Luke Scott's walkoff HR in the 10th gives O's 11-10 win
STATS: By Inning | Box | Matchup | O's Stats | Tigers Stats
Adam Loewen injury update:
Loewen's pitching career is over; will attempt comeback as position player [link]
Friday night, after his two home run performance, Luke Scott said he thought he was going to have a big second-half of the season. He wasn't joking around.
Scott played the hero yet again tonight, as his walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th off of Freddy Dolsi landed on Eutaw Street and gave the O's a 11-10 win.
In a game filled with long-balls and drama, Ramon Hernandez tied it in the 9th with a solo shot off Joel Zumaya, and Adam Jones threw out Placido Polanco at the plate in the top of the 10th, setting the stage for Scott's towering longball over the scoreboard in right.
Melvin Mora's 2-run homer got the O's on the board in the first, and a remarkable third inning put them on top.
The Orioles came through with eight hits in the third, plating six runs, and giving them the lead. Mora, Kevin Millar, Scott, Hernandez, Brandon Fahey and Brian Roberts all collected RBI hits in the frame.
The O's held a 9-7 advantage through five innings, but Detroit struck for three runs off of Dennis Sarfate. Sarfate did not record an out, giving up three runs on three hits. He was also charged with a throwing error.
Curtis Granderson led off the fifth with a single, and ended up on third after two O's miscues. He scored on a Placido Polanco single to make it 9-8. A Gary Sheffield RBI double and a sac fly from Magglio Ordonez topped off the scoring.
The Tigers got dominating seventh and eighth innings from Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya, and they held a 10-9 lead going to the bottom of the ninth.
Zumaya came back out for the ninth instead of normal closer Todd Jones, and Hernandez turned on the first pitch he saw, sending a high heater and just over the wall in left-center, tying the game at 10.
The Tigers almost got a run off George Sherrill in the 10th, but Adam Jones charged a Gary Sheffield single to center, and gunned out Placido Polanco at home to end the frame and keep the game tied.
Scott took over from there, crushing an 0-1 pitch over the scoreboard. The bomb marked his first Eutaw Street home run, travelling 420 feet.
As Scott crossed home plate, he took his helmet off, and bowled it towards his teamates, who were crowding around waiting to start the celebration. He then topped off the fracas by sliding into home.
The Birds have now won two in a row against the Tigers and will go for three out of four against Detroit tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Orioles: 11-17-2
Tigers: 10-12-0
Postgame Notes
Luke does it again
Luke Scott limped into the All-Star break, going 4-for-40, but has been on fire since, going 6-for-10 with three home runs and five RBI. Scott has been a streaky hitter all season, and has talked about how he is ready for a big second half.
After the game, Luke talked about the O's walk-off win.
D-Cab fights through 5
It looked like it would be a long night for the Birds after Daniel Cabrera gave up six runs in the top of the first inning.
Miguel Cabrera's 3-run home run and Jeff Larish's 2-run shot were the big blows for Detroit, and it looked like the O's starter would make an early exit.
He was able to stick around through 5 innings, however, and settled down in the fourth and fifth, allowing just one baserunner in those two frames.
Dave Trembley discussed Cabrera's outing after the game.
"We got off to a terrible start. Six pitches and we're basically behind 6-0. The ball wasn't coming out of Cabrera's hand very well. There wasn't much finish to it. You got to give him credit, he was a horse. He put three zeros up. He was totally gassed to get through five."
Final Notes
Nick Markakis' walk in the third inning was his 61st of the season, already tying his total number of walks for all of last year...Brian Roberts had two doubles in third, making him the first Oriole to do that since B.J. Surhoff doubled twice in the fifth inning on September 14, 1999 against the Oakland Athletics...With this victory, 30 of the Orioles' 47 wins are come from behind wins.
Dan Kolko's Live In-Game Blog
Joel Zumaya looked absolutely unhittable in the eighth. In the ninth, not as much.
Ramon Hernandez took a high Zumaya fastball and smacked it just over the fence in left-center, tying the game at 10.
Zumaya then walked Nick Markakis and allowed an infield single to Melvin Mora, putting the winning run in scoring position, but Aubrey Huff grounded out to second to end the threat.
