Aug 27, 2008 - 11:24 PM
0 shoutsBALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar all homered as the Baltimore Orioles avoided a three-game sweep with an 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Brian Roberts and Juan Castro each drove in three runs for the Orioles, who rapped out 16 hits in snapping a five-game skid.
Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye homered for Chicago (76-57), which had its lead over the Minnesota Twins (75-58) in the American League Central reduced to one game.
Roberts' two-run single in the second put Baltimore up, 3-1, and it never looked back.
"He played great," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said of Roberts, who was to have a scheduled day off before Alex Cintron came down with food poisoning. (He) came up with some big hits for us."
Jim Thome sliced the deficit to one run with an RBI single in the third, but Roberts restored the two-run cushion by ripping a run-scoring double a frame later.
The hit parade continued in the fifth as Castro delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 6-2. Mora belted his 23rd homer in the sixth for a five-run lead, and Castro drove in a run with a groundout in the seventh to make it 8-2.
Castro sparked the bottom of the Orioles' lineup, which went 6-for-9 with six runs scored.
"There's something to be said about those guys at the bottom of the order, especially Castro rolling the lineup over," Trembley said. "You have to take advantage of scoring opportunities and we had some real big two-out hits."
Dye's 32nd home run in the eighth pulled the White Sox to within 8-3, but Huff belted a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame. Two batters later, Millar capped the scoring with his 19th home run.
Lost in the offensive explosion was a solid effort from rookie Radhames Liz (5-3), who was making his second start since being recalled from Class AAA Norfolk. The righthander battled through wildness, allowing two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with five walks and three strikeouts.
"I would say Liz did enough to stay out of the big inning," Trembley said. "Pitched around some walks ... I thought this time his changeup was the real key because they were sitting on his fastball."
"I was trying not to be too aggressive with my body," said Liz, who went 1-4 with a 6.95 ERA in a five-start stretch before being optioned on July 27. "Last time I was up here I lost a little bit of confidence. I was more relaxed in the minors. I feel much better now."
Chicago, which won the first two games of the series behind solid performances by Clayton Richard and Gavin Floyd, was let down by John Danks (10-7). The lefthander allowed four runs and seven hits in four innings, walking three and striking out one.
"Tough tonight for everyone," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think John didn't throw the ball the way we've seen him throw the ball. Pitchers dictate the way we play the game. Unfortunately, they didn't bring anything to the ballgame today."
From the Bleachers
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CHICAGO: 3
BALTIMORE: 11
Final
Aug 27 9:56 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY KEVIN MILLAR (19) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 8TH OFF LANCE BROADWAY.
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 3, BALTIMORE 11
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: J PAYTON (.257, 6 HR, 38 RBI)
Aug 27 9:50 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY AUBREY HUFF (29) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 8TH OFF LANCE BROADWAY SCORED MELVIN MORA.
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 3, BALTIMORE 10
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: R HERNANDEZ (.253, 0-FOR-4)
Aug 27 9:48 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JERMAINE DYE (32) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0
OUT IN THE 8TH OFF LANCE CORMIER.
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 3, BALTIMORE 8
DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: J THOME (.253, 1-FOR-3, RBI)
Aug 27 9:34 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
JUAN CASTRO HIT INTO DOUBLE PLAY SCORING JAY PAYTON.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 2
BALTIMORE 8 BOTTOM, 7TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: B ROBERTS (.301, 2-FOR-4, 3 RBI)
Aug 27 9:29 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY MELVIN MORA (23) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 6TH OFF LANCE BROADWAY.
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 2, BALTIMORE 7
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: A HUFF (.304, 1-FOR-2, SF, RBI)
Aug 27 9:12 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JUAN CASTRO SCORED LUKE SCOTT AND LUIS MONTANEZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J CASTRO ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 2
BALTIMORE 6 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: B ROBERTS (.301, 2-FOR-3, 3 RBI)
Aug 27 8:51 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY BRIAN ROBERTS SCORED LUKE SCOTT.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B ROBERTS ON SECOND, J CASTRO ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 2
BALTIMORE 4 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.305, 1-FOR-2)
Aug 27 8:31 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JIM THOME SCORED A.J. PIERZYNSKI.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, 0 LEFT ON, 3 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 2
BALTIMORE 3 END TOP, 3RD
Aug 27 8:00 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BRIAN ROBERTS SCORED LUIS MONTANEZ AND JUAN
CASTRO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, B ROBERTS ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 1
BALTIMORE 3 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.306, 1-FOR-1)
Aug 27 7:48 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY PAUL KONERKO (13) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF RADHAMES LIZ.
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 1, BALTIMORE 1
DUE UP FOR CHI WHITE SOX: K GRIFFEY JR (.270, 1 HR, 9 RBI)
Aug 27 7:30 PM -
AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY AUBREY HUFF SCORED NICK MARKAKIS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M MORA ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHI WHITE SOX 0
BALTIMORE 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: R HERNANDEZ (.256, 14 HR, 57 RBI)
Aug 27 7:22 PM
