Baltimore, MD (Best E Casino) - Melvin Mora's two-run double in the eighth inning boosted the
Baltimore Orioles to a 6-5 victory over the
Houston Astros to start a three-game set.
Nick Markakis was 2-for-5 with a solo homer, and Aubrey Huff was 2-for-4 with a two-run blast for the Orioles, who have won nine of their last 14 games.
"We had some very good at bats late. When Nick hit the home run that kind of told me we were going to do it again," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "Its going to be a different guy, but we are going to do it again. After he hit the home run and I saw (Jim) Johnson come in and throw like he did there wasn't a doubt."
Garrett Olson's control was spotty, as the Orioles starter allowed four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings while striking out four. Johnson (2-2) struck out two batters in the eighth inning to get the win. George Sherrill picked up his 23rd save of the season in a perfect ninth.
Brandon Backe lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a pair of walks, striking out one batter for Houston. Doug Brocail (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
"Little bit of a tough stretch for us right now, but we'll get everything straightened out. I like what I saw from Brandon (Backe) for the most part. He threw pretty well tonight," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. "We had some good hits to get some runs, which got us a lead. The bullpen did a pretty good job for us. You have to tip your hat to Mora, he had a great at-bat."
Michael Bourn went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Kaz Matsui had three RBI and two runs scored for the Astros, who lost a season-high sixth consecutive game and 15th in their last 18. Carlos Lee hit the team's only home run.
Mora's first hit of the night was the biggest as his two-out shot to right- center brought home Adam Jones and Brian Roberts, who singled and walked, respectively, to put Baltimore up 6-5. Mora was hitless in his first four at- bats.
Olson's lack of control in the first cost Baltimore. Bourn reached on an infield single and made his way to third on back-to-back wild pitches before scoring on a Matsui groundout.
Huff, a former Astro, gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the third. His 10th homer also scored Markakis, who hit a one-out single.
Freddie Bynum's two-out base hit in the fourth scored Ramon Hernandez, who hit a one-out double to the gap in left center, and extended Baltimore's lead to 3-1.
The Astros used a two-out rally to reclaim the lead and chase Olson in the fifth. Ty Wigginton, Humberto Quintero and Bourn hit consecutive two-out singles to score a run. Matsui then doubled to right, scoring Quintero and Bourn. After a Miguel Tejada walk, Olson was pulled in favor of Matt Albers, who got Lance Berkman to ground out.
Lee put Houston up by two an inning later with a lead-off homer, his 15th, that went a couple rows deep inside the left field pole.
A home run from Markakis to lead off the seventh, his 12th, knocked Tim Byrdak from the game after just one-third of an inning. Huff doubled two batters later and was joined on base by Luke Scott, who was intentionally walked. But Hernandez was unable to check his swing on a full count to end the inning as he was fanned by Doug Brocail.
Tejada played his first game in Baltimore since arriving in Houston via trade sending Scott, Albers, Dennis Sarfate and two other players to Baltimore in the offseason.
Game Notes
Baltimore takes a 4-3 lead in the all-time series...Olson remained unbeaten (3-0) in five home starts...Scott singled to right field in his first at-bat against his former team. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk...Baltimore honored the late superfan, "Wild Bill" Hagy at Tuesday's game by giving the first 10,000 fans Orioles T-shirts with the number 34 to match the section number that Hagy always sat in at old Memorial Stadium...Houston's last six-game losing streak came from May 20-30, 2007...Houston is 1-6 in interleague play this season.
