Mariners relievers blow it after sterling effort by Felix Hernandez

BALTIMORE -- Luis Hernandez singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capping a three-run rally that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the Seattle Mariners, 3-2 on Sunday.

The Mariners wasted an outstanding pitching performance by Felix Hernandez, who threw eight shutout innings as a replacement for Erik Bedard. Hernandez gave up five hits, struck out six, walked two and left with a 2-0 lead.

But Seattle's bullpen, operating without injured closer J.J. Putz, couldn't hold on.

Nick Markakis led off the ninth with a double off Eric O'Flaherty. He scored on a groundout by Aubrey Huff, leaving the bases empty with two outs. But Luke Scott singled, and Mark Lowe entered and gave up a single to Jay Payton to put runners at the corners.

Lowe (0-1) then threw a wild pitch to Ramon Hernandez to complete a walk and allow the tying run to score. Luis Hernandez followed with a liner to the gap in left center, scoring Payton without a throw.

Scott had his second straight three-hit game and Dennis Safate (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the Orioles, who have won four straight. Baltimore is 3-0 against the Mariners after going 2-7 against them last year.

Hernandez was moved up a day in the Seattle rotation after Bedard was scratched due to inflammation of the left hip. Pitching on a bitter cold afternoon, Hernandez threw 97 pitches and came within three outs of his third career shutout.

His ERA remained spotless -- he has not allowed an earned run in 15 innings -- but the right-hander remains winless.

Raul Ibanez went 3-for-4 with a homer and Richie Sexson doubled in a run for the Mariners. Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-4 to move within two hits of 1,600 for his career.

Seattle went up 1-0 in the third when Suzuki singled and scored on Sexson's two-out liner into the left-field corner.

Ibanez led off the sixth with his first home run, a drive to right. He came in batting .167, but also had a pair of singles in his first multihit game of the year.

Baltimore had only a few scoring chances against Hernandez. Guillermo Quiroz bounced into a double play with two on and one out in the third; Kevin Millar hit an inning-ending liner with two on in the sixth; and Scott was stranded in the seventh after hitting a one-out double, the Orioles' lone extra-base hit off Hernandez.

Notes: Bedard is expected to start Tuesday in Tampa Bay. ... Seattle's Adrian Beltre went 0-for-3 against Guthrie and is hitless in nine career at-bats against the right-hander. ... Millar has at least one hit in all five games.