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In an unprecedented four-game sweep in Baltimore Adidas Jonathan Toews Jersey , the Seattle Mariners outscored the Orioles by a total of six runs and twice prevailed in extra innings.

The difference between the two teams, to a large degree, is that Seattle finds a way to win, and the Orioles keep coming up with a variety of ways to lose.

Nelson Cruz homered and drove in three runs, and the Mariners capitalized on two 10th-inning errors in a 4-2 victory Thursday that completed their first four-game sweep at Baltimore in franchise history.

The Mariners improved to 8-0 in extra innings this season. They won in 11 innings on Wednesday, after winning the first two games of the series 5-3 and 3-2.

”We won four games, four different ways,” manager Scott Servais said with pride. ”It shows what kind of team we are. Different players on different nights, all pitching in. We are playing pretty good baseball as a team right now. This sweep was a great turnaround for us.”

The Mariners came to town with a run of six losses in seven games. They headed back to Seattle in the thick of the AL West race.

”It’s great to get a sweep,” shortstop Jean Segura said. ”It gives us momentum as we go back home.”

After missing two straight games with lower back pain, Cruz celebrated his return with his 21st homer , a two-run shot in the fourth inning that put Seattle up 2-0.

Manny Machado and Chris Davis answered with solo drives off Mike Leake in the bottom half, and that accounted for all the scoring until the 10th.

Dee Gordon beat out a dribbler to the left of the mound and scored when center fielder Colby Rasmus bobbled Segura’s single off Miguel Castro (2-4). A throwing error by third baseman Steve Wilkerson and an RBI single by Cruz followed.

Gordon’s speed and Cruz’s power have proven to be a potent combination for the Mariners. It was certainly too much for Baltimore.

”Guys like Gordon put such pressure on you because you know any little bobble, anything, he’s going to take another base,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ”A groundball that probably 95 percent of people are out on pretty easily Adidas Corey Crawford Jersey , it’s a base hit. That’s why they’re having a good year and winning some games, because of things like that.

”You can’t say, `We don’t have it.’ Well, a lot of teams don’t have that.”

Juan Nicasio got three straight outs in the 10th for his first save after James Pazos (2-1) worked the ninth.

Leake allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, his eighth straight start of at least six innings.

Making his first major league start, Jimmy Yacabonis gave up two runs and six hits over four-plus innings for Baltimore. After Yacabonis allowed two straight singles to start the fifth, Jefry Ramirez took over and retired Segura and Mitch Haniger before striking out Cruz.

”I thought I did well,” Yacabonis said. ”There were a couple of times where I tried to make my pitches too good instead of just executing. That’s just going to come with fine tuning and experience.”

Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, Ramirez threw five innings of three-hit ball in his second big league game.

STREAKY

Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a sixth-inning single. It matches a career high, set with Seattle in 2015. … Davis has two HRs in his last two games and three in seven games since returning from an 8-game hiatus designed to break a season-long skid.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: 3B Kyle Seager did not start after hurting his toe during a swing Wednesday night, but entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth and stayed in the game.

Orioles: 3B Tim Beckham was given a day off. He had played in three straight games since coming off the DL following core surgery. ”He feels good. We just want to keep him that way,” Showalter said. … CF Adam Jones was also rested. ”I’ve been looking for a day (off) for him, and today’s the day,” Showalter said.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (7-5, 4.04 ERA) starts against Kansas City on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game homestand.

Orioles: Rookie David Hess (2-4, 5.44) helps Baltimore launch a three-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

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KANSAS CITY Adidas Patrick Kane Jersey , Mo. — The Kansas City Royals eliminated the Houston Astros in the 2015 postseason while on their way to winning the World Series.

The two clubs have taken different paths since.

The Astros, who are the 2017 World Series champions, bring an eight-game winning streak Friday to Kansas City for the opener of a three-game series.

On the other hand, the Royals have lost nine of 10 and are in last place in the American League Central. Only the Baltimore Orioles have a worse record than the Royals (22-46). And nobody has a worse home record than the Royals, who have lost 23 of 33 at Kauffman Stadium.

“This losing is getting old,” Royals starting pitcher Jason Hammel said.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost is trying to keep the spirits of the players uplifted during trying times.

“It’s easier when you’ve got guys where winning and competitiveness is ingrained in their character,” Yost said. “You just don’t take a loser and make him a winner. Our scouting department, our player development people have drafted winners, and when things are going rough they continue to battle, they continue to fight, they continue to compete.”

There are a few leftovers from the 2015 championship club. That includes Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Kelvin Herrera and Alcides Escobar.

“It’s been fun to watch our veteran guys to continue to push and support and compete their tail off every single day,” Yost said. “Dayton (Moore, general manager) says draft winners. Get the most talented kids Adidas Nathan MacKinnon Jersey , but draft winners. That’s number one.

“We want kids that compete, love to play. We want guys that long to get better and understand the process of getting better. That’s what we look for. These kids, 95 out of 100, have that ingrained character trait or else they probably wouldn’t be here.”

The Astros are built for repeating. They are in a dogfight with the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West. The Royals are looking to 2021-22 as when they could be legitimate contenders.

In a 3-2 loss on Sunday at Oakland, Brad Keller made his third big league start. Yost used Scott Barlow, Tim Hill and Jason Adam in relief that afternoon. None of the four had ever thrown a pitch in the majors before this season.

“It’s what we have,” Yost said. “We like our young pitching.”

It is more about tomorrow than today.

“Part of this process every single day is we’re evaluating which guys are we going to move forward with,” Yost said. “We’re looking at which guys have that ability to continue to grow and get better and be part of a championship club.

“When it is all said and done, that’s what you’re looking for. You’re trying to build a championship club again. A lot of players that are going to be on the next championship club aren’t here. They’re working their way up the farm system right now.

“But we do have a pretty good little group of guys that are going to be here when that time comes. They need to continue to develop, seek consistency in their game and their command. We like what we see out of them so far.”

The Astros will start right-hander Charlie Morton, who is 7-1 with a 2.82 ERA, in the opener. He will try to become the fourth Houston starter with at least eight victories.

Morton is coming off one of the strangest no-decision lines. In his previous start against the Texas Rangers, Morton walked six and hit four batters in 3 2/3 innings but allowed only two runs (one earned).

Morton is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in two starts against Kansas City.

Right-hander Jakob Junis will start for the Royals. He is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 13 starts. No other Kansas City starter has more than three wins. Junis has lost his last three decisions. All five of his wins have come after a Royals loss.

This will be his second career start against Houston. He got a no-decision against the Astros on June 6, 2017, although he allowed seven runs (three unearned) in 3 2/3 innings.

He is 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA in seven home starts this season.