Orioles erase 5-0 deficit, down Tigers
BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Schoop lined a two-run triple to cap a five-run seventh inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from an early five-run deficit for their fifth consecutive victory, a 7-5 decision over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night.
The Tigers took a 5-0 lead, the last two runs coming in the sixth thanks to RBI singles from Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, before the Orioles rallied.
Chris Davis (RBI double) and Schoop (RBI infield single) cut the lead to 5-2 in the sixth as Detroit starter Mike Pelfrey began to struggle and then was pulled.
In the seventh, Adam Jones, Davis and Pedro Alvarez all had RBI singles, tying the game at 5-5.
Schoop then followed Alvarez with his line drive into the right field corner for the first triple of his major league career, and the two-run hit off Justin Wilson (0-1) gave Baltimore (21-12) the victory.
Schoop finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Vance Worley (2-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief, and Zach Britton earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Tigers (15-19) finished with 13 hits but wasted a number of scoring chances. They left 12 on base, which gave the Orioles a chance to stay close.
Detroit's Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit the only homer of the game, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
The Tigers lost for the ninth time in 10 games and for the second game in a row.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead four batters into the game. J.D. Martinez and Cabrera drew back-to-back-one-out walks off Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez before Victor Martinez followed with an RBI single.
They made it 3-0 with two more runs in the fourth. Saltalamacchia led off by homering to right on a fly ball that curled around the foul pole, and Cabrera later added an RBI grounder.
Pelfrey kept Baltimore quiet until it threatened in the fifth, putting two on with two outs. The right-hander then struck out Joey Rickard to end the inning and keep the lead at 3-0.
Pelfrey wound up allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Jimenez surrendered five runs (four earned) in five-plus innings.
NOTES: Orioles manager Buck Showalter said SS J.J. Hardy, on the disabled list (left foot fracture, retroactive to May 2), would go to Sarasota to do some work when the team takes off on its road trip at the end of next week. ... The Orioles banged out at least 10 hits in six of the seven games they played vs. Detroit last year. Baltimore won the season series, 4-3. ... The Tigers recalled OF Steven Moya from Triple-A Toledo, where he had a .310 average with nine homers and 24 RBIs. They also sent down LHP Blaine Hardy. ... OF Justin Upton played his first career game in center field. After 1,217 games in the majors, Upton made his debut in center in this game. Manager Brad Ausmus said if all goes well, Upton could be back there Friday as Oriole Park is smaller than other places.