masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles fans have seen it before – Robinson Cano with a big home run at Camden Yards. This time it was a three-run shot in the fifth inning tonight that lifted the Seattle Mariners to a 6-3 win over the Orioles.

The Orioles fall to 61-48, but with Toronto’s 8-2 loss to Houston, they maintain their 2 1/2 game lead on the Blue Jays atop the American League East.

Seattle came up in the fifth of a 1-1 tie against Miguel Gonzalez. Austin Jackson singled with one out and went to third on Dustin…Orioles fans have seen it before – Robinson Cano with a big home run at Camden Yards. This time it was a three-run shot in the fifth inning tonight that lifted the Seattle Mariners to a 6-3 win over the Orioles.

The Orioles fall to 61-48, but with Toronto’s 8-2 loss to Houston, they maintain their 2 1/2 game lead on the Blue Jays atop the American League East.

miguel-gonzalez-white-side-throwing-sidebar.jpgSeattle came up in the fifth of a 1-1 tie against Miguel Gonzalez. Austin Jackson singled with one out and went to third on Dustin Ackley’s double. With first base open, Gonzalez left a changeup in the middle and Cano didn’t miss it. His eighth homer made it a 4-1 lead.

Cano has now hit 29 homers and has 106 RBIs in 160 career games against the Orioles.

Gonzalez took the loss to fall to 5-6 with an ERA of 3.93. He gave up seven hits and four runs over five innings. Orioles starters had recorded nine quality starts in their previous 11 games with an ERA of 2.12.

The Orioles have scored three or less in 12 of the last 20 games. They went 1-for-12 tonight with runners in scoring position.

Adam Jones drove in their first run with an RBI groundout in the first inning. Caleb Joseph’s solo homer in the fifth pulled the Orioles to within 4-2 and was his fourth of the season. Kendrys Morales’ two-run single in the ninth made it a 6-2 lead. A Ryan Flaherty pinch-hit single in the last of the ninth made it 6-3.

In the series finale on Sunday afternoon, Chris Tillman (7-5, 3.97 ERA) faces Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5, 3.06). In five career starts against the Mariners, Tillman is 5-0 with an ERA of 2.45.