Radhames Liz pitches a gem, O's beat Twins, 7-3
O's righty Radhames Liz, who had allowed 12 earned runs over eight innings in his last two starts, today pitched a gem as the Orioles beat Minnesota 7-3. Liz, now 6-5, pitched eight shutout innings of five-hit ball with just one walk and four strikeouts.
Liz, who threw 109 pitches, entered with an ERA of 7.75, but today allowed just four singles and a double. This was his 19th career start.
Minnesota scored three runs in the ninth, all charged to George Sherrill.
The Orioles backed him with a five-homer game as Oscar Salazar and Nick Markakis each homered twice. The five homers tied the season high.
The O's won for just the third time in 15 games and are now 3-9 in September. The Birds ended Minnesota's eight-game win streak at Camden Yards.
Markakis hit his second solo homer of this game in the 5th, giving the Orioles a 7-0 lead. It's his 20th homer of the year.
Salazar and Lou Montanez hit back-to-back solo homers in the Orioles' fourth as the Birds' lead grew to 6-0. It's Salazar's first career two-homer game.
Salazar's two-run homer in the second made it 4-0 Orioles. His 4th of the year, and second in two games, scored Luke Scott, who had singled.
Markakis hit a two-run homer in the last of the first as the O's took a 2-0 lead. He hit his 19th of the year on a 3-1 pitch from Nick Blackburn.
Minn 3-8-0
Balt 7-11-0
Postgame Notes
The O's five homers today tied the season high set August 17th at Detroit......It's the first time since 6-17-07 that Minnesota allowed five homers.....Nick Markakis and Lou Montanez each homered twice......It's the second time this year two O's homered twice in the same game......Melvin Mora and Luke Scott did it in that August 17 game vs. Detroit......The O's hit back-to-back homers for the 6th time this season when Salazar and Montanez did it in the 4th inning.
This was just the O's 4th win on a Sunday and they are now 4-19 on Sundays this year.....The O's picked up their 36th home win of the season today, surpassing last year's home win total of 35.
Nick Markakis came up with his second career multi-homer game today.....He once hit three vs. Minnesota in a game on August 22, 2006.....Today he hit his 19th 368 feet to left in the first and his 20th went 388 feet to right in the fifth.
Aubrey Huff went 2-4 and now is batting .411 during a 14-game hitting streak......Huff, batting .314 on the season, has hit safely in 18 of the last 19 games.....Brian Robert is 8-19 during a five-game batting streak......Juan Castro went 0-3 and has just 2 hits his last 21 at bats.
Radhames Liz did not allow a run in a start for the first time in his career.....His 8-inning outing was the longest by an O's starter since Chris Waters pitched 8 on August 5th vs. the Angels.....It's a new career high for Liz in innings.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog From Camden Yards
Streaking
Aubrey Huff has two hits today, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. For the last five games, before today, he had extended the streak with a single hit.
Five Homers
Today's five homers (so far) ties the O's season high of five hit August 17 at Detroit and matches the total of 5 hit over the last ten games before today. Markakis and Salazar have two each.
Nice Job
Radhames Liz has pitched shutout ball through six (I'm sure to jinx him now). He has retired the side in order three times. The longest start of his career was a 6 1/3 outing June 14th vs. Pittsburgh. He has given up just three hits all singles and has thrown 83 pitches. Maybe its Minnesota. In his first start this year, back in June vs. the Twins, he had a one-hit shutout throught five frames.
O's Homers
5 - Number hit over the previous ten games
5 - Number hit so far today
Salazar Note
He has homered twice today and it's his first career two-homer game. Add on his homer in game two last night and he has homered three times in his last six at bats. Lou Montanez followed with a solo shot and it's the 6th time this year the O's have gone back to back with the longball.
Now Sarfate
Andy MacPhail revealed today on the O's Insider Roundtable show on WHFS Radio in Baltimore that Dennis Sarfate is the latest O's pitcher dealing with an injury. He said Sarfate is not available right now and is dealing with a non-baseball related shoulder injury. He said they are going to be careful with Sarfate and get the shoulder looked at further. Apparently Sarfate banged that shoulder on something and there is soreness on the outside of his shoulder, but no worries about any interior damage.
