Orioles snap Toronto’s dominance

It was a lucky bakers dozen for the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Luke Scott’s 11th inning single scored Nick Markakis as the Orioles broke a 12-game losing streak to the Toronto Blue Jays, with a 4-3 victory at Camden Yards.

Markakis singled to start the inning, went to second on a Ty Wigginton ground out and scored when Scott dumped a base hit in front of Vernon Wells.

David Hernandez (7-8) got the win. Brian Tallet (2-6) took the loss.

Baltimore starter Brian Matusz took a one-out liner off his pitching arm from Yunel Escobar in the first inning, the Toronto hitter reaching first on the play.

The 23-year-old lefty stayed in the game and, after allowing a Wells ground rule double, escaped the jam by striking out Lyle Overbay.

Rick Vandenhurk replaced Matusz to start the second and was solid, allowing one run on one hit in 5 1/3 innings of work. Mark Hendrickson and Jim Johnson both allowed one run in the eighth by Toronto to tie the game at 3-3.

The Orioles (56-88) pounded out 11 hits with Markakis leading the way by contributing three.

 Brian Roberts, Brandon Snyder and Adam Jones drove in the other runs.

The O’s improve to 24-15 since Buck Showalter took over on Aug. 3 for Juan Samuel.

Marc struggles again

Marc Rzepczynski went five innings, yielding two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He has only one quality start in his last nine and that was his only win of the season, 3-0 against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 13.

Shawn Camp allowed a single run in one inning of work.

Toronto (73-71) managed seven hits. Escobar had three singles and drove in two while Edwin Encarnacion drove in the other.

O’s lead early

Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first when Roberts blasted a full-count fastball over the left-field fence for his fourth home run of the year.

The Orioles upped the lead to 2-0 in the second when Jones doubled to right and advanced on a fly ball, scoring one out later when Snyder chopped an infield single up the third base line.

It was Snyder’s first major league hit and RBI.

In the third, Baltimore worked a two-out rally on a single, walk and a hit batter but Jones popped up to end the threat.

Toronto got to Vandenhurk in the sixth for a single run when Encarnacion, just off the 15-day DL with a sprained left wrist, mashed a 2-2 fastball into the left-field seats for his 14th of the season.

The Orioles managed one run in the seventh off Camp without a ball leaving the infield.

With two outs, Markakis singled to short, Wigginton reached when Escobar couldn’t get the ball out of his glove and pinch-hitter Scott walked.

Jones came to the plate and Camp drilled him with a tailing fastball to score Markakis. Jesse Carlson picked up Camp and retired Matt Wieters on one pitch to end the inning.

Toronto tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth with three hits.

Adam Lind and John Buck both singled to start the inning. Both advanced when Travis Snider grounded out softly to Johnson. Escobar then bounced one back through the box to plate Lind and pinch-runner Mike McCoy.

Vernon Wells passed Lloyd Moseby for most games started by a Toronto outfielder with 1,350 games.

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By: Gordon Anderson
Posted: Sep 13 2010 9:33 pm
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