Orioles 3, Angels 2
BALTIMORE -- Nick Markakis lined a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning and Miguel Gonzalez pitched eight strong innings to give the Baltimore Orioles a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night at Camden Yards.
Baltimore (37-28) hadn't done much against Angels starter Jason Vargas before the two-run seventh. Vargas (5-4) had pitched 14 straight shutout innings against the Orioles this season before Manny Machado's RBI grounder in the sixth tied the score.
In the seventh, the Orioles loaded the bases on three straight two-out infield singles from Danny Valencia, Steve Pearce and Ryan Flaherty. The last, from Flaherty, ended Vargas' night.
Left-hander Scott Downs came on to face Markakis, who lined a two-run single to center. Valencia and Pearce scored and Baltimore led 3-1.
Jim Johnson worked the ninth for the Orioles to pick up his 23rd save, even though he gave up a two-out RBI single to Albert Pujols.
The Orioles won their third consecutive game and the Angels (27-38) loss their fourth in a row.
The Angels couldn't do much with Gonzalez (4-2). The right-hander gave up a fourth-inning homer to Mike Trout and not much else, scattering four hits over his eight innings, his longest start this season.
The Angels went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position against Gonzalez and left only one runner on base in eight innings.
The Orioles helped their cause by turning three double plays, a big reason for the Angels never sending more than four batters to the plate in any inning.
Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos stopped the Orioles from taking the lead in the first.
Manny Machado reached on a one-out single before J.J. Hardy sent a blast to deep center. Bourjos raced back, jumped up and reached over the wall to pull the ball back in a play reminiscent of Trout's great catch here last June 27.
Trout then gave the Angels a 1-0 lead leading off the fourth by hitting a ball no one could reach. He belted a 1-1 pitch from Gonzalez over the center-field fence.
That was the left fielder's second home run in two nights after going 71 at-bats without one.
Baltimore made several good plays on defense to back up Gonzalez early. Machado made a diving stop at third on a shot from Trout in the first and then came up with a nice short-hop play to start a double play against the speedy Bourjos in the third.
Markakis made a long running catch on a Pujols drive into the right field corner in the fourth and crashed into the wall in foul territory in right for a catch that retired Trout in the sixth.
NOTES: Hardy got burned again on his second at-bat. He hit a fly ball near the stands in left field -- in foul territory -- and a fan reached over and blocked Trout from catching it. The umpires ruled Hardy out on fan interference. ... Alexi Casilla's injured finger (right index) is still bothering him, and he was only available to pinch-run. ... The Angels put right-hander Robert Coello on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right shoulder. They also recalled right-hander Dane De La Rosa from Triple-A Salt Lake. ... The Angels' Howie Kendrick singled in the second inning to end a 0-for-8 skid. He went hitless on Sunday and Monday, the first time he was hitless in consecutive games in the month of June.
