Monday, August 16, 2010

O's Walk-Off With Another Extra-Inning Win

Adam Jones' bunt single in the 11th inning scored Nick Markakis from third to give the Orioles a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Camden Yards on Monday night.

Yup. You read that right. The Birds used a little trickery to snap a two-game losing streak, their longest in August under Buck Showalter.

Brad Bergesen, fresh off a complete-game two-hitter, got knocked around early and left after just 5 1/3 innings. Bergesen allowed a run in the second before giving up back-to-back solo shots in the third, as Seattle evened the score 3-3. Bergesen was pulled with the bases jammed in the sixth inning with just one out...reliever Mark Hendrickson induced a ground-out and a strikeout to keep the game knotted.

Both teams stayed off the scoreboard until the tenth inning. The Orioles' bullpen was absolutely magnificent, as they combined to allow just three hits and one run (a solo blast off Alfredo Simon in the tenth) over 5 2/3 innings. The staff combined for 13 strikeouts, a season high.

The Birds loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth, and scored the tying run on a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk to pinch-hitter Julio Lugo. After Matt Albers kept the Mariners off the board in the top of the 11th, Nick Markakis smacked a lead-off double to open the bottom of the inning.

The O's had 15 hits on the night...Markakis' double (the 200th of his career) was their first extra-base hit of the game. Ty Wigginton's ground-out moved Markakis to third, and after Corey Patterson grounded out, it was up to Adam Jones to win the game...Jones layed a perfect bunt down the third base line, scoring Markakis and sending the O's to their fifth straight series-opening victory in five tries under Showalter.

Kevin Millwood gets a chance to keep it going on Tuesday night...Go O's!

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