Mora's two-run double gives O's 6-5 comeback win over Houston
The comeback Orioles have come back to win again.
The Birds trailed Houston by 5-3 after six innings, but scored the game's final three runs for a 6-5 victory. It's the Orioles' Major League leading 16th comeback win when they were down by two runs or more. Houston lost for the 6th straight time and for the 15th time in 18 games.
Melvin Mora's two-out, two-run double in the last of the 8th gave the O's a 6-5 lead. It scored Adam Jones who singled and Brian Roberts who had walked. The O's were 1-10 with runners in scoring position until Mora's clutch two-bagger.
The Orioles cut the Astros lead to 5-4 on a Nick Markakis homer to left in the 7th. He took over the team lead with his 12th homer. The O's stranded two runners when Ramon Hernandez struck out to end the inning.
Houston knocked Garrett Olson out during a three-run, fifth inning. All the hits came after two were out and no one was on base. Micheal Bourn's RBI single cut the O's lead to one and Kaz Matsui's two-run double made it 4-3, Houston. Carlos Lee's solo homer in the 6th off Matt Albers made it a 5-3 Houston lead. It's Lee's 15th homer.
O's starter Garrett Olson allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings. Jim Johnson got the win and George Sherrill picked up his 23rd save with a 1-2-3, 9th inning.
The Orioles took a 2-1 lead on Aubrey Huff's two-out, two-run homer in the third inning. His 11th of the year came on an 0-1 pitch from Brandon Backe. Backe has now allowed 8 homers in his last 18 innings. The O's added to the lead in the third as Ramon Hernandez doubled and scored on Freddie Bynum's single for a 3-1 edge.
Houston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Micheal Bourn led off with an infield single and advanced to third on a pair of Garrett Olson wild pitches. He scored on Matsui's groundout to short. It's his 14th RBI of the season.
Hous 5-8-0
Balt 6-12-0
Postgame Notes
Melvin's Clutch Hit
It was the key moment of the game. Orioles down 5-4, runners on first and second with two outs in the last of the eighth. Houston closer Jose Valverde was on to preserve the one-run lead. Mevln Mora worked the count to 3-2 and then ripped a two-run double to right center to give the Orioles a 6-5 lead.
The Birds were 1-10 in the game with runners in scoring position until Mora's clutch double. Mora is now batting .382 on the year with runners in scoring position, the 4th best mark in the American League. He now has 37 RBI, one off Aubrey Huff's team lead.
Sherrill Got The Save This Time
George Sherrill, who suffered a blown save Saturday and a loss Sunday, this time pitched the ninth with no problem. After Mora gave the O's the lead, Sherrill closed it out in a 1-2-3 inning on 14 pitches. He has 23 saves, 2nd best in the American League. After feeling some tiredness in his arm over the weekend, he was back in control tonight.
Huff and Markakis Stay Hot
Aubrey Huff had a two-run homer and a double. Over his last seven games he is batting .433 with 4 doubles, two homers and 7 RBI. Nick Markakis had two hits including a solo homer and over his last 12 games is batting .392 with three homers and 8 RBI.
Concerns About the Pitching
The Orioles have given up five runs or more now in ten consecutive games. Yet they are 6-4 in that time. They had another ineffective start tonight and the starters' ERA over the last 13 games is 6.38. The team ERA over the last eight games is 6.30.
Final Notes
The O's had 12 hits, six for extra bases and are now 20-4 when getting ten hits or more. The O's are 3-1 on the homestand and now 20-12 at home on the season. They are 16-10 in one-run games and 5-2 in interleague play.
This is the Orioles' 20th comeback win of the year and 16th when they behind by two runs or more. The Astros have lost 6 in a row, 10 of 12 and 15 of 18 games. They are 3-11 in June. Miguel Tejada went 0-3 with a walk in his return to Baltimore.
Key Quotes
Dave Trembley on Mora's Key Double and the Win
"What an at bat by Melvin. That was a classic right there. Melvin has experience. And Melvin's numbers don't lie when he hits with runners in scoring position. There are reasons he's in the three hole................It's a privledge to be with this team, they give you everything they have every night. You should be in that dugout, it's like a foxhole in there. There's a sense in there that 'they ain't going to beat us.' Then you see all those orange jerseys in the crowd and people standing up, you aren't going to let it happen (a loss) when that's going on."
Dave Trembley on the Large Number of Comeback Wins
"It's a team, that's what it is. It's a group of guys who believe they can get it done. I wouldn't be the guy to go in there and tell them they can't. They've done it repeatedly. And the more times they do it, the more confidence they get."
Houston Manager Cecil Cooper On His Team's Struggles
"It's a tough stretch for us right now, but we'll get everything straightened out. You tip your hat to Mora, he had a great at bat. As long as we keep playing hard, that stuff will change. Our guys keep playing. We played hard tonight."
