Phillies 9, Orioles 6
BALTIMORE -- Shane Victorino tied a career high with five RBI, and both he and Jim Thome got three hits to help the Philadelphia Phillies snap a six-game losing streak with a 9-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Friday night
Victorino finished 3-for-4 and nearly hit for the cycle in the first four innings, getting an RBI single in the first, a two-run double in the second plus a two-run homer in the fourth.
Thome, who had seen limited playing time this season, also got three hits in those first four innings as the Phillies scored nine runs. He got hits in his first three at-bats and ended up 3-for-5.
The Phillies (29-31) banged out 11 of their 12 hits in the first four innings. Philadelphia used a six-run second inning to break out of an offensive slump that's plagued it recently.
All of the offensive support helped Phillies starter Joe Blanton (5-6) end his own three-game losing streak. He gave up three runs in the second inning but settled down. The right-hander allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings.
The Phillies used three straight two-out singles in the first off struggling Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta (2-8) to take an early 1-0 lead. Hunter Pence started the rally with his single to center followed by Thome's infield single.
Victorino then also singled to center, driving in Pence with the game's first run.
Philadelphia broke it open with the six-run second inning. Mike Fontenot hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot to make it 3-0. Thome doubled in another run before Victorino added a two-run double.
Carlos Ruiz finished the six-run inning with an RBI single to center for a 7-0 lead. The Phillies got seven runs on eight hits in the first two frames.
Chris Davis (RBI single) and Robert Andino (two-run double) helped the Orioles cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the second, but the Phillies added two more in the fourth.
Thome got a two-out double and scored when Victorino homered to give the Phillies a 9-3 lead. That gave the outfielder five RBI in the first four innings.
Davis then hit a solo homer in the fourth, but Blanton still had a 9-4 lead. J.J. Hardy added a two-run shot off relief pitcher Michael Schwimer in the seventh, but the Orioles couldn't get closer.
Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth to earn his 16th save.
NOTES: It's looking more and more like Orioles right-hander Tommy Hunter will be called up from Class AAA Norfolk and start Saturday's game against the Phillies. Hunter was held out of his scheduled minor-league start on Thursday just to be sure. The Orioles then needed to put Dana Eveland into the game in the fifth inning Friday, and Miguel Gonzalez threw four innings Thursday in Boston, so Hunter may be the only choice left. ... Baltimore came into the game with just one extra-base hit in its last 22 innings. But the Orioles then banged out three in the first four innings of this contest. ... The Phillies will likely be without Placido Polanco for this weekend series. He's suffering from what's been described as a small tear in a tendon in his left wrist, something that happened earlier this week. Polanco got a cortisone injection in the wrist on Friday and said he'd need some time to let everything try to heal. They'll be re-evaluating the situation in the coming days on this interleague road trip. ... Thome came into this game with only two hits in the entire season, doing most of his work as a pinch-hitter while battling injuries, but got three hits in the first three innings. ... Juan Pierre scored once in the six-run second inning, and that was run No. 1,000 of his career.
