Orioles 10, Padres 3
SAN DIEGO -- Crush Davis put the hurt on the San Diego Padres.
Chris Davis, Baltimore's slugging first baseman, slammed a three-run home run in the eighth inning to lead the Orioles to a 10-3 victory over the Padres on Wednesday afternoon.
Davis lived up to his nickname in unlocking a 3-3 tie and sending reliever Colt Hynes' 79 mph slider deep into the right-field seats. The ball soared 453 feet as Davis collected his major-league leading 41st home run and 106 RBI.
In relief of starter Miguel Gonzalez, Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) collected the win in working a spotless seventh inning.
Luke Gregerson (5-6) absorbed the loss as he continues to struggle in the second half of the season.
With one swing, Jedd Gyorko erased the Orioles' 3-0 lead in the sixth and put a dent in a 6-for-63 skid.
Gyorko stroked a three-run homer off the top of the center-field fence. Before that, the Padres were stymied by Gonzalez.
But Chris Denorfia opened with a walk and Yonder Alonso added more traffic on the bases with a broken-bat single. Gyorko followed with his 10th homer off a Gonzalez fastball which got too much of the plate.
The Orioles had struck first, in between Eric Stults striking out the side in the second.
Stults retired Davis and Matt Wieters swinging and had J.J. Hardy in a 0-2 hole. But Stults elevated an 89 mph fastball and Hardy shot it off the Western Metal Supply building's second deck for his 19th home run. Stults then struck out Steve Pearce.
Baltimore's lead doubled in the fourth, thanks to a questionable call and questionable throw.
Manny Machado grounded to Gyorko at second and his toss to Alonso at first briefly pulled him off the bag. But it appeared Alonso returned to the bag before Machado reached it -- first base umpire Angel Hernandez disagreed.
With Machado aboard, Adam Jones singled up the middle. As Machado headed for third, center fielder Alexi Amarista's relay to Chase Headley landed in the Orioles' dugout, allowing Machado to score.
Baltimore made it 3-0 in the fifth when Machado drove in Pearce, after Pearce led off the inning with a double. The Orioles wasted a chance to blow the game open as Jones struck out and Davis flew out to center to leave the bases loaded.
Later, Davis parked one well out of Petco Park to pace the Orioles to their second straight win.
NOTES: Padres C Yasmani Grandal underwent successful knee surgery to repair his torn ACL. Grandal's procedure was on Tuesday; he's out for the season. Grandal was injured last month on a collision at the plate. ... Padres LHP Cory Luebke reports to the club's Arizona summer league team to continue his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery following a 25-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. ... Orioles RHP Jason Hammel had discomfort when attempting to throw on Tuesday and might not exit the disabled list on Aug. 13. He's experiencing pain in both his elbow and forearm.