Heading top-9, Tigers still up
We're going to the ninth at Camden Yards, and the Tigers still lead 10-9.
Joel Zumaya just sent Kevin Millar walking back to the dugout after throwing three straight 100+ MPH fastballs by him to start the bottom of the eighth. The middle of the three registered at 101 on the stadium radar gun. He then set down Adam Jones on a 89 MPH slider.
That's just unfair.
Tigers back on top in 6th
Dave Trembley must be absolutely boiling in the O's dugout. Not because of the heat, although it is incredibly muggy tonight.
After Trembley held a closed door meeting yesterday, where it can be assumed he stressed the importance of proper baserunning and fundamentals, Brian Roberts was picked off first in the bottom of the fifth.
Then, after Curtis Granderson led off the top of the sixth with a single, Ramon Hernandez allowed a passed ball and Dennis Sarfate threw an attempted pick-off into center field.
Three hits and a sacrifice fly later, the Birds' 9-8 lead is now a 10-9 deficit.
Sarfate faced three batters, and allowed three runs on three hits.
Not what you would call a solid outing.
Birds play small ball; come all the way back to lead
The O's exploded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring six runs on eight hits, and literally bringing the crowd at Camden Yards to their feet.
The Birds brought 12 men to the plate, and despite trailing 6-0 after the top of the first, they now hold a 8-7 lead.
Brian Roberts had two doubles in the frame. Melvin Mora, Kevin Millar, Luke Scott, Ramon Hernandez, Brandon Fahey and Roberts all picked up an RBI.
Nate Robertson was taken out after 2.1 innings, and was charged with seven runs on eight hits.
The O's got another run in the bottom of the 4th on a Ramon Hernandez sac fly.
The eight hits in the third marked a season high for hits in an inning by the O's. That total eclipses their seven hits in the bottom of the sixth on April 18 against the Yankees.
Early-inning fireworks
Daniel Cabrera contiues to struggle in the first inning this season. He has given up more runs in the first than any other. Coming into tonight, he had allowed 16 runs in the opening frame. We can now make that 22.
Cabrera gave up a 3-run home run to Miguel Cabrera, and after walking Matt Joyce, immediately gave up a 2-run bomb to Jeff Larish. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz came out to settle him down, and Cabrera got out without further damage, but by then the Tigers had already put up a six-spot.
Melvin Mora countered in the bottom of the first with a 2-run shot of his own deep into the left-field stands, but a Miguel Cabrera RBI groundout in the second made it 7-2.
It was 94 degrees here at first pitch; with the heat and humidity, look for lots more crooked numbers on the board tonight.
Loewen's pitching career is over
Lots of roster moves around the Yard today, with the big news being the new career path of Adam Loewen. Loewen, the O's 2002 first-round pick, has decided to end his tenure as a pitcher due to a re-fractured left elbow, and will attempt a comeback as a position player.
Read more about this story and watch Loewen's press conference here [link]:
O's trade for SS Juan Castro, Bynum outrighted
The Orioles continued their shortstop carousel by swapping minor league infieders with the Colorado Rockies today.
In the deal, the O's acquired 36-year-old Juan Castro for Mike McCoy. The Birds then immediately selected Castro's contract from Triple-A Norfolk.
Castro has mostly played shortstop in his career, but he can play second as well. Dave Trembley said he likes the flexibility Castro provides at both positions.
Castro has over 11 years of time in the big leagues, appearing with the Dodgers, Reds and Twins. He was on Cincinatti's Opening Day roster and went 0-for-10 in seven games with the Reds before being released.
He then signed as a minor league free agent with Colorado and went 15-for-50 (.300) with eight runs in 18 games for the Rockies' Triple-A club, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
In his major league career, Castro has batted .230 in 930 games.
McCoy, 27, batted .276 in 53 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season. The O's had acquired him from the Cardinals on March 18 in a minor league trade.
Bynum was outrighted by the Birds, which now means that he has 72 hours to either accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, or become a free agent.
Bierd returns; Aquino put on DL
The press conferences and roster moves wrapped up with the anouncement that RHP Randor Bierd has returned from his rehab assignment and has been activated from the DL.
