Betemit rediscovers power stroke (O's lead 5-4)

NEW YORK - Wilson Betemit homered into the second deck in right field leading off the top of the third inning tonight to tie the score, 1-1. Betemit had one homer since June 26 and one RBI since July 22. He's totaled four RBIs since June 29. Betemit has two hits in seven career at-bats against Yankees right-hander Freddy Garcia - both of them home runs. The Yankees claimed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after Miguel Gonzalez was called for balk with two outs that allowed Raul Ibanez, who singled, to take second base. Eric Chavez followed with an RBI single down the right field line. Apparently, Gonzalez didn't come to a set position, though it was hard to tell after viewing the replays. The Orioles are 1-10 on Mondays this season, including 1-6 on the road. Down on the farm, left-hander Brian Matusz allowed four runs in the second inning at Triple-A Norfolk, but one was unearned following second baseman Robert Andino's error. Matusz gave up five hits, but two didn't leave the infield. Update: The Orioles scored twice in the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead, and it all started with Betemit's infield hit. For Betemit, that's the long and the short of it. Betemit took third on Mark Reynolds' double, and they both scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Omar Quintanilla and Nick Markakis. The Orioles have nine hits off Garcia in five innings. Update II: Raul Ibanez led off the fifth inning with a long home run to right field, reducing the Orioles' lead to 3-2. Gonzalez has served up seven home runs in five starts with the Orioles. Gonzalez is working on a quality start, with two runs allowed in six innings. He's given up four hits, walked none and struck out a career-high seven. He's thrown 94 pitches, 61 for strikes. Update III: The Orioles tacked on two runs in the seventh, both of them scoring with two outs. Quintanilla walked and raced home on Nick Markakis' double off reliever Boone Logan, and Markakis crossed the plate on J.J. Hardy's single off David Phelps. Markakis was batting .342/.392/.452 in 17 games as the leadoff hitter before tonight. He's 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Update IV: Gonzalez gave up back-to-back home runs to Eric Chavez and Ichiro Suzuki with two outs in the seventh, reducing the Orioles' lead to 5-4 and forcing Darren O'Day into the game. Gonzalez is charged with four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, with no walks, eight strikeouts, three home runs and one balk. He threw 111 pitches, 72 for strikes. Gonzalez has surrendered nine home runs in five starts with the Orioles. As for Matusz, he allowed six runs (five earned) and 10 hits in six-plus innings, with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches, 64 for strikes.