SEATTLE _ It was more of the same for the Mariners against the Orioles on Sunday as they again used the long ball _ and lots of long hits _ to beat the Orioles, 9-4.
A grand slam by Seth Smith and three straight doubles in the seventh inning were the keys as the Mariners completed a four-game sweep of the Orioles in which they scored 31 runs and had 23 extra-base hits _ one off the team record for a four-game series.
The win in front of 31,405 at Safeco Field also capped an 7-2 homestand that helped revive Seattle's season.
The Mariners had lost a season-high six in a row when the homestand began on June 24 against the Cardinals. But an Adam Lind three-run walkoff homer jump-started an offense that scored five runs or more in all but two of the 10 games.
The pitching has also stabilized with the return of Taijuan Walker from injury and the emergence of Wade LeBlanc.
The Mariners still have work to do. But losses the last two days by both the AL West-leading Rangers and second-place Astros allowed the Mariners to pick up two games on each in less than 24 hours and move into a tie for second with Houston.
And that's where the Mariners are now headed, as they'll begin a seven-game trip that finishes the first half of the season with three games at Houston, followed by four at Kansas City.
The Mariners' onslaught Sunday started innocently enough.
Chris Ianetta led off the third with a walk. Ketel Marte followed with a bloop just over shortstop J.J. Hardy's head.
Leonys Martin then loaded the bases with a bunt and a little help from Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez.
Jimenez fielded the ball on the third-base side and initially looked to throw to third, where it appeared he might have had a chance to get a force on Ianetta. But there was no one there because Manny Machado was charging in. By the time Jimenez looked to first there was no chance to get Martin and everyone was safe.
Smith then hit an 0-2 fastball 404 feet for his 10th home run of the season, making Seattle the first team in the majors with seven players hitting 10 or more homers so far this year.
Baltimore got right back in the game in the top of the fourth thanks in part to a Martin error.
Mark Trumbo's solo homer with one out made it 4-1.
Jonathan Schoop followed with an infield single down the third-base line and Pedro Alvarez then lined a single to center.
Martin, though, let the ball go under his glove and the runners advanced to second and third.
The Orioles then let Hardy swing away on a 3-0 pitch and he lined a double past Kyle Seager at third base to make it 4-3.
The Mariners, though, quickly answered with two runs in a somewhat strange bottom of the fourth.
One run scored on a Marte double to right on which the ball got stuck under the wall down the right-field line. Ianetta initially also scored but was ruled to head back to third.
After a fielder's choice, Ianetta got to trot home when Jimenez balked when he stopped his delivery after seeing Martin break from first to second. That made it 6-3.
Jimenez entered the game with an 8.37 ERA in six road starts this season and he lasted just 4 1/3 innings against the Mariners.
Hisashi Iwakuma, who had thrown a no-hitter against the Orioles in his last game against Baltimore in Seattle last Aug. 12, was hardly untouchable this time, giving up 10 hits in six-plus innings before being yanked after throwing 78 pitches.
But he mostly got the key outs when he needed them, and with some help from the bullpen ultimately improved to 8-6 on the season.
Iwakuma got his most help when rookie Edwin Diaz came on to strike out the side in the top of the seventh, the outs sandwiching a couple of singles that allowed one run to score.
Diaz, though, struck out Schoop with runners on second and third to end the inning and keep Seattle ahead 6-4.
Diaz now has 10 straight outs recorded via strikeout, tying a team record set by Randy Johnson in 1997.
Seattle then added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh on three straight doubles by Cruz, Seager and Lind.
