Rich Hill bounces back with 7 innings of 2-hit ball to lead Orioles to 1-0 win over Mariners

Hill bounces back to carry Birds past Mariners 1-0

SEATTLE — That trade to Baltimore is haunting the Mariners. And not just their 5-for-1 swap to get Erik Bedard.

Rich Hill, acquired by the Orioles in an overlooked deal with the Chicago Cubs just before spring training, allowed two hits in seven innings, Adam Jones and George Sherrill flourished against their former team and Baltimore beat Seattle 1-0 on Monday night.

“That’s probably as good as it’s going to get tonight,” Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said of Hill, Jim Johnson and Sherrill’s combined two-hitter. “That’s tremendous.”

The Orioles sent former ace Erik Bedard to the Mariners for top outfield prospect Jones, reliever Sherrill and three other players in February 2008. While Bedard is just now healthy again entering his first start against his former team Tuesday night, Jones and Sherrill have begun to blossom in Baltimore.

Jones doubled and scored the only run on a sacrifice fly by Aubrey Huff off Jarrod Washburn (3-4) in the sixth inning. After Jim Johnson struck out two in a perfect eighth, Sherrill finished for his 11th save in 13 chances. Sherrill has 42 saves and his only All-Star appearance since Seattle traded him.

And against the anemic Mariners, Hill (2-0) looked far more valuable than the player to be named Baltimore sent to the Cubs to get him on February 2. He missed the first six weeks of the season with a strained elbow and allowed seven runs to Toronto in his previous start. But he had the Mariners nearly falling over home plate while lunging at curveballs as slow as 69 mph.

Ichiro Suzuki tied the Mariners’ record by hitting safely in his 25th consecutive game, but the AL’s lowest-scoring team had just one other hit following Suzuki’s double in the first. The last 20 Mariners went down after Yuniesky Betancourt singled in the third.

Hill struck out seven and walked three.

It was Seattle’s first loss in four 1-0 games this season.

They were so desperate against Hill, leading slugger Russell Branyan tried to bunt leading off the seventh.

It went foul — like the Mariners’ offense most of this season. Branyan then struck out.

Asked how tough it was to hit Hill’s stuff, Wladimir Balentien said, “We make it tough. We tried to do more than we can do.”

At Cleveland, Joba Chamberlain allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings and the Yankees set a record for consecutive games without making an error.

Chamberlain (3-1) retired the first 11 batters before Victor Martinez’s home run in the fourth. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.

New York played error free for the 18th straight game, surpassing Boston’s mark of 17 set in 2006. The Yankees haven’t made an error since May 13 at Toronto when shortstop Ramiro Pena misplayed a ground ball.

Nick Swisher doubled home a pair of runs and Alex Rodriguez singled home two more in a four-run seventh inning.

At Chicago, Jim Thome hit the 550th homer of his career in the eighth inning to put the White Sox ahead.

A.J. Pierzynksi homered and Scott Podsednik scored two runs for the White Sox, who won their fourth straight and 10th in 13 games.

Oakland reliever Craig Breslow (1-4) allowed a leadoff walk to Scott Podsednik in the eighth inning. After Alexei Ramirez popped up a bunt attempt, Jermaine Dye singled off Santiago Casilla. On a 1-2 pitch, Thome hit an opposite field home run to left-center to put the White Sox up 5-2.

Thome is 13th on the career homers list.

Matt Thornton (3-1) struck out the side in the eighth.