McKenna’s 10th-inning homer gives Orioles a 6-4 win over Mariners

BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan McKenna hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Baltimore Orioles 6, Seattle Mariners 4: Box Score

BIG MAC WALKS IT OFF!! pic.twitter.com/gWdNnexQxT

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 24, 2023

McKenna entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth, when the Orioles were trying to protect a one-run lead. But Baltimore had to play on after Mike Ford hit a tying solo homer off closer Félix Bautista with Seattle down to its last out.

Mike Ford: The Power from Princeton. pic.twitter.com/AZJeHfDrvc

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 24, 2023

The Mariners weren’t able to advance their automatic runner at all in their half of the 10th. Mike Baumann (5-0) retired J.P. Crawford on a grounder to the pitcher and then struck out Julio Rodríguez and Ty France.

With one out in the 10th, McKenna hit a drive to right-center off Justin Topa (1-3) for his second homer of the year.

Ford homered twice for Seattle, and Crawford and Rodríguez also hit solo shots.

home run derby mode activated pic.twitter.com/zsfx7owq7t

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 24, 2023

Anthony Santander had four hits for the Orioles, including a solo homer, before he was replaced by McKenna in the outfield.

Aaron Hicks also went deep for Baltimore, which rebounded from a 13-1 shellacking against the Mariners on Friday night. Rodríguez made a leaping, spinning catch in center field, reaching above the wall to rob Ryan O’Hearn in the seventh.

The Orioles welcomed Cedric Mullins back from a groin strain, but Hicks — who has performed well as a replacement — made an impressive bid to stay in the lineup. He started in center field with Mullins as the designated hitter, and his solo homer off Gabe Speier in the sixth put the Orioles up 4-3. Ford tied it with a 434-foot drive off Bautista.

Dean Kremer allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings for Baltimore.

The Orioles scored first on Adam Frazier’s RBI single in the second. Ford and Crawford homered in the third, but Santander answered with a drive to right-center that tied it at 2 in the bottom of the inning.

Santander’s run-scoring single in the fifth put the Orioles up 3-2, but Rodríguez tied it an inning later with his 13th homer.

Hicks was released by the New York Yankees after hitting .188 in his first 28 games this season. When Mullins went down with his injury in late May, the Orioles picked up Hicks. He has hit four home runs in 20 games with Baltimore.

RUNNING INTO TROUBLE

The Orioles had all sorts of problems on the bases. Frazier was hung up between first and second after his RBI single, and Ramón Urías was thrown out when he tried to dash home on the play. Santander was thrown out trying to advance to second on his RBI single after the throw went into third.

Henderson was picked off first in the eighth, and pinch-runner Jorge Mateo was doubled off first in the ninth when he failed to realize Mullins had hit a routine foul pop.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Crawford returned from a bruised shoulder after missing three games.

Orioles: Mullins went 0 for 4 with a walk in his first game since May 29.

UP NEXT

Kyle Bradish (3-3) starts for Baltimore in the series finale against George Kirby (6-6) on Sunday. Kirby has 75 strikeouts and only six walks on the season.

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