Orioles rally twice, beat Tigers 11-10
7/20/2008BALTIMORE - Two improbable comebacks produced one extremely uplifting victory for the Baltimore Orioles.
After Ramon Hernandez tied it with a homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, Luke Scott homered in the 10th to carry the Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 11-10 Saturday.
The Orioles trailed by six runs in the first inning and entered the ninth down by one. And somehow, Baltimore snapped a stretch of nine straight losses in one-run games.
"People who have been watching the club all year have seen similar type events like this," manager Dave Trembley said. "I tell you, every time it happens it just makes you a little more proud to be around these guys because they will not quit. They will not quit at all."
Baltimore has come from behind in 29 of its 47 wins this season, but not like this. Not after trailing 6-0 in the first inning, or 10-9 in the ninth against a Detroit team that was 41-1 when leading after eight innings.
"It feels great," Scott said. "We were fortunate to come out on top."
Scott's shot off Freddy Dolsi (1-4) cleared the 25-foot scoreboard in right field and landed on Eutaw Street, an estimated 420 feet from the plate. It was Scott's third homer in two games, and he marked the occasion by sliding into home before his teammates mobbed him.
Scott got the chance to be a hero because Hernandez homered on the first pitch in the ninth from Joel Zumaya.
"It was a great game. You get emotional after you're losing, come back, they get ahead, you come back and then you win," Hernandez said.
George Sherrill (3-4) worked the top of the 10th, which ended with Placido Polanco being called out trying to score on a two-out single by Gary Sheffield. The replay indicated Polanco beat the tag by Hernandez, who took the throw from center fielder Adam Jones.
"We get the benefit of looking at replay and he was clearly safe. That's the breaks," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "The umpire was right on top of the play and he just missed. But that doesn't excuse blowing the lead like we did."
Miguel Cabrera homered and had four RBIs, Jeff Larish also homered and Polanco had four hits. But it wasn't enough.
"I don't think it's any more disappointing than any of the other ones over the course of a season," outfielder Curtis Granderson said. "You also have to give them credit. They definitely didn't quit after the start we got."
Melvin Mora homered in a third consecutive game for the Orioles, and Kevin Millar went 3-for-6 with two doubles.
After letting a 6-0 lead become a 9-7 deficit, Detroit moved back in front with a three-run sixth against Dennis Sarfate. Polanco hit an RBI single and took third on a double by Sheffield before Magglio Ordonez greeted Fernando Cabrera with a sacrifice fly. Matt Joyce then hit an RBI double.
In the bottom half, Fernando Rodney struck out pinch-hitter Jay Payton with the bases loaded and two outs.
Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera gave up six first-inning runs, then allowed one unearned run and one hit over the next four innings before being lifted.
Cabrera supplemented the Tigers' four first-inning hits by issuing two walks and hitting a batter. Ordonez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, and Miguel Cabrera followed with his 17th homer to make it 4-0. Joyce then drew a walk, and Larish hit the next pitch into the right-field seats.
In the bottom half, Nick Markakis singled ahead of Mora's 14th home run.
An error by Daniel Cabrera preceded a run-scoring grounder in the second inning by Miguel Cabrera, making it 7-2.
But Baltimore scored six runs on eight hits in the third to take an 8-7 lead. Brian Roberts doubled and Markakis singled before Mora, Millar and Scott hit RBI singles to chase Nate Robertson. Aquilino Lopez then yielded run-scoring singles to Hernandez and Brandon Fahey, and Roberts capped the uprising with an RBI double.
Robertson gave up seven runs in 2 1-3 innings. In his previous six starts against Baltimore, the left-hander was 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA.
The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth but got only one run, on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.
Notes:@ Robertson is winless in five starts since June 21. ... Markakis and Mora both went 2-for-2 against Robertson after coming in 1-for-11 and 1-for-16 respectively against the left-hander. ... Roberts became the first Oriole to get two doubles in one inning since B.J. Surhoff in 1999.