Trachsel and two homers lead O's to 7-4 win over KC
Melvin Mora hit a two-run homer in the third to tie the game at 2 and Aubrey Huff hit a three-run shot in the 5th and the O's never looked back in their 7-4 win.
Both Nick Markakis and Freddie Bynum had two hits and two runs scored.
The Orioles pick up their 11th win in a row vs. Kansas City, dating to July 25, 2006.
O's starter Steve Trachsel, who had pitched to an ERA of 11.05 his previous four starts, gave up just two runs in 5.1 ip in picking up his second win of the season.
TRACHSEL AND TWO HOMERS LEAD O'S PAST KC, 7-4
Steve Trachsel reversed his four-start slide and Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff homered as the Orioles beat KC, 7-4 Friday night. The O's are 2-0 in this series and have won 11 in a row vs. the Royals.
Trachsel picked up his first win since April 4th. He allowed two runs and five hits in 5.1 ip, throwing 80 pitches. He had pitched to an ERA of 11.05 his previous four starts and gave up three homers last Sunday vs. the Angels.
With the win, the O's moved to 3-5 on this road trip and back to .500 on the season, at 18-18.
Alex Gordon, who had a 3-RBI night, staked KC to a 2-0 lead with his first-inning homer, his 5th of the season.
The O's tied it on Mora's homer in the third. It scored Freddie Bynum who had doubled and was Mora's 5th of the season.
Huff hit a three-run shot in the 5th that broke a 2-2 tie. It was the Orioles second three-run homer in two nights after they didn't have one all year.
Nick Markakis and Bynum added two hits and two runs scored for the O's. The O's seven runs was their most since April 29 when they plated seven vs. Tampa Bay.
Baltimore went 7-0 vs. KC last year and is now 14-1 in its last 15 vs. the Royals. The O's are 24-6 vs. KC since 2004.
Balt 7-12-0
KC 4-10-1
POST GAME NOTES
THE THREE-RUN DINGER
Aubrey Huff's three-run shot in the 5th broke the 2-2 tie and gave the O's breathing room. That's a pair of three-run shots the last two nights to break games open after no three-run shots or Slams in the season's first 34 games.
The last time it took the O's this long into the season to get a homer scoring 3 or 4 runs was 1988 when they went without one for the first 34 contests.
THE OFFENSE COMETH
Nice to see this club get some offense. The O's had 12 hits as five different players had two each and three drove in runs. The O's are now 8-2 when they get ten hits or more and they've now done that 3 times in the past six games.
TRACHSEL'S REVENGE
Trachsel, whose position in the rotation was probably on the line tonight, saved it for now with a solid effort. He allowed just two runs in 5.1 ip and probably could have pitched deeper, but you can't blame Dave Trembley for not exactly having great confidence in him right now.
The biggest difference I saw tonight was his command and ability to get ahead of some hitters. He walked just one, the best control he's had all year. He had walked seven in his previous six innings.
B-ROB STRUGGLING
After going 1-5 tonight, Brian Roberts is hitting just .252. He is 2-15 the past four games and is just 5-33 (.152) on this road trip. He has had just one multi-hit game in his last nine contests. Meanwhile, Freddie Bynum has given the club a real spark from the nine hole. He had two hits tonight and is 4-8 with three runs scored in the series.
WHAT ROYALTY
That's 11 wins in a row vs. the Royals. They have outscored KC, 58-23 in those games. The O's are 14-1 vs. KC since the start of 2006 and 24-6 since 2004.
Steve Melewski's live GameBlog
ADDING ON
O's 7 KC 2.......middle of 7th
The O's add two in the 7th for a 7-2 lead. With one out, Markakis singled and Huff doubled for second and third. Ramon Ramirez came in for Mahay.
On a passed ball, both runners moved up, Markakis scoring from third. Seconds later, Millar hit an RBI single to left for a 7-2 lead.
The last time the O's scored seven runs was April 29 vs. Tampa, 10 games ago.
They now have scored 16 runs the last three contests.
QUICK HOOK......BIG ESCAPE
After Trachsel gave up a walk, then got a groundout in the 6th, Dave Trembley hooked him. Matt Albers came in and made everyone nervous walking back to back hitters to load the bases. With Jim Johnson getting loose, Trembley stayed with him and Albers got Ross Gload to bounce into a 4-6-3 DP. Nice job in the middle of that by Bynum.
Trachsel tonight: 5.1ip, 5h, 2r-er, 1b, 2k, 1 HR......80 pitches
SUPRISE, SUPRISE
No that's not Gomer Pyle talking, it's about Steve Trachsel's pitching tonight. He has allowed just four hits tonight thru five innings and has not given up a hit the past three frames. It is the same guy that got rocked Sunday in Anaheim.
With a three-run lead I'm sure the O's would love him to go deep, but also, with a rested pen after last night, they won't let him get into a major jam either, I wouldn't think. He has thrown 73 pitches thru five.
