Moyer Craftily Gives Marinersa Necessary Win Sorrento Helps Slam O’S 10-3; Seattle Wins 6th In 19 Games

Jamie Moyer didn’t get the shutout. And he didn’t get a complete game, even though he took a 10-run lead into the ninth inning.

All that didn’t matter much to the crafty left-hander, because he pitched well enough Thursday night to earn a victory in a game the Seattle Mariners desperately needed to win.

Moyer defeated his former teammates for the third time this season and Paul Sorrento hit a grand slam as the Mariners pounded the Baltimore Orioles 10-3.

Moyer (10-2) took a two-hit shut-out into the ninth before Mike Devereaux led off with a homer and Brady Anderson added a two-run shot, his 38th. Norm Charlton recorded the final three outs for Seattle, which won for only the sixth time in 19 games.

“We won the game, and that’s most important in my mind,” Moyer said. “We’re still in the playoff hunt, and it’s important for us to get a win any chance we can.”

Ken Griffey Jr. had three hits for the Mariners, who scored only six runs in losing the first two games of the three-game series. Seattle topped that in the fifth inning alone, scoring seven times in an uprising highlighted by Sorrento’s third grand slam this year - Seattle’s major league-leading ninth.

Moyer struck out two and walked none in improving to 3-1 in five starts since being traded from Boston on July 30. Moyer, who was released by the Orioles after the 1995 season, is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA against Baltimore this season.

“I can’t explain it. I’m at a loss for words,” Moyer said. “I’m pitching the way I’ve pitched all year; I’m pitching the way I pitched here.”

The Orioles lost for only the seventh time in 23 games. Baltimore (67-59) was bidding to move 10 games over .500 for the first time this season.

The Orioles played without manager Davey Johnson, who was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. His condition was not serious, and he is expected to rejoin the team today.

Johnson was replaced by bench coach Andy Etchebarren.

“They outpitched us, they outhit us. Moyer pitched a great game,” Etchebarren said. “We didn’t have much of a chance. When you get your off-speed stuff over the plate on fastball counts, you’re going to win.”

Seattle manager Lou Piniella said, “Jamie made it look nice and easy for seven-plus innings. He started getting the ball up in the eighth. If he hadn’t had the shutout, we wouldn’t have let him go out in the ninth.”

Baltimore’s Eddie Murray went a fifth straight game without a homer and remained stuck on 498 for his career.

The first three Mariners to face Rocky Coppinger (7-5) got hits to stake Seattle to a 2-0 lead. Joey Cora singled, Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI double and Griffey singled in a run.

Griffey singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jay Buhner to make it 3-0 in the third.

The Mariners sent 11 players to the plate in the fifth, seven of whom got hits. After Sorrento hit his 21st homer, Andy Sheets and Cora hit RBI singles before a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez made it 10-0.

“Sorrento’s homer was big. If Rocky gets him out, you never know,” Etchebarren said. “But Moyer didn’t give in to anyone.”

Coppinger yielded 10 hits and eight earned runs in 4-1/3 innings, by far the rookie’s worst performance this season.