Chisox73
08-23-2006, 05:08 PM
Markakis powers O's to win over Twins
Rookie blasts homers in three straight at-bats behind Loewen
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060822&content_id=1623669&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/images/2006/08/22/RJyXmn6Y.jpg
Nick Markakis is congratulated by teammates after hitting his third homer of the game. (Gail Burton/AP)
BALTIMORE -- One could've been a fluke, and two could've been a coincidence. But once you hit three home runs in a game, you haven't left much to chance. Baltimore rookie Nick Markakis went deep three times and absorbed three standing ovations Tuesday night, when he led the Orioles to a 6-3 series-opening win over Minnesota.
"He certainly has come on strong," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "We said all along, 'Give him a chance to get his feet on the ground and learn some pitchers, get some confidence.' Obviously, he has that. We said his power would come, but I kind of thought it would come a little later than it has so far.
"It's just fun to watch the kids go out there and do as well as they're doing. It sure does give us hope for next year."
The three-homer outburst continued a torrid month for Markakis, who couldn't find his power stroke for most of the season. The outfielder had just four home runs when August started, and he has six homers in his last six games. Markakis homered in three of his first four games after moving to the No. 2 slot, and then came Tuesday night.
"It's just one of those things. It's a learning process," said Markakis, who's rarely one of the team's big talkers. "[Hitting coach] Terry Crowley, I can't say it enough, he's done a great job. He puts good things in my head. He keeps working just as hard as I am out there. It's been good, and hopefully, we can continue."
"Nicky, what can you say? I wonder why I didn't put him in the two-hole sooner," added Perlozzo. "He just plays the game. He doesn't get too excited about something -- at least outwardly. I'm sure he has to be excited about his night tonight. He's got a good head on his shoulders. That's the kind of thing you don't see in real young kids."
The left-handed hitter didn't waste any time against Minnesota starter Carlos Silva. He homered to center field in the first inning, to right in the third and to right-center in the fifth. All three homers were majestic in their own right. The first soared toward the batter's eye at Oriole Park and the second towards the warehouse looming over Eutaw Street.
The third one -- also a no-doubter -- gave the Orioles (56-69) a 5-1 lead and brought the Camden Yards audience to its feet. Markakis took a curtain call and absorbed another ovation in the top of the sixth, when he ran out to right field. The crowd kept it up for the rest of the game, serenading Markakis every time he came to the plate.
The right fielder flew out in the seventh and ended the eighth in the on-deck circle, barely missing one last chance to swing the bat. Still, he ended the game with four souvenirs: Three home run balls and a lineup card.
"When you're in a zone like that, it's a lot of fun. It's quite a thrill, a three home-run game, and they don't come around too often," said Baltimore first baseman Kevin Millar, who hit three homers in a game during the 2004 season. "The guy's been so consistent over the last few months, and he's made great adjustments at this level. ... He's got power in batting practice. It's a matter of knowing how to use it, and he's obviously doing that right now."
"We talked about changing our strategy for the third at-bat, and he hit another homer. We couldn't get him out," said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire. "The first home run the kid hit, the first guy [swung] at the first pitch, so normally you don't think the next guy's going to swing at the next pitch. Most of the time he takes one.
"This time, he just happened to take it out of the ballpark."
The rookie became one of just eight players to hit three homers in a game this season, and he became the 18th Orioles player in history to achieve the feat. All three homers came on offspeed pitches. The last American League rookie to hit three homers in a game was Tampa Bay's Jonny Gomes, who went deep three times last July.
That performance served to obscure another great night for another Baltimore rookie. Starting pitcher Adam Loewen pitched one of the best games of his brief career, working eight innings and leaving with a five-run lead.
"I feel like our whole team has momentum, and we're just kind of feeding off each other," said Loewen, who evened his record at 4-4. "The real story today was Nick's three home runs. For him to come out here and do that in his rookie season is pretty phenomenal. It gives us hope for the future."
Loewen allowed a run in the second inning and went on to retire 21 straight Twins before calling it a night. Baltimore's bullpen stumbled -- with reliever LaTroy Hawkins allowing two runs in the ninth inning -- but closer Chris Ray got the final out for his 29th save of the season. Loewen struck out seven batters and didn't walk any.
"It's nice to pitch out of the windup as much as I can," he said, "And getting the first batter out of the inning is really important if you want to go deep in the game. I was just feeling confident in all my pitches today."
"His command was great. He kept the ball down. His breaking ball was very good again," said Perlozzo. "He became a pitcher. One time, he threw one that he really tried to hump up on, and I saw him step back, take a deep breath and say, 'I'd better continue pitching.'
