Orioles 5, Tigers 2, 1st game

DETROIT (AP)—B.J. Ryan earned a win without throwing a pitch as Detroit’s miserable season keeps sinking to new lows.

Jay Gibbons hit a go-ahead two-run single and Tony Batista drove in another run in the eighth as the Baltimore Orioles came back to beat Detroit 5-2 Thursday in a doubleheader opener.

Ryan (3-0) earned the win when he picked off Omar Infante on first base after he relived Pat Hentgen with two outs in the seventh.

“What a country,” Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said. “I’ve seen a guy get beat in a no-hitter, but I’ve never seen that.”

The Orioles (14-12) are two games above .500 for the first time since May 5, 2000, a span of 473 games. Baltimore has won three straight and 12 of 18 after starting 2-6.

“It’s very encouraging,” Hargrove said. “But we just have to keep it going because it’s a long season.”

The Tigers, who led 2-1 after seven innings, have lost three straight to drop to 3-22.

Franklyn German (0-2) blew Detroit’s lead by giving up three runs—two earned—on four hits and a walk, while getting just two outs in the eighth. Ramon Santiago did not help German out, however, because he cost the team an out by stepping off second base to leave the bases loaded with one out.

Jerry Hariston scored on a fielder’s choice in the ninth to give Baltimore a three-run cushion.

The Tigers appeared headed toward a rare win after Infante’s single in the seventh gave them a 2-1 lead and Nate Cornejo had another strong outing. Cornejo gave up only one run and five hits while walking two over seven innings.

Cornejo has given up just five earned runs in his past four starts, but has only one win to show for those quality starts.

“We’re all struggling,” Cornejo said. “It’s tough in the clubhouse.”

Jorge Julio pitched the ninth for his seventh save, after Buddy Groom pitched the eighth.

Baltimore’s Rodrigo Lopez continued to look nothing like the dominating pitcher he was as a rookie last year when he had a 15-9 record and 3.57 ERA. He is 0-3 with six starts.

Lopez gave up four hits and a run and was taken out with strained muscle in his lower back after pitching to a second batter in the second inning. Lopez is listed as day-to-day.

“It would surprise me if he went on the DL,” Hargrove said.

Hentgen gave just three hits and one run over 5 2-3 innings. He also struck out two and walked four.

Detroit scored in the second inning after having two on with no outs for a second time.

Dean Palmer ended an 0-for-16 skid with a single, advanced to third on Eric Munson’s single and scored on Brandon Inge’s fielder’s choice.

Baltimore tied the game at 1 in the fifth on Brook Fordyce’s single, whichscored Larry Bigbie.

Notes

Baltimore won its 400th game against the Tigers. It leads the all-time series 400-358. … Last season, Lopez won his first five games and didn’t lose his third game until June 20 and finished second to Toronto’s Eric Hinske in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. … Hentgen was a baseball-football star at Fraser (Mich.) High School. … Detroit’s Andres Torres, recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, had two bunt singles. … The Orioles are 7-6 on the road. … Santiago snapped an 0-for-15 slump with a single in the seventh. … TheTigers were caught stealing four times.