BALTIMORE -- The home runs dont come often these days for 41-year-old Henry Blanco, and neither do starting assignments. When they do, however, Seattles backup catcher often leaves a memorable impression. Blanco hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Wei-Yin Chen, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 Sunday behind left-hander Joe Saunders. Batting ninth in the lineup, Blanco sent an 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats to erase a 2-1 deficit. The 16-year veteran was playing in his 32nd game of the season, the 17th with Seattle after being signed as a free agent. "If we could get that by the backup catcher every other day, every third day, well be in good shape," acting manager Robby Thompson said. "He comes to play, hes in great shape." Blanco has played for 11 different teams during a career that began in 1997. This was his third homer of the season; the other two were grand slams, including a game winner in his Mariners debut against Oakland on June 15. "When you get a win and you can help the team win some games, its a good feeling," Blanco said. Blancos batting .182, but hes done his job quite capably. "Hes had some huge hits for us," Thompson said. "Huge home runs, a couple grand slams and a two-run there. The times that hes in there, hes produced." Blanco isnt the only old-timer in the Seattle clubhouse. The Mariners other run Sunday came from 41-year-old Raul Ibanez, who hit an RBI double in the second inning. "Thats a good thing," Blanco said. "At this point, you just want to contribute to win games and hope for the best. Raul is a pretty good hitter, hes always been, and I just get lucky." Saunders (10-10) worked out of trouble in almost every inning but improved to 7-0 lifetime against Baltimore after allowing two runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings. He walked off the mound for the last time trailing 2-1, but Blancos blast made him a winner. "It was unreal," Saunders said. "Its one of those moments in the game where its like do or die and he put a good swing on a good pitch, I think, and bailed me out." Saunders, who played a key role for the Orioles late last season, has five consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins. In this one, he walked a tightrope through five innings and gave up a two-run drive to Danny Valencia in the sixth. Baltimore went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight. The Orioles dropped two of three to the Mariners and went 4-5 on a homestand that began with three games apiece against Boston and Houston. "We did some really good things to create some situations, but Joe pitched out of it," manager Buck Showalter said. "It was really kind of characteristic of a good veteran pitcher like Joe. Weve seen that before." Yoervis Medina struck out four in two perfect innings and Danny Farquhar got three straight outs for his second save, both of which came within 24 hours. Chen (6-4) gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings in losing for the first time in seven starts since May 1. Valencia was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game for his third stint with the Orioles this season. Starting at designated hitter, he homered after Steve Pearce drew a leadoff walk to put Baltimore up 2-1. The lead didnt last. One inning later, following a walk to No. 8 hitter Brendan Ryan, Blanco pulled a slider a few feet inside the foul pole. "Thats the spot I wanted to attack," Chen said through an interpreter. "I threw the ball right on the spot and he still swings the bat really well and he hit a home run off me. Hats off to him." Seattle and Baltimore combined for 14 homers in the three games, none more important than Blancos. "I wasnt expecting to hit a home run," Blanco said. "I was trying to get a pitch where I could put the ball in play and see if something can happen. I just hit it pretty good." The Mariners used successive doubles by Michael Morse and Raul Ibanez to go up 1-0 in the second. Over the first five innings, the Orioles wasted repeated opportunities to score. NOTES: Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik says manager Eric Wedge, who had a mild stroke on July 22, wont rejoin the team this week. Zduriencik said Wedge is "doing well," but added, "This is a lifelong health issue for him. When he gets back here managing this club, we want him to be here. We dont want him to come in and be here for two or three days."... Zduriencik also said RH reliever Stephen Pryor has been shut down for the year with an injured right triceps muscle. ... Orioles 2B Brian Roberts missed a third straight game while on paternity leave. He is expected to travel with the team Monday to San Diego for a two-game series that begins Tuesday night. ... The Mariners host Toronto on Monday night after going 2-4 on a six-game trip through Boston and Baltimore. ... Seattle won the season series 4-2. Jordan Black Friday 2019 . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Wholesale Jordan Black Friday .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.blackfridayjordan.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Jordan Black Friday From China . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Fake Jordan Black Friday . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Notre Dame redshirt sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer has declared for the NFL draft, the school announced.Thank you. NFL bound, Kizer said toward the end of a minute-long video on Bleacher Report.Kizer started the past 23 games for the Fighting Irish, with a 12-11 record. He threw for 5,809 yards with 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, adding 992 rushing yards and 18 more scores on the ground.The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Kizer assumed the starting role in the third game of the 2015 season, replacing Malik Zaire after Zaire suffered a broken ankle against Virginia in Week 2. Kizer threw a game-winning touchdown pass and never looked back, starting every Irish contest since.Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said in fall camp this season that with Zaire back from injury, both he and Kizer would see extensive time in the season opener at Texas. After Kizer outplayed Zaire in the loss, however, that plan was scrapped, with Kizer assuming full-time duties the rest of the season.Zaire has said he will transfer elsewhere for his fifth college season in 2017.Kizer was voted the Irishs MVP by his teammates at Fridays program awards banquet and named a captain for 2017.DeShone is an extremely gifted quarterback that was faced with a difficult decision, Kelly said Monday in a release. He could retturn as a senior captain at Notre Dame -- a place that he loves, and with a program that respects him immensely.dddddddddddd Or, he could begin the next chapter in his life and accept the opportunity that likely awaits in the NFL.While he chose the latter, the type of leadership DeShone displayed this past season will benefit our program moving forward. Hell certainly be missed on and off the field, but were very happy for him and his family. DeShone will always represent this University with the utmost professionalism and class.Neither Scouts Inc.s Todd McShay nor ESPNs Mel Kiper Jr. have Kizer on their latest draft boards, which are capped at 32 and 25 players, respectively. Kiper recently wrote that Kizer has to go back to school, with McShay adding: Mel is right, Kizer needs another year.The lack of surefire upperclassmen quarterbacks in the 2017 class, however, could prove beneficial for Kizer, who was considered a late-bloomer in high school because of a well-rounded sports background that included four-year stints on both the baseball and basketball teams.Kizer tweeted a statement Monday thanking Notre Dame for its support the past three years. ' ' '