Zach Britton tells Jim Hunter how his team bailed him out and got him the win
That matches last season's win total when the Orioles finished 66-96. Earlier, J.J. Hardy hit a solo homer, his 29th and Adam Jones added a two-run shot, his 24th. Jones is 6-for-12 in three games since returning from a thumb injury. Zach Britton was the Orioles' starting pitcher Thursday, and when the O's scored that run in the sixth, it made him the winning pitcher. Britton, who entered with a record of 4-1 and 3.09 ERA over his previous six starts, gave up five runs and six hits over five innings, throwing 78 pitches. He is now 11-10 with an ERA of 4.44. With that victory, Britton becomes the first O's rookie pitcher to reach the 11-win mark since Daniel Cabrera had 12 in 2004. The Orioles' bullpen had another good night. Jason Berken pitched two scoreless innings, Pedro Strop threw a shutout eighth and struggling hurler Kevin Gregg retired the side in order in the ninth. He picked up his first save since September 2 and 21st on the year. The Tigers, who began the night with a record of 25-7 since August 19, fall to 90-66 on the year.