"For some reason, when he's down in the zone and throws his pitches over, they don't seem to pound him much."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Rookie blasts homers in three straight at-bats behind Loewen
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060822&content_id=1623669&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/images/2006/08/22/RJyXmn6Y.jpg
Nick Markakis is congratulated by teammates after hitting his third homer of the game. (Gail Burton/AP)
BALTIMORE -- One could've been a fluke, and two could've been a coincidence. But once you hit three home runs in a game, you haven't left much to chance. Baltimore rookie Nick Markakis went deep three times and absorbed three standing ovations Tuesday night, when he led the Orioles to a 6-3 series-opening win over Minnesota.
"He certainly has come on strong," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "We said all along, 'Give him a chance to get his feet on the ground and learn some pitchers, get some confidence.' Obviously, he has that. We said his power would come, but I kind of thought it would come a little later than it has so far.
"It's just fun to watch the kids go out there and do as well as they're doing. It sure does give us hope for next year."
The three-homer outburst continued a torrid month for Markakis, who couldn't find his power stroke for most of the season. The outfielder had just four home runs when August started, and he has six homers in his last six games. Markakis homered in three of his first four games after moving to the No. 2 slot, and then came Tuesday night.
"It's just one of those things. It's a learning process," said Markakis, who's rarely one of the team's big talkers. "[Hitting coach] Terry Crowley, I can't say it enough, he's done a great job. He puts good things in my head. He keeps working just as hard as I am out there. It's been good, and hopefully, we can continue."
"Nicky, what can you say? I wonder why I didn't put him in the two-hole sooner," added Perlozzo. "He just plays the game. He doesn't get too excited about something -- at least outwardly. I'm sure he has to be excited about his night tonight. He's got a good head on his shoulders. That's the kind of thing you don't see in real young kids."
The left-handed hitter didn't waste any time against Minnesota starter Carlos Silva. He homered to center field in the first inning, to right in the third and to right-center in the fifth. All three homers were majestic in their own right. The first soared toward the batter's eye at Oriole Park and the second towards the warehouse looming over Eutaw Street.
The third one -- also a no-doubter -- gave the Orioles (56-69) a 5-1 lead and brought the Camden Yards audience to its feet. Markakis took a curtain call and absorbed another ovation in the top of the sixth, when he ran out to right field. The crowd kept it up for the rest of the game, serenading Markakis every time he came to the plate.
The right fielder flew out in the seventh and ended the eighth in the on-deck circle, barely missing one last chance to swing the bat. Still, he ended the game with four souvenirs: Three home run balls and a lineup card.
"When you're in a zone like that, it's a lot of fun. It's quite a thrill, a three home-run game, and they don't come around too often," said Baltimore first baseman Kevin Millar, who hit three homers in a game during the 2004 season. "The guy's been so consistent over the last few months, and he's made great adjustments at this level. ... He's got power in batting practice. It's a matter of knowing how to use it, and he's obviously doing that right now."
"We talked about changing our strategy for the third at-bat, and he hit another homer. We couldn't get him out," said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire. "The first home run the kid hit, the first guy [swung] at the first pitch, so normally you don't think the next guy's going to swing at the next pitch. Most of the time he takes one.
"This time, he just happened to take it out of the ballpark."
The rookie became one of just eight players to hit three homers in a game this season, and he became the 18th Orioles player in history to achieve the feat. All three homers came on offspeed pitches. The last American League rookie to hit three homers in a game was Tampa Bay's Jonny Gomes, who went deep three times last July.
That performance served to obscure another great night for another Baltimore rookie. Starting pitcher Adam Loewen pitched one of the best games of his brief career, working eight innings and leaving with a five-run lead.
"I feel like our whole team has momentum, and we're just kind of feeding off each other," said Loewen, who evened his record at 4-4. "The real story today was Nick's three home runs. For him to come out here and do that in his rookie season is pretty phenomenal. It gives us hope for the future."
Loewen allowed a run in the second inning and went on to retire 21 straight Twins before calling it a night. Baltimore's bullpen stumbled -- with reliever LaTroy Hawkins allowing two runs in the ninth inning -- but closer Chris Ray got the final out for his 29th save of the season. Loewen struck out seven batters and didn't walk any.
"It's nice to pitch out of the windup as much as I can," he said, "And getting the first batter out of the inning is really important if you want to go deep in the game. I was just feeling confident in all my pitches today."
"His command was great. He kept the ball down. His breaking ball was very good again," said Perlozzo. "He became a pitcher. One time, he threw one that he really tried to hump up on, and I saw him step back, take a deep breath and say, 'I'd better continue pitching.'
"For some reason, when he's down in the zone and throws his pitches over, they don't seem to pound him much."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.