SEATTLE — Colton Cowser made a triumphant return to the major leagues after being activated from the 60-day injured list. His home run in his first game back helped lead the Baltimore Orioles to a convincing 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Cowser, who had been sidelined since March 30 due to a broken left thumb, delivered an impressive solo home run to left field in the sixth inning, marking his second homer of the season. His long-awaited return to the scoreboard also coincided with an unfortunate injury for Mariners pitcher George Kirby, who left the game after being struck by a line drive.
The Orioles capitalized on Kirby’s early struggles, scoring two runs during his tenure on the mound. Ramón Urías brought in the first with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning, and Ryan O’Hearn added another with an RBI single in the fifth. Baltimore promptly secured two additional runs in the ninth inning, sealing their win.
On the mound for the Orioles, veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano delivered an outstanding performance. Over his seven innings, Sugano allowed just one run, a solo homer by Seattle’s Rowdy Tellez. His dominant outing stifled the Mariners, who found little success against Baltimore’s bullpen, contributing to their 27th defeat of the season.
A concerning moment unfolded when Kirby, during the fifth inning, faced a powerful comeback line drive from Urías. The ball hit Kirby on the face, prompting immediate medical attention as he quickly left the field with a bloodied face, and he didn’t return for the next inning.
In his career against Seattle, Cowser has consistently excelled, maintaining a streak of reaching base safely in all seven appearances against the Mariners. Over those games, he’s hit 8 for 20 with two doubles, three RBIs, and seven walks.
Looking ahead, the Mariners will turn to right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock, who carries a 2-2 record with a 5.64 ERA, to start Wednesday’s matchup. Meanwhile, Cade Povich, another righty with a 1-4 record and a 5.29 ERA, is set to take the mound for Baltimore in the second game of their three-game series.