Woo Shines as Mariners Secure Series Victory Over Orioles

On Thursday afternoon, Bryan Woo showcased his remarkable pitching skills, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 3-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles, clinching the rubber match and the season series. Woo struggled in his previous outing against the Orioles in Baltimore, where he allowed seven runs in five innings. However, this time around, he was in command, going over seven innings, striking out nine batters, and surrendering only three hits and one walk.

Reflecting on his performance, Woo noted the differences in conditions compared to last week. "Conditions were different, didn’t have a great feel for the ball in Baltimore, just fell into a lot of hitters counts," he said. "So I wanted to make sure that I came out and got ahead, was in the spots that I wanted to be in, and do what I wanted to do from there." Woo’s strategy proved effective as he threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 25 batters he faced, finishing the game with just 80 pitches after seven innings.

The Mariners took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. After Josh Naylor hit a single and moved to second base due to a fielding error by Leody Taveras, Dominic Canzone walked, setting the stage for Cole Young, who drove in Naylor with a double down the left field line. Colt Emerson then added to the scoring with a base hit that brought in both Canzone and Young, giving Woo a comfortable cushion.

As the game progressed, the Mariners struggled to add to their lead, with Orioles pitcher Shane Baz finding his rhythm after a shaky start. He struck out nine batters over seven innings, keeping his team within reach. However, the Orioles only posed a serious threat in the eighth inning, when Woo allowed a single and a walk, putting two runners on base with no outs. Mariners manager Dan Wilson opted to bring in Eduard Bazardo, who successfully quelled the danger by securing a ground-out and a fly-out before striking out Taylor Ward with a well-placed sinker.

In the ninth inning, Andrés Muñoz took the mound to close the game. Despite allowing a couple of baserunners, including a walk to Gunnar Henderson, he managed to finish strong, striking out Taveras to seal the win. This victory marked the Mariners' first series win over the Orioles since 2022 and marked Baltimore's first shutout of the season.

Emerson expressed his admiration for Young, saying, “He’s another guy I look up to... He’s always been somebody that’s been ahead of me, that I look up to, and as even-keeled as he is, I know that he’s had a lot of success.” The Mariners are set to face the Red Sox next in a three-game series at T-Mobile Park.