Baltimore 8, Colorado 4
BALTIMORE -- Brian Roberts and Manny Machado both hit two-run doubles in a seven-run third inning as the Baltimore Orioles ended their four-game losing streak with an 8-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies Saturday night.
Those doubles helped the Orioles take an early 8-1 lead and snap out of a recent slump. The Orioles struggled with timely hitting during this losing streak and while they stranded 12 in this game, the team finished 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Adam Jones (3-for-5) and Chris Davis (1-for-2 plus two walks) both drove in a run and reached base three times, including twice each in the long third inning. The Orioles (66-56) hadn t won since last Sunday in San Francisco.
Bud Norris (3-1) got the win, going 5 2/3 innings. He struggled at times, allowing four runs on nine hits. But four Oriole relievers combined to shut out the Rockies the rest of the way.
Colorado (58-66) actually out-hit the Orioles, 12-10. Dexter Fowler, Troy Tulowitzki, Wilin Rosario, Michael Cuddyer and Jonathan Herrera each contributed two hits, but the Rockies stranded 11 and went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Both teams manufactured first-inning runs. Norris walked Dexter Fowler to start the game, and he went to third when Corey Dickerson followed with a single. Fowler then scored when Tulowitzki grounded into a double play.
The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the inning against starter Chad Bettis (0-2). Nate McLouth led off with a walk and went to third when Machado singled. Davis then got a sacrifice fly to left to make it 1-1.
Baltimore then took advantage of some uncharacteristically shaky Colorado defense to score seven runs in the third for an 8-1 lead.
The Rockies posted one error, a wild pitch a passed ball and just missed on two other plays -- all of which helped the Orioles send 12 men to the plate and tally six unearned runs.
Davis led off with a double to left-center and moved to third on Rosario's passed ball. Jones then hit a grounder just over the bag at third that Nolan Arenado tried to make a throw on from foul ground. But the ball popped out of his hand momentarily, and he couldn't make a good throw, letting Jones beat it out for a single.
Nick Markakis then hit a blooper to short left that Dickerson nearly made a great sliding catch on -- but the ball dislodged when his glove hit the ground for an RBI single. One out later, Steve Pearce reached on Tulowitzki's fielding error for a 3-1 lead.
Roberts and Machado both lined two-run doubles to right for a 7-1 lead. Machado's shot ended Bettis' night after just 2 2/3 innings. Jones added an RBI single off Adam Ottaviono to put the Orioles on top, 8-1.
NOTES -- The Orioles scratched shortstop J.J. Hardy from the lineup due to back spasms. He was in manager Buck Showalter's original lineup, but that got changed. The team is saying that he's day-to-day. ...The seven runs in the third inning is a season high for the Orioles this year. ... Bettis struggled from the start in this game. He needed 78 pitches to get through 2 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out two. ... Rosario stretched his hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning single. He went back in at catcher after serving as the designated hitter Friday because of pain in both legs.
