Orioles Win A Good One Down In Atlanta

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I got to watch this game! :jump: It was on TBS, so I saw most of it. Russ Ortiz made his debut with the O's and he certainly looked better than I thought he would!

Orioles win it, 7-4.

Ortiz was taken out in the 5th, just before he could have gotten the win. :(

Nick Markakis had his 2nd 4-hit game in one week. The rookie's looking terrific!

The Orioles sort of had Tim Hudson for dinner. :D

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Details!!!

Baltimore 7, Atlanta 4

By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer
AP - Jul 1, 9:40 pm EDT

ATLANTA (AP) -- Brian Roberts had three hits and two RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles jumped on Tim Hudson early to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-4 Saturday night.

Russ Ortiz lasted only 4 1-3 innings in his Baltimore debut, allowing three runs and nine hits. He struck out one, walked four and was pulled before qualifying for a win.

Hudson (6-8) gave up 11 hits and six runs, five earned, in only 2 2-3 innings in suffering his fourth straight loss. It was Hudson's shortest start since pitching 2 2-3 innings in a 7-3 loss at Texas on June 13, 2005.

Kurt Birkins (3-1) retired the last two batters in the fifth as the Orioles improved to 14-23 in road games.

Ortiz was 0-5 with a 7.54 ERA in six starts for Arizona this season when the Diamondbacks released him on June 21. He had not pitched since June 11, when he gave up seven runs in just 3 1-3 innings of a 15-2 loss to the New York Mets.

Ortiz appeared to be on pace for another poor outing when he walked Marcus Giles to open the game and gave up a run-scoring single to Andruw Jones later in the first inning. But he stranded three baserunners in the second to stay in it.

Ortiz also went 2-for-2 with two RBIs at the plate to help his cause.

The Orioles scored four runs in the second off Hudson and pushed the lead to 6-1 in the third.

In the second inning, eight consecutive Baltimore batters reached base on six hits, a walk and Braves third baseman Chipper Jones' throwing error. Five of the six hits, and each of Baltimore's four runs in the inning, came with two outs.

Hudson caught a break when Corey Patterson was easily thrown out at third while trying to advance from first on Jeff Conine's single. But Ortiz and Roberts had run-scoring singles. Melvin Mora drove in a run with a bases-loaded infield hit, and the fourth run scored on Jones' low throw to second on Miguel Tejada's grounder.

Hudson gave up four more hits in the third, including Ortiz's second run-scoring single. Roberts' sacrifice fly made it 6-1.

Scott Thorman and Edgar Renteria drove in runs as the Braves cut the lead to 6-3 in the fourth. The inning ended when Thorman was thrown out at the plate by Baltimore left fielder Brandon Fahey while trying to score from second on a single by Adam LaRoche.

Baltimore's Nick Markakis went 4-for-5 for his second career four-hit game, both this week.

The Braves loaded the bases in the seventh against LaTroy Hawkins, but Thorman hit a flyball to left to end the inning.

Braves reliever Chris Reitsma pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings in his first appearance since coming off the disabled list Friday. He hit Tejada with a pitch in the eighth inning and, following a visit from trainer Jeff Porter, left the game.

It was not known if Reitsma was suffering from the same numbness in his pitching hand that forced him to the disabled list on June 12.

Chipper Jones hit a solo homer in the ninth. ^

Notes: The Braves have not won back-to-back games since a four-game winning streak May 24-28. ... Tejada played in his 1,000th consecutive game, the longest active streak in the majors.


Updated on Saturday, Jul 1, 2006 10:40 pm EDT