't let up until they chased him after just 1 1-3 innings.
"Hector has to be better than that," Wedge said. "It just wasn't a good day at all for him.
"We sent him down for a reason and were hoping to see something better than that. When you make mistakes up here and you don't execute pitches, you're going to get knocked around and that's what happened."
Noesi gave up eight hits and six earned runs in his 54-pitch outing. He walked two and struck out one.
"I think I was trying to do too much," Noesi said. "I was thinking too much. It was on me."
Chasing their first playoff berth in 15 years, the Orioles are getting contributions from everyone on the roster.
Nate McLouth hit a leadoff home run and Matt Wieters had a two-run shot. Baltimore moved within a half-game of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East and opened a three-game cushion over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild-card spot.
"We're all clicking right now," Tillman said. "We're going on all cylinders, playing good baseball. It's fun to watch."
Baltimore banged out 15 hits to back Tillman, who came out of his previous start Sept. 2 after three innings because of an inflamed nerve in his right elbow. He had three bullpen sessions since then and said he felt fine.
McLouth, Wieters and Jones had three hits apiece. Mark Reynolds added two RBIs, and Jones' four runs set a season high for a Baltimore player.
For the second consecutive game, seven players had at least one RBI for the Orioles.
Baltimore has not finished higher than third place since the team won the AL East in 1997. The Orioles had 14 straight losing seasons until this year.
The Mariners scored all their runs on homers. Michael Saunders hit an opposite-field shot, his 16th, to left in the second off Tillman. Eric Thames hit his eighth off Zach Phillips in the eighth and John Jaso had a two-run drive, his ninth, off Luis Ayala in the ninth.
McLouth opened the game with a home run into the right-field seats on an 0-2 pitch. Reynolds and Manny Machado each had an RBI single later in the first.
J.J. Hardy and Reynolds each had a run-scoring double in a four-run second, and Jones added an RBI single. Another run scored on an error for a 7-0 lead.
"It's everyone picking the next guy up," Reynolds said. "We need guys to get hot right now to stay in this race. The Yankees aren't going anywhere. Oakland is a good team. Tampa Bay is right there. The Angels are a really good team. We have to take care of our own by winning games. Whether it's Wieters or Jonesy or someone else, everyone has to step up."
Wieters hit a two-run homer to center in the fourth on the first pitch from Oliver Perez. It was his 22nd, tying his career high.
Endy Chavez finished the Orioles' scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.
"That's impressive, our production around," McLouth said. "Definitely not counting on one or two guys alone is pretty important."
NOTES: The Orioles have won six of seven meetings with the Mariners this season. ... Wedge started his regulars. "We are going to put out our best lineup," he said. He added that his players are doing more than just showing up. "No one is looking at the finish line right now," he said. "I don't sense that at all. They're all focused on today."
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