Brian Matusz became the latest O's pitcher to win his Major League debut, pitching five solid innings, as the Orioles beat the Tigers, 8-2 Tuesday night. The 22-year-old lefty, called up from Double-A Bowie earlier in the day, gave up just one run and six hits. He walked three and fanned five, throwing 99 pitches. Matusz finished with a flourish, getting two strikeouts to end the last of the fifth with men on second and third and one out. Matusz followed Koji Uehara, Brad Bergesen, Jason Berken, David Hernandez and Chris Tillman in making his big league debut this year.
Those six pitchers combined to go 5-0, 2.61 in the debut outings. When he left the game he had a 3-1 lead, which turned into a 7-1 edge after the O's produced a four-run 6th inning. Nick Makakis hit a two-run homer and had three hits and three RBI. Cesar Izturis hit a solo homer, just his second of the year, and also had 3 RBI. Izturis' diving stop of a grounder up the middle in the second inning kept Detroit off the scoreboard and ended their bases-loaded rally in that frame. The O's snapped a four-game losing streak and improve to 3-3 on the season vs. first-place Detroit. Balt....8-11-0 Det.....2-8-0