The Longball Returns
The home run has been missing a bit lately from the O's offense. Coming into today they had hit just one in the last five games (Oscar Salazar game 2 last night). They have been homerless in 8 of the last 10 games. But today, two-run shots from Markakis and Salazar have the O's ahead 4-0. Baltimore began today fourth in the AL in homers.
Game Time
This afternoon's game is underway as the O's need a win to avoid a three-game sweep by the Twins. Today's first pitch was at 1:37pm and it's 95 degrees. Check back here often today for the latest news and notes live from the Yard.
Starting Lineups
Twins
RF Denard Span
2B Alexi Casilla
C Joe Mauer
1B Justin Morneau
DH Jason Kubel
LF Delmon Young
3B Brian Buscher
SS Nick Punto
CF Carlos Gomez
P Nick Blackburn
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
3B Aubrey Huff
C Ramon Hernandez
DH Luke Scott
1B Oscar Salazar
LF Lou Montanez
SS Juan Castro
P Radhames Liz
Game Preview
Minnesota (82-66) at Orioles (65-82)
Saturday produced another tough day for the O's pitching staff which gave up 24 runs in a doubleheader loss to Minnesota. Today the O's need a win at home to avoid a three-game sweep by the Twins.
Minnesota swept a pair by scores of 12-2 and 12-6 Saturday. The Twins had 27 hits, including three homers while batting .346 in the two wins.
The Orioles, now just 2-9 in September, lost for the 82nd time in Saturday's nitecap, that assuring the Birds of an 11th straight losing record.
Overall, the O's have lost 12 of 14 and 19 of their last 23 games.
Minnesota moved into a first-place tie with Chicago atop the AL Central with its wins on Saturday. The Twins, who trail Boston by 5 games in the Wild Card race, are 33-40 on the road and 29-24 in the second-half.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Radhames Liz (5-5, 7.75) today makes his 15th start of this season, his 9th at home and his second this year vs. Minnesota.
Liz, who has recorded just one quality start all season, is 0-2, 13.50 (12ER - 8 IP) in his last two starts vs. Boston and Cleveland.
Liz has allowed 81 hits, including 15 homers, in 65 innings. Just twice on the year has he pitched 6 innings or more. In eight home starts, he is 3-3, 6.00 and has given up 10 homers in 42 innings.
Right-handed batters hit .288 vs. Liz and lefties hit .331. He has gone over 100 pitches just five times on the season.
Liz vs. Twins:
2008: 1-0, 3.38 (June 3rd....5 1/3 IP, 4H, 2R-ER)
2007: 0-1, 7.50, one start
Career: 1-1, 5.56, two starts over 11 1/3 innings
RHP Nick Blackburn (10-8, 3.67) today makes his 30th start of this season, his 17th on the road and the first of his career vs. the Orioles.
Blackburn is pitching well lately, allowing 3 ER or less in five straight starts. In two starts this month, he is 1-0, 2.63.
The 26-year-old has pitched 177 innings giving up 197 hits. But he has walked just 31 with 89 strikeouts. The Twins are 14-15 when he starts.
Blackburn has been very consistent all season, pitching to an ERA of 3.65 in 19 first-half starts and 3.70 in 10 starts in the second-half.
Blackburn, a 29th-round pick in 2001, has recorded 18 quality starts. In 16 road starts, he is 3-5, 4.34.
O's pinch-hitters, 2008
Castro: 2-3, HR, RBI
Cintron: 4-12
Fahey: 0-3
Hernandez: 1-9
Huff: 0-1
Jones: 0-1
Markakis: 0-1
Millar: 0-1
Montanez: 1-4
Mora: 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI
Payton: 4-19, 2 RBI
Quiroz: 0-3
Roberts: 0-2
Salazar: 4-10, HR, 4 RBI
Scott: 4-17, 3 2B
Team: 22-94, .234 average, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI
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