O's game blog: Markakis climbing hits chart, Cruz ahead of Davis' homer pace

Nick Markakis is having a good series against Cleveland. He is 6-for-12 the last two days. During a five-game hitting streak, he is 10-for-24 with a homer and four RBIs. With four hits last night, Markakis moved past Paul Blair and into eighth place on the Orioles' all-time hits list. He now has 1,429 hits. Next on the list is Brian Roberts in seventh with 1,452 hits and Ken Singleton in sixth with 1,455. Markakis is climbing the charts, but didn't even know where he stood until after the game last night. "Pretty damn good group to be a part of," he said this morning in the O's clubhouse. "Bud (Norris) said something to me yesterday, congrats. I had no idea and don't pay too much attention to that. More look at what is going on now. "But at the end of the year and my career, where I am is where I am. I'll give 100 percent every day. But at the end of my career, that is when I'll look back." Meanwhile, here is the latest evidence that Adam Jones can be a productive hitter without working the count. On Friday night, he went 3-for-4 with a hit by pitch, two doubles and three runs. In five plate appearances, he saw nine total pitches. Yes, I know he chases some pitches sometimes. We probably have discussed that a time or two or 10,000 here. Moving on. The Orioles will take the field this afternoon at Camden Yards with a chance to tie a club record last set in 1993. The Orioles have scored six runs or more in five straight games. The club record is six games in a row with six or more, last done from June 20-26, 1993. The Orioles now have 12 hits or more for five games in a row for the first time since May 26-June 1, 2004 when they set a club record doing that in seven consecutive games. The Orioles have scored 38 runs over these past five games. Makes it hard to remember, but before this stretch began, the Orioles had scored just 15 runs the previous seven games and 39 in the last 14. Everywhere you look, there is a hot hitter. J.J. Hardy is 11-for-22 during a five-game hitting streak. Chris Davis has gone 8-for-16 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last four games. Jones is 10-for-24 with four multi-hit contests over his last five games and is batting .365 his past 17 games. Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz is now actually one homer ahead of the pace Davis set last year after each had played 45 games: Davis in 2013 - .329 avg., 14 HRs, 43 RBIs, .690 slugging, 1.110 OPS Cruz in 2014 - .286 avg., 15 HRs, 43 RBIs, .589 slugging, .944 OPS