Orioles erupt for six runs in first inning (Hardy breaks tie, O's win 9-7)
By Roch Kubatko
I'm trying to resist posting that the Reds sprung a Leake in the first inning.
I'm trying...
The Orioles scored six runs off Reds starter Mike Leake, with Nelson Cruz and Nick Hundley hitting home runs, and players circling the bases as kids are allowed to do as a postgame promotion.
Leake faced nine batters and threw 34 pitches. Forget his shoulder. He needed to ice his neck after watching his pitches sail into the night.
All the runs scored with two outs.
To recap:
Nick Markakis led off with a single, leaving him 42 hits behind Boog Powell for fifth place on the franchise's all-time list. I'm still counting, folks.
Cruz delivered his 37th home run with two outs, tying him with Albert Belle and Mark Reynolds for second-most by an Oriole in his first season with the club. Frank Robinson holds the record with 49 in 1966.
Markakis scored the 737th run of his career, tying him with Paul Blair for eighth place on the Orioles' all-time list.
Chris Davis doubled, J.J. Hardy walked and Kelly Johnson delivered his first hit as an Oriole, an RBI double to increase the lead to 3-0.
Hundley followed with a three-run shot, his fifth homer of the season.
The six runs are one short of the Orioles' season-high for an inning. They tallied seven in the sixth inning on Aug. 31 against the Twins.
The six runs are the most Leake has allowed in any start this season.
Chris Tillman retired the Reds in order in the first, throwing 14 pitches and striking out two. Then he watched the fireworks.
The Orioles are 53-11 when they score first and 69-29 when they hit a home run.
Update: The Reds scored twice off Tillman in the third to reduce the lead to 6-2.
Tillman walked in a run and gave up a sacrifice fly to deep center field. He's at 57 pitches in three innings.
Update II: Jonathan Schoop homered for the third consecutive game, his solo shot in the fourth giving the Orioles a 7-2 lead.
Schoop has 15 homers this season.
The Orioles are 21-0 when they hit three or more home runs.
Update III: Tillman has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 17 consecutive starts, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history and the longest since Dave McNally set the record with 25 in a row in 1968.
Tillman's final line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, HR. 108 pitches, 65 for strikes.
Update IV: J.J. Hardy's two-run single with two outs in the seventh broke a 7-7 tie.
The Reds collected four runs in the top of the inning to tie the game, three of them charged to Brad Brach, who's been scored upon in two of his last three outings.
Markakis and Adam Jones singled and Cruz walked to load the bases, and Hardy lined a single into left field to give the Orioles a 9-7 lead.
Update V: Game over. The Orioles sweep the Reds and move 25 games above .500 with a 9-7 win over the Reds.
Zach Britton recorded his 33rd save and the Orioles improved to 82-57 to guarantee their third straight winning season.
The Orioles' magic number is down to 15. The Yankees and Blue Jays also won.
The Orioles have won nine of 11 since beings swept by the Cubs.
Leake faced nine batters and threw 34 pitches. Forget his shoulder. He needed to ice his neck after watching his pitches sail into the night.
All the runs scored with two outs.
To recap:
Nick Markakis led off with a single, leaving him 42 hits behind Boog Powell for fifth place on the franchise's all-time list. I'm still counting, folks.
Cruz delivered his 37th home run with two outs, tying him with Albert Belle and Mark Reynolds for second-most by an Oriole in his first season with the club. Frank Robinson holds the record with 49 in 1966.
Markakis scored the 737th run of his career, tying him with Paul Blair for eighth place on the Orioles' all-time list.
Chris Davis doubled, J.J. Hardy walked and Kelly Johnson delivered his first hit as an Oriole, an RBI double to increase the lead to 3-0.
Hundley followed with a three-run shot, his fifth homer of the season.
The six runs are one short of the Orioles' season-high for an inning. They tallied seven in the sixth inning on Aug. 31 against the Twins.
The six runs are the most Leake has allowed in any start this season.
Chris Tillman retired the Reds in order in the first, throwing 14 pitches and striking out two. Then he watched the fireworks.
The Orioles are 53-11 when they score first and 69-29 when they hit a home run.
Update: The Reds scored twice off Tillman in the third to reduce the lead to 6-2.
Tillman walked in a run and gave up a sacrifice fly to deep center field. He's at 57 pitches in three innings.
Update II: Jonathan Schoop homered for the third consecutive game, his solo shot in the fourth giving the Orioles a 7-2 lead.
Schoop has 15 homers this season.
The Orioles are 21-0 when they hit three or more home runs.
Update III: Tillman has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 17 consecutive starts, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history and the longest since Dave McNally set the record with 25 in a row in 1968.
Tillman's final line: 6 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, HR. 108 pitches, 65 for strikes.
Update IV: J.J. Hardy's two-run single with two outs in the seventh broke a 7-7 tie.
The Reds collected four runs in the top of the inning to tie the game, three of them charged to Brad Brach, who's been scored upon in two of his last three outings.
Markakis and Adam Jones singled and Cruz walked to load the bases, and Hardy lined a single into left field to give the Orioles a 9-7 lead.
Update V: Game over. The Orioles sweep the Reds and move 25 games above .500 with a 9-7 win over the Reds.
Zach Britton recorded his 33rd save and the Orioles improved to 82-57 to guarantee their third straight winning season.
The Orioles' magic number is down to 15. The Yankees and Blue Jays also won.
The Orioles have won nine of 11 since beings swept by the Cubs.
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