Davis' bat carries Orioles to 13-3 rout of Tigers
DETROIT -- Chris Davis would like to play in more lopsided games. If he keeps blasting homers like he did on Wednesday, he'll get his wish.
Davis hit a pair of two-run homers, giving him a major league leading 26 home runs, and drove in five runs to power the Baltimore Orioles to a 13-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday at Comerica Park.
Baltimore's highest-scoring game this season was just its fifth victory by five or more runs. It has played 32 games decided by two runs or less.
"We're kind of the king of playing close games," said Davis, who collected his fifth career multi-homer game and second this season. "Anytime you go out there and put up a bunch of runs, it takes a little pressure off the pitching staff and lets everybody breathe a little bit easier."
Davis stroked an opposite-field shot during the Orioles' six-run fourth and pulled the other during a four-run ninth. That gave him six homers against the Tigers in the last eight games.
In between, he ripped an RBI double. His 66 RBI are second only to Miguel Cabrera's 71 for Detroit.
A day off from the field suited him well. He served as the designated hitter after playing 71 of the team's first 72 games at first base.
"I know he's happy with the manager today, DHing him. I think we found ourselves a DH," manager Buck Showalter said with a grin. "He's been solid, just been very consistent in his approach. He's got a routine that's he really confident in, getting ready for games. He doesn't let one game where everything doesn't fall in place snowball on him. He's keeping the peaks going and shortening up the valleys."
Davis was certainly not the only hot-hitting Oriole, as they pounded out 17 hits. Taylor Teagarden blasted a three-run homer, Adam Jones drove in three runs and Nate McLouth had three hits and scored twice for Baltimore, which won the season series, 4-2.
Chris Tillman (8-2) survived five-plus shaky innings to lift his road record to 6-0. Tillman, who was charged with all three Tigers runs, gave up seven hits and walked three. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 12 consecutive road starts, the longest active streak in the majors.
Tillman didn't have to be sharp with his team's offense humming.
"It's always fun watching guys like (Davis). Our whole lineup is fun to watch," Tillman said. "You give them a chance, and get back to the dugout as soon as you can and not have long innings, and they'll put up special numbers."
Matt Tuiasosopo had a two-run double for the American League Central-leading Tigers, who surrendered a season high in runs.
The Orioles had seven hits and sent 10 men to the plate during the fourth inning against Rick Porcello (4-4) to take a 6-0 lead.
"That one inning just really turned it into a blowout," Porcello said. "It is a fine line, but I wasn't sharp in that fourth inning."
Nick Markakis led off with a single and one out later, Davis smashed a first-pitch offering from Porcello over the left-field wall.
"I was looking at a lot of video before the game," Davis said. "I felt like I've had some pitches the last few games to drive the other way and I kind of pulled off of them. That's something I was actually working on before the game."
Singles by J.J. Hardy and Ryan Flaherty, sandwiching a strikeout, preceded Teagarden's blast to left field. Teagarden had just one hit in 24 at-bats this season before the home run. Manny Machado's RBI single completed the Baltimore outburst.
"This game's going to sit with me for a while," Porcello said. "I put up five shutout innings, but to give up six in one inning - you can't expect to have any success doing that."
Detroit cut the Orioles' lead to 6-3 on Omar Infante's RBI double in the fourth and Tuiasosopo's pinch-double in the sixth.
Davis contributed a run-scoring double during Baltimore's three-run seventh against relievers Darin Downs and Evan Reed. Davis smacked his second homer, off Jose Valverde, during a four-run ninth.
NOTES: The Tigers begin a four-game homestand against Boston on Thursday. Left-hander Jose Alvarez was recalled from Triple-A Toledo after Wednesday's game and will start the first game of the series. Alvarez, who won his major-league debut against Cleveland on June 2, is filling in for Anibal Sanchez (right shoulder strain). Sanchez was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday. Outfielder Avisail Garcia was optioned to Toledo to make room for Alvarez. ... The Orioles have an off-day before resuming their road trip at Toronto. ... Miguel Cabrera had two hits, giving him 100 for the season and raising his major-league leading average to .361.
