Chris Davis enjoyed an uplifting moment in an otherwise dreary season, hitting a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning to carry Baltimore past the Seattle Mariners 2-1 Sunday in the Orioles' final home game of the season.
A two-time major league home run champ, the 33-year-old Davis is struggling through a third straight subpar season. Making matters more difficult is that he has three years left on a $161 million contract.
Davis came in batting .174 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs and has heard more than his share of jeers from the home fans. On this occasion, however, he brought the crowd to its feet by driving a sinker from lefty Marco Gonzales (16-12) over the right-field wall for a 2-1 lead.
Seattle Mariners Kyle Seager follows through with an RBI double against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Baltimore. (AP PhotoGail Burton)
Davis' playing time has been cut on a rebuilding team, so between that and his lack of power this year, it was his first home run since Aug. 28 in Washington.
Before the game, Davis' situation was addressed by first-year general manager Mike Elias, who insisted that the one-time slugger would be at spring training next year but noted, "It's a really frustrating situation. It's one of the many things that we stepped into and have inherited and are working on."
Orioles left-hander John Means (11-11) allowed one run and seven hits over seven sharp innings in the penultimate start of an All-Star rookie season. He walked one and struck out four, including Domingo Santana with his final pitch.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales throws against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Baltimore. (AP PhotoGail Burton)
Richard Bleier finished for his fourth save in a game that took only 2 hours, 11 minutes.
Gonzales gave up two runs and three hits over seven innings. He was 7-0 over 19 starts in his career in September and October.
Both teams scored in the first inning before the starting pitchers found their groove.
Baltimore Orioles' Austin Hays is unable to catch up with a long fly ball hit by Seattle Mariners' Shed Long in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Baltimore. (AP PhotoGail Burton)
Shed Long opened the game with a triple and scored on a single by J.P. Crawford for Seattle, and the Orioles tied it on an RBI double by Renato Núñez.
TRUMBO FINALE?
Mark Trumbo got the start in what will almost certainly be his final home game with the Orioles.
Trumbo worked from spring training through August to rehabilitate his knee following offseason surgery. He came off the injured list in September to complete the three-year contract he signed in January 2017.
The 33-year-old doesn't fit into the Orioles rebuild, but that doesn't necessarily mean his career is over.
"He hasn't indicated to me that he's retiring or that he's done playing," manager Brandon Hyde said.
ATTENDANCE DOWN
A crowd of 17,540 brought the final attendance figure at Camden Yards to 1,307,807, lowest in a non-strike shortened season since 1978.
The Orioles drew 1,564,192 last year.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: Reliever Austin Adams was to have an MRI on his left knee after twisting it on Saturday night. Manager Scott Servais said initial tests showed the knee to be stable. ... Tom Murphy was at DH after being struck in the head by a backswing one night earlier. "He is feeling it this morning," Servais said.
Orioles: Trey Mancini did not start because of a bruised leg that Hyde labeled "pretty beat up."
UP NEXT
Mariners: A trip back home comes with Monday off before Seattle launches its final homestand Tuesday against playoff-bound Houston.
Orioles: RHP Chandler Shepherd (0-0, 4.91 ERA) gets the start Monday night in the opener of a three-game set in Toronto.
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