THE STRATEGY DIDN'T WORK
O's 5 KC 2...........middle of 5th
With a man on second and two outs in the 5th, the Royals chose to intentionally walk Markakis, putting two on in a tie game for Aubrey Huff. The count went to 1-2, then Huff ripped a Meche curve into the right-field bullpen for a three-run HR and 5-2 O's lead.
The Orioles went 34 games without a three-run HR and now get two in two nights.
Both homers have come off Meche curve balls and both came with two outs. Freddie Bynum is 2-2 with two runs scored tonight and is now 4-6 on the season.
It's only the second time in 11 games the O's have hit more than one HR in a game.
MORA HOMERS
O's 2 KC 2......middle of third
Melvin Mora hit a two-out, two-run homer in the third off Meche to tie the game at two. It's his 5th homer of the year and second on this trip. Freddie Bynum doubled to right with one out and Mora hit his blast to left with two down.
Mora is now 10-27 with two career homers vs. Meche.
WIETERS HOMERS TWICE
Matt Wieters homered twice tonight for Frederick in its 8-1 win at Lynchburg. Brandon Tripp of the Keys began the day leading the Carolina League with 7 homers. Wieters now ties him with seven. He went 3-4, with 3 RBI and Wieters is now hitting .355. Wieters now has a season-high 8-game hit streak.
Brandon Snyder added a solo shot and Billy Rowell had 2 RBI. Rowell now has four multi-hit games in his last five contests. Winning pitcher Jake Renshaw allowed just one run over six innings.
TRACHSEL STILL STRUGGLING
KC 2 O's 0.......end of first
It took KC just three batters tonight to exceed their run total of all of last night. With one out, Teahen singled and Alex Gordon hit a two-run homer to right off Trachsel. It's Gordon's 5th homer of the year, first-ever vs. Baltimore, and 5th given up by Trachsel in his last seven innings.
UNDERWAY IN KC
The O's and Royals have begun game two of their series in KC. Dave Trembley is calling this "an important start" for Steve Trachsel. The O's can get back to .500 with a win. Check back during the game for updates, stats and analysis.
PRE-GAME NOTES
The Orioles have now won 10 in a row vs. Kansas City and 13 of the last 14 meetings. The Orioles went 7-0 last season vs. KC, pitching to an ERA of 1.41 in the seven games.
Last night's result ended a string of seven O's games in a row decided by two runs or less.
The Birds are 2-5, with three games left on the season's longest road trip. The Royals are just 4-10 in their last 14 games at Kauffman Stadium.
MOUND MATCHUP
Steve Trachsel (1-4 7.43) will make his 7th start of the season and 10th career appearance vs the Royals. Trachsel has pitched 3 innings or less in three of his last four starts.
His recent struggles:
Trachsel last two starts: 6ip, 12h, 10er, 4 HR's, 15.00 ERA
Trachsel last four starts: 14.2ip, 24h, 18er, 5 HR's, 11.05 ERA
Trachsel got bombed for three homers and gave up six runs over three innings Sunday vs. the Angels.
In his last four starts he is 0-3 11.05 and has had starts of just 2.1 ip, 3ip and 3ip in that stretch.
He pitched a complete-game, five-hit win last May 28th at KC and in two starts in 2007, went 1-0 1.13 vs. the Royals.
His career numbers vs. KC are 1-3 4.81 in 9 games covering 58 innings.
Gil Meche (2-4 5.98) will make his 8th start of the season and 4th at home for the Royals.
Meche is 0-4 in his last six starts vs. Baltimore, despite a career 2.95 ERA vs. the Orioles. His last win vs. the O's was on July 17, 2005.
Meche, who gave up 8er to Cleveland on April 22, rebounded to shut down the Tribe last Sunday. He beat Cleveland 2-0, giving up just four singles in seven innings with four strikeouts and allowed just one runner to reach second.
The 29-year-old righty made the 2007 all-star team and went 9-13 3.67 in 34 starts last season for KC. He was 8th in the league with 216 innings.
In 2007 vs. the Orioles, he went 0-2 1.69 and in his career, in 15 starts, is 4-4 2.95 (30er/91.2 ip).
MORE ON LAST NIGHT
Some more notes on Cabrera's three-hitter Thursday night. It lowered the team ERA to 4.09, its best mark since April 10th. It's the third time on the season the O's have given up just one run. They have one shutout, April 19 vs. the Yankees. It was Baltimore's low-hit game on the year. Twice before the team had given up just five hits.
Cabrera improved to 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in seven career starts vs. KC. The Orioles are 7-0 in those starts.
Cabrera, who got 18 outs on ground balls, got the leadoff hitter out in every inning.
This was the 21st complete game in the American League this season.
HOW SOME ORIOLES HAVE FARED VS. MECHE
Brian Roberts: 13-30 (.433), one HR and 4 RBI
Melvin Mora: 9-26 (.346), one HR
Kevin Millar: 1-21 (.048)
Nick Markakis: 2-12 (.167), one HR
ORIOLES HOMERS IN 2008
33 on the year
22 solo shots
10 two-run shots
1 three-run blast (by Markakis last night)
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