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog From Camden Yards
Need Another Comeback
The O's have come from 5-3 down to 5-4 on Nick Markakis' 12th homer of the year. But they'll need another comeback with six outs to go. Tonight they have ten hits, five for extra bases, but are just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Jim Johnson is on to pitch the 8th after Matt Albers gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings.
The Shaky Starting Pitching
What has happened to the once-strong O's starting pitching? Garrett Olson was sailing along tonight, then suddenly gives up four straight hits and three runs in the 5th and is out of the game. Over the last 13 games now, O's starters have pitched to an ERA of 6.38.
Not Much Happened
When Miguel Tejada got introduced in the first inning there was a mix of boos and cheers. There is not a big crowd tonight so the greeting was not that big of a deal. When the O's played a video tribute to him and put "Thanks Miggy" on the big scoreboard there was little reaction from the crowd here. Before the game Tejada said no matter how he is recieved here now he will always love the the Baltimore fans. Tejada was pretty candid in his pregame interview with reporters which you can find and watch on this page. Reporters lined up several deep around his locker earlier to hear from Miggy.
Tuesday Night Baseball Is Underway
The O's vs. Houston series has begun with Garrett Olson on the mound. First pitch was at 7:07 p.m. and it's 78 degrees at gametime. The O's are 4-2 in interleague play this year while the Astros are 1-5.
Starting Lineups
Astros
CF Micheal Bourn
2B Kaz Matsui
SS Miguel Tejada
DH Lance Berkman
LF Carlos Lee
RF Hunter Pence
1B Geoff Blum
3B Ty Wiggington
C Humberto Quintero
P Brandon Backe
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
DH Aubrey Huff
1B Kevin Millar
LF Luke Scott
C Ramon Hernandez
CF Adam Jones
SS Freddie Bynum
P Garrett Olson
Miggy's Back
Miguel Tejada, an Oriole from 2004-07, is back in Baltimore to take on the Orioles tonight. In his first O's season, 2004, Tejada hit .311-34-150. His numbers dropped off over the years and in his last O's season, in 2007, he batted .296-18-81.
Tejada's 150 RBI year in 2004 is an Orioles' single-season record. He also holds the club's single-season hits mark, with 216 in 2006.
Sherrill Looks To Bounce Back
O's closer George Sherrill, who is second in the AL with 22 saves, suffered a blown save Saturday night vs. Pittsburgh and took the loss in Sunday's game vs. the Pirates. After Sunday's game he told reporters his arm was tired. Today I asked him about that and how he is feeling now.
Listen to Steve Melewski's interview with George Sherrill
Luke Looks Back
Luke Scott spent the last four seasons in the Houston organization. He played in 231 games with the big club over the past three seasons. Yet he felt he never really got a shot to play full-time with Houston. He was traded to the Orioles last December in the Miguel Tejada deal.
He called that "an early Christmas present," because he felt he didn't have much of a future there.
"To be an Oriole (is better for my career) hands down. Here I've got people in the front office that believe in me and are pulling for me. I know exactly where I stand here; communication is great."
Last season, Scott hit .255-18-64 with Houston in 132 games.
"I felt I had earned the opportunity to play every day with Houston. I had a bit of a rough go over there, I didn't have very good communication. For me, I'm thankful I'm in a place where I'm comfortable and there are people in the front office pulling for me, I feel that here. There is some pressure I had before that I don't have now."
Luke's bat is hot right now. Over his last seven games he is hitting .417 with 4 homers and 5 RBI. He has hit 10 homers in his last 28 games.
Second Round Pick Signs
The Orioles' second-round draft pick, high schooler Xavier Avery, has signed a contract. The product of Decatur, Georgia is at Camden Yards today. Avery is a 5-11, 180 pound lefty hitter. He was rated the third-best high school athlete in the draft by Baseball America. This season he batted .561-8-24 and had 35 stolen bases.
Trembley's Talk
Dave Trembley was asked today about facing Houston and Miguel Tejada.
"It will be exciting. He's one of the game's great players for a long time and meant an awful lot to this organization. I think everyone benefited on both sides (from the trade).
"Not many players come along in a generation and do what Tejada did. He played every game for as long as he did. He has a tremendous desire to win and compete. He was counted on heavily here. Because of that he's earned respect and should be appreciated for what he did."
Tomorrow it will be exactly one year to the day that Trembley was named interim manger of the Orioles, taking over for Sam Perlozzo.
"It's gone by real quick. I got a tremendous opportunity. I'd like to think we've improved as a team and organization. The players deserve a lot of credit for that. While we're here we'll try to keep going forward."
Trembley was asked about the health of closer George Sherrill.
"I was made aware of it (his tired arm) after the game Sunday. I talked to him today and I think he's fine. I don't know how dead his arm would have been if he had gotten three outs in that inning. That's just the way the game is, but I'll watch him."
