First inning challenges Norris again (O's lead 8-1)

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris has allowed 17 runs in the first inning this season, including one tonight to fall behind the Rockies 1-0 at Camden Yards. Norris is fortunate that he only surrendered one run after allowing two hits and walking two batters. Troy Tulowitzki grounded into a 6-4-3 double play after Dexter Fowler walked and took third on Corey Dickerson's single. Norris walked two batters in each of his first three starts with the Orioles. He's already matched that total tonight. Norris struck out Todd Helton on his 21st pitch to end the inning. Before tonight, left-handers were batting .302 against Norris, compared to .239 by right-handers. Fowler, a switch-hitter, and Dickerson were batting from the left side. Then again, so was Helton and he whiffed. Manny Machado singled in the bottom of the first after Nate McLouth's leadoff walk, his sixth hit in his last 11 at-bats. McLouth scored on Chris Davis' sacrifice fly to tie the game. Davis now has 113 RBIs this season. He was on pace for 150 before tonight. Down on the farm, Cuban outfielder Dariel Alvarez has a three-run homer and RBI single tonight for Single-A Frederick. Alvarez is a combined 11-for-21 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs with the Gulf Coast League Orioles and Frederick. Update: The Orioles sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the third inning to take an 8-1 lead. Davis led off with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. Adam Jones reached on an infield hit, and Davis scored on Nick Markakis' bloop single to left, with Dickerson almost making a diving catch. Jones crossed the plate on Tulowitzki's error, and two more runs scored with two outs on Brian Roberts' double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right. Nate McLouth walked and Manny Machado delivered a two-run double, giving him 46 multi-hit games this season. He has 43 doubles. Chad Bettis was done after throwing 78 pitches in 2 2/3 innings. He was charged with eight runs, the last scoring on Jones' single off reliever Adam Ottavino, but only two were earned. The seven runs are a season high for the Orioles in a single inning and the most since they scored seven on July 31, 2012 at Yankee Stadium in the top of the second. The Orioles loaded the bases in the second, but they couldn't push across the go-ahead run. Ryan Flaherty singled with one out. He was 0-for-10 since going 3-for-4 with a home run on Aug. 2 against the Mariners. Down on the farm, Alvarez is a triple short of the cycle.