 gave up seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. After snapping a 10-game losing streak a day earlier, the Orioles allowed 10 or more runs for the 15th time.''There's not a whole lot of options right now,'' Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of his pitching. ''We have what we have. I think we're kind of seeking what we have at the upper levels right now and that'll change over the course of time but this is what we have right now.'' Kikuchi (4-5) had lost four straight decisions, raising concerns about his transition from Japan to the majors, especially with his velocity ticking down. In his previous five starts, Kikuchi allowed 44 hits and 23 earned runs and had not pitched past the fifth inning.Sunday was a marginal improvement, even if it started out shaky.Trey Mancini hit his 17th homer in the first inning, and Kikuchi walked a season-high four over the first two innings. After escaping a jam in the second by giving up only one run, Kikuchi retired eight of the next nine. He allowed another run in the sixth after a leadoff double by Renato Nunez, but his velocity was up and the overall results were better.''It wasn't my best performance, it wasn't my 100 percent performance, but I was able to grind through and build a ballgame for my team so I was proud of that,'' Kikuchi said through an interpreter. ''The last five starts I wasn't able to perform the best I could and (Servais) has been very nice to me and given me a bunch of advice and my teammates around me have praised me a lot and helped me build my confidence.'' ROSTER SHUFFLESeattle continued to shuffle the arms in its bullpen by selecting RHPs Matt Carasiti and Mike Wright from Triple-A Tacoma. To clear the roster spots, the Mariners optioned RHP Gerson Bautista to Tacoma, designated for assignment LHP Jesse Biddle and transferred RHP Chasen Bradford to the 60-day injured list. Servais said a second opinion revealed Bradford has an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. The team is unsure if surgery will be needed.Carasiti was released from the Cubs organization on June 7 after pitching last season in Japan. He pitched a scoreless inning, becoming the 34th pitcher this season for the Mariners. Wright started the season with Baltimore before being acquired by Seattle in April. He pitched two scoreless innings.TRAINER'S ROOMBaltimore LHP John Means could be back in the rotation next weekend. Means, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a shoulder strain, is expected to throw a bullpen early in the week.UP NEXTOrioles: Baltimore is off Monday and has not named a starter for the opener of its series against San Diego on Tuesday.Mariners: After a day off, the Mariners open a road trip in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Marco Gonzales (8-6) will start the opener.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
O's look for momentum after ending skid against MarinersFLMO's look for momentum after ending skid against MarinersFor one day, at least, all was right in the Baltimore Orioles' world.Wearing the uniforms of the 1969 American League champions on Turn Back the Clock Day in Seattle, the Orioles snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 8-4 victory Saturday.The way the Orioles won would have made former manager Earl Weaver proud. A three-run homer by Jonathan Villar, a two-run shot by Anthony Santander and six solid innings from right-hander Andrew Cashner, just like the '69 Orioles would have won."Break the ice, get the juices flowing again, get back on track," outfielder Keon Broxton told MLB.com after the Orioles broke their longest skid in nearly a decade. "It was huge to knock this out of the way." Current Orioles manager Brandon Hyde suggested the team might have to wear the throwbacks again."I had the wrong pants on and the wrong hat on five minutes before the game. ... Whatever uniform allows us to win, I'll put it on," he said.Cashner allowed two runs on five hits, with three strikeouts, to improve to 7-3."It's been a tough skid. It's worn on all of us, the coaches and players," Cashner told MLB.com. "The home runs today were huge for us." Trey Mancini, the Orioles' leading hitter, returned after missing the previous two games with a severe elbow contusion suffered when hit by a pitch Wednesday in Oakland. Mancini, batting second, went 1 for 4."I wouldn't say it's 100 percent in every aspect, but baseball-wise it's good to go," Mancini told MLB.com.The Orioles are scheduled to send right-hander Gabriel Ynoa (0-4, 5.65 ERA) to the mound Sunday to go after their second consecutive victory. He's set to face Mariners rookie left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (3-5, 5.15 ERA). Neither pitcher has faced the opponent before.While the Orioles wore the jerseys of the 1969 AL champs, the Mariners were dressed as the Seattle Pilots, who played one season in the Pacific Northwest before moving to Milwaukee to become the Brewers.One of the few bright spots for the Mariners was outfielder Domingo Santana, who went 2 for 3 with a double, home run and walk and scored three of Seattle's four runs."Domingo is swinging the bat outstanding," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "All pitches -- he's on the breaking balls, the fastballs, he's got really good timing at the plate." Santana is batting .283 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs, putting him in contention to be the Mariners' All-Star representative."The thing that has really stood out for me is how good a feel Domingo has to hit, when to look for pitches, situations, how they're going to pitch," Servais said. "It's outstanding. That's why he's been able to have good years in the past and he's having a great year right now." The Mariners are 3-3 on their current homestand against the AL's other cellar dwellers. They lost two of three games to the Kansas City Royals and have won two of three against the Orioles heading into Sunday's series finale.--Field Level Media
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