Tides Win Today
In afternoon baseball, Triple-A Norfolk beat Scranton 4-3 on Chris Roberson's homer in the last of the 10th inning. Roberson had quite a day in the outfield, recording three assists and now leads all IL outfielders with 12. Scott Moore went 2-4 with a homer and Omir Santos extended his hitting streak to 20 games. He is hitting .403 during the streak, which is the longest in the International League this year.
Game Preview
Houston (33-37) at Orioles (34-34)
After winning two of three vs. Pittsburgh, the Orioles look to continue their solid play on this homestand as they welcome the Houston Astros tonight for the start of a three-game series. It's the first meeting of these clubs since 2005.
Pittsburgh recorded a 5-4, 10-inning win Sunday to avoid being swept by an Orioles team that has won 6 of its last 10 and is 8-5 over its last 13 games. The Orioles are 19-12 at home.
The Orioles continued their hitting resurgence in the Pittsburgh series, batting .294 and scoring 21 runs in the series. They hit 8 doubles and added 6 homers against the Pirates.
The Orioles have won their first two interleague series with a 4-2 record vs. Washington and Pittsburgh. Coming into this season, the Orioles had a 79-114 interleague record.
The Orioles have been at or within one game of .500 the last ten days.
The Astros come to Baltimore looking to end a five-game losing streak during which they have given up 42 runs. Houston was swept over the weekend by the Yankees, losing Sunday 13-0. The Astros have lost 9 of 11 and 14 of 17 games.
On May 27, Houston was 30-23 and just a game and a half out of first. But now they have lost six straight series to fall into 5th place, 12 games behind the division-leading Cubs.
Miguel Tejada, traded by the O's to Houston in December, returns to Baltimore for this series. Tejada is batting .300-9-41 and leads all Major League shortstops in RBI.
Houston's Lance Berkman is batting .360-19-57 and is second in the National League in batting and homers and is fourth in RBI. Berkman was the NL's player of the month for May when he batted .471-9-22.
The Orioles are 3-3 vs. Houston in interleague play. They were swept in a three-game set at Houston in 2003, but in 2005 they took three straight from the Astros by a 19-7 score in Baltimore. Houston is 88-85 all-time in interleague play.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Garrett Olson (5-2, 4.53) is set to make his 10th start of the season, his 5th at home, the 17th start of his O's career and his first-ever vs. Houston.
Olson gave up five runs in the first inning and took the loss last Wednesday in Boston. He made a first-inning throwing error in that contest and gave up Jason Varitek's three-run homer in the opening inning. On the night he allowed six runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
In his previous three starts, Olson was 2-0, 1.96.
The 24-year-old lefty has pitched well at Camden Yards and is 3-0, 2.66 in four home starts. His road ERA is 6.23. In 16 career starts, Olson is 6-5, 5.82.
Olson, the 48th overall pick in the 2005 draft, has recorded a quality start four of nine times this season.
RHP Brandon Backe (4-8, 5.00) tonight makes his 15th start of the season, his 9th on the road and the second in his career vs. Baltimore.
The 30-year-old Backe has struggled recently and is 0-3, 8.40 over his last three starts, allowing 22 hits and 7 homers in his last 15 innings. The Astros are 5-9 when he starts.
Backe has had trouble with the home run ball all season, giving up 10 over his last five starts and 18 on the season in 77 1/3 innings.
In eight road starts on the year, Backe is 1-6, 5.95. In five career interleague starts, Backe is 1-4, 8.07.
Backe, an 18th-round pick of Tampa Bay in 1998, has made five career appearances, one as a starter vs. the Orioles, with a mark of 0-1, 6.75 in 9 1/3 innings.
Orioles Hitting by Month
April: .252 average, .403 slugging, 28 HR's, 4.4 runs per game
May: .239 average, .380 slugging, 27 HR's, 3.9 runs per game
June: .294 average, .500 slugging, 19 HR's, 5.6 runs per game
Orioles Hottest Hitters
Huff: batting .423 (11-26) over 6 games with 3 2B, HR and 5 RBI.
Roberts: batting .377 over 12 games (20-53) with 10 2B and 11 RBI.
Scott: batting .417 over 7 games (10-24) with 4 HR and 5 RBI.
Hernandez: is 5-12, 2 RBI, over 4 games
Millar: 11 RBI over 14 games
Markakis: batting .391 over 11 games (18-46) with 2 HR and 7 RBI.
But The Pitching Has Slumped Some
The Orioles have allowed 5 runs or more in nine consecutive games. They are 5-4 in those nine games. The team ERA is 6.49 over the last seven games and is 5.49 (75ER - 123IP) in June. O's pitching has allowed 14 homers in the last seven games.
Milestone Watch
LHP Jamie Walker needs two appearances for 500
3B Melvin Mora needs 7 home runs for 150
2B Brian Roberts needs 11 hits for 1,000
C Ramon Hernandez needs 31 hits for 1,000
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