The O's made room for Bierd by placing RHP Greg Aquino on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 13, with a left hamstring strain.
Bierd went 0-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 rehab appearances at the Rookie Level, Single-A Frederick, and Double-A Bowie. He went on the DL on May 2 with a right shoulder impingement.
Aquino has posted a 12.54 ERA in nine games with the O's this season.
Starting Lineups
Tigers
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Placido Polanco
DH Gary Sheffield
RF Magglio Ordonez
1B Miguel Cabrera
LF Matt Joyce
3B Jeff Larish
SS Edgar Renteria
C Brandon Inge
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
DH Aubrey Huff
1B Kevin Millar
LF Luke Scott
CF Adam Jones
C Ramon Hernandez
SS Brandon Fahey
After experimenting with hitting Adam Jones in the 2-hole for a few games, Dave Trembley has dropped Jones down and put Nick Markakis back in the second spot.
Game Preview
Detroit (48-48) at Orioles (46-49)
So far in this O's-Tigers series, the team that hits the most home runs wins, and the club that gets 14 hits loses.
Thursday, the Tigers hit three homers in a 6-5 win. Friday, the O's blasted four homers and picked up the victory, 7-4. The losing team has out-hit the opposition both games, smacking 14 hits each night.
Luke Scott picked up the fourth two-homer game of his career Friday in the win. He now has 16 home runs on the season. He had been 4-for-40 going into the All-Star break, but is already 3-for-5 since. Aubrey Huff hit his 19th homer and Melvin Mora added his 13th, a two-run shot that bounced off the top of the foul pole in the 6th, giving the O's a 5-4 lead.
Despite allowing a career-high 12 hits, Jeremy Guthrie picked up his sixth win. The O's bullpen combined for three scoreless innings and George Sherrill picked up his 29th save on just 11 pitches in the ninth.
Even with the win, the O's are just 6-12 over the last 18 games. They are 26-17 at home this season.
Ivan Rodriguez had four hits including a homer for Detroit, who has lost four of six games. The Tigers have started to turn their season around the past few weeks, however, going 24-12 since June 7th.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Daniel Cabrera (6-5, 4.33) tonight makes his 21st start of the season, his 8th at home and the 7th of his career vs. the Detroit Tigers.
Cabrera took the loss Sunday at Boston, giving up six hits and two runs, one earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He walked six and fanned two.
Cabrera got off to a fast start this season, and between April 12th and May 20th recorded eight consecutive quality starts, the best stretch of his career. On the year he has 11 quality starts in 20 outings.
After going 0-3, 7.06 in June, Cabrera, who has two complete games, is 1-1, 3.20 in three July starts. The Orioles are 10-9 when he takes the mound this year.
The first inning has been the toughest for Cabrera. He has allowed more runs in that inning, 16, than any other, and opponents bat .366 against him in the opening frame. In seven home starts, he is 3-0, 4.60.
In two starts in 2007 vs. Detroit, Cabrera went 1-1, 4.26. In his career vs. the Tigers, he is 3-1, 5.61.
LHP Nate Robertson (6-8, 5.26) tonight will make his 20th start of the season, and his first against the Birds in 2008. He has faced Baltimore seven previous times.
Left-handed batters hit .313 against the 30-year-old, while righties hit Robertson at a .301 clip. Opponents hit a robust .330 off Robertson with runners in scoring position.
After going 3-1, 3.77 in June, his best month this season, Robertson is 0-2, 5.40 in three starts in July. He is winless his last four starts.
In ten road starts, he is 3-5, 6.03. The Tigers are 9-10 when he takes the mound in 2008.
Robertson beat the Orioles both times he faced them last year, going 2-0, 1.29. In seven career starts against Baltimore, he is 4-1, 3.05 in 44 1/3 innings.
Robertson is 48-63, 4.68 in 154 career starts.
O's vs. Robertson
Kevin Millar: 7-21, 2 2B, RBI
Jay Payton: 5-18, 2 HR, 2B, 9 RBI
Brian Roberts: 3-17, HR, 3B, 3 RBI
Melvin Mora: 1-16, RBI
Nick Markakis: 1-11
Ramon Hernandez: 1-9
Aubrey Huff: 1-6
Leave a comment