Angels hit three homers, beat O's 6-5, in series finale
Tonight: The Orioles begin a 3-game series with the Oakland A's tonight at 10:00pm (MASN). Coverage begins with O's XTRA Pregame at 9:30pm.
Nats GameBlogs: Check out an archive of Steve Melewski's O's GameBlogs for a recap of every contest the Birds have played in '08. [link]
The Angels hit three homers today, including a three-run shot from Torii Hunter that capped a four-run first inning.
Steve Trachsel gave up six runs on seven hits in three innings. His ERA over his last four outings is 11.05.
Melvin Mora had three hits and three runs scored for the O's, who also got a solo homer from Nick Markakis and two RBI from Kevin Millar.
The O's fall to 16-15 and begin a three-game series in Oakland Monday night.
Angels use the longball to beat O's, 6-5
Steve Trachsel got rocked for three homers in three innings as the Angels beat the O's 6-5 today, to take the series, 2-1. Torii Hunter's three-run homer capped a big first inning, after which the Angels led 4-2.
Gary Mathews Jr. took Trachsel for a solo homer and Robb Quinlan added a two-run shot. Trachsel allowed seven hits and six runs in just three innings to fall to 1-4 with an ERA of 7.43
For the O's, Melvin Mora went 3-5, with a solo homer and three runs scored.
Kevin Millar snapped a 4-38 stretch with two hits and two RBI. Nick Markakis added a solo homer, his 6th of the season.
The O's, who had 11 hits in the series first two games, had a season-high 15 today.
Lance Cormier, in his O's debut, pitched three innings of scoreless relief.
The Orioles fall to 16-15 and have lost six of their last eight.
The Angels are 20-13 and are 14-7 since starting the season at 6-6.
Garrett Olson starts Monday night when the road trip continues with the start of a three-game series at Oakland.
Balt 5-15-1
LAA 6-8-0
SOME POST-GAME NOTES
The O's 15 hits is a season-high, the previous best was 13......Melvin Mora went 3-5 with a solo homer and three runs scored.......In the series, he was 6-11 with three RBI.........Trachsel has now exited early in three of his last four starts.......His ERA over his last four starts is 11.05 (18 er 14.2 ip).........O's fall to 8-3 in one-run games.
The Orioles have lost four of five and six of eight in falling to 16-15......the Angels are 14-7 since their 6-6 start........Torii Hunter, who hit a three-run homer in the first, went 5-9 in this series...............Kevin Millar snapped a 4-38 stretch with two hits and two RBI.....Nick Markakis homered twice in the series, but has just 6 hits in his last 36 at bats.
Steve Melewski's live GameBlog
NICK HITS ONE OUT
LAA 6 O's 5......middle of seven
Nick Markakis hits a solo homer off reliever Justin Speier to make it a 6-5 game, Angels leading. It's his 6th homer of the year and 2nd this weekend.
Sarfate comes on in the 7th after Lance Cormier pitched 3 scoreless in his O's debut.
GETTING ONE BACK
LAA 6 O's 4.....end of five
O's got one back in the 5th on a Millar rbi single. He is 2-3 with two RBI today. Ramon Hernandez hit into a double play to end the threat. The O's have 12 hits in five innings today. They had 11 hits in the first two games of this series. Their season high is 13 hits. Mora is 3-3 with a homer and three runs scored and is now 6-9 with three RBI in this series.
THE BOMBING CONTINUES
LAA 6 O's 3........end of three
Robb Quinlan hits a two-run homer to the rocks in center for a 6-3 Angels lead. Trachsel has allowed three homers today and it would be a shock to me if he comes out on the mound in the last of the fourth. Cormier was warming up.
MORA GOES DEEP
LAA 4 O''s 3..........middle of third
Melvin Mora hits a solo homer off Saunders in the third to bring the O's within 4-3. It's Mora's 4th homer of the year and first since April 15. He is having a big weekend, going 5-8 vs. Angels pitching with now 3 RBI.
O'S SECOND INNING
LAA 4 O's 2..........middle of second
The O's got two hits in the second, but stranded two. First time thru the order, they went 7-9 vs. Saunders but somehow scored only two runs out of that. They have seven hits in the first two innings after getting just 11 hits the first two games of this series.
But can Trachsel start to get outs ????
THE ANGELS FIRST
LAA 4 O's 2........end of one
The 2-0 lead is now a 4-2 deficit. Steve Trachsel, who had a 9.26 ERA his past three starts, allowed two home runs in the first. Gary Mathews Jr led off with a solo blast to center and later Torii Hunter ripped a 3-run homer to left. Hunter is 5-7 in this series.
It's looking like Trachsel doesn't have much left and his grip on a rotation spot has to be as slippery as can be right now. The O's actually got some momentum today but he could not hold it.
FIRST INNING OFFENSE
O's 2 LAA 1......middle of first
Steve Trachsel will take the mound with a 2-0 lead.
I am not sure how to even recap the O's first as they scored two runs but two Birds got thrown out on the bases.
Brian Roberts got a leadoff double but was thrown out trying to steal third.
So with two outs and none on, Mora, Huff and Millar all singled for a 1-0 lead. Then Ramon Hernandez hit one off the left-field wall, but went into his home run trot and got thrown out at second base. Only one run scored on the play. On the hit first-base coach John Shelby gave him a hi five as he got to first as if the ball was a homer and it was not. A real embarassment for the O's.
Trachsel just gave up a leaoff homer to Gary Mathews Jr to make it 2-1.
PLAY BALL !!!!
I'm on double duty today, here for masnsports.com and also working the O's radio pre and post-game shows with Dave Johnson. Dave says today is a reverse lock. The pitching matchup so heavily favors the Angels that no doubt the O's will win. We'll see. Check back during today's game for updates.
PRE-GAME NOTES
The Angels lead the AL West by a game over Oakland, and, at 19-13, tie Boston for the league's best record.
For the second time in three games, the O's offense was held to three hits on Saturday. Over the last four games the O's have totaled just eight runs on 21 hits. They are 7-0 this year when producing 10 hits or more, but they've done that just twice in the last 14 games.
MOUND MATCHUP
Struggling right-hander Steve Trachsel (1-3 6.08) will make his 6th start of the year and 415th of his career. After pitching well his first two starts, Trachsel is 0-2 9.26 over his last three starts.
He lasted just three innings last Saturday night in Chicago. He gave up 4er along with 5 hits and walks, in getting a no decision vs. the White Sox. Trachsel has pitched a total of just 11.2 ip over the past three starts.
Trachsel has walked 11 in his past three outings and 17 on the season in just 23.2 ip.
In his career vs. LA, he is 2-2 5.14 in six games covering 35 innings.
His mound opponent this afternoon is unbeaten Joe Saunders (5-0 2.08) who is set to make his 7th start of 2008.
The 26-year-old lefty pitched eight shutout innings vs. Oakland in his last start on Tuesday. He gave up just four hits and one walk. The team is 6-0 when he starts.
Saunders, a first-round pick (12th overall) in 2002, has pitched 8 or more innings four times already. Left-handed hitters are batting just .107 vs. him.
In two career starts vs. Baltimore, Saunders is 2-0 4.91 (6er, 11ip).
O'S HITTERS THIS SERIES VS. THE LAA
LHernandez 1-6
RHernandez 0-7
AHuff 2-7, 2B
AJones 0-7
NMarkakis 2-7, HR, 2 rbi
KMillar 0-6
MMora 3-6, 2B, 2 rbi
JPayton 2-4, 2B
BRoberts 0-9
LScott 1-3, rbi
As a team, the O's are 11-62 (.177) with five runs scored.
omg.. good work, dude