• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Millar homer lifts Orioles past Red Sox

Aug 12, 2007 - 10:32 PM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- It wasn't easy, but the Baltimore Orioles finally won a series against the Boston Red Sox.

Former Red Sox fan favorite Kevin Millar's walk-off, three-run home run off Kyle Snyder in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Orioles a 6-3 victory over the Red Sox in the finale of a three-game series Sunday.

Millar's 11th home run of the season came two innings after Miguel Tejada tied the game with a two-run blast off Eric Gagne in the eighth. Baltimore took two-of-three in the series, marking the first time they have won a series against the Red Sox since July 7-10, 2005, a span of 11 series.

"It was a great team series win," Millar said. "A great team effort."

The loss, coupled with a win by the New York Yankees, dropped Boston's lead in the American League East by four games.

"It's getting old. It's getting (expletive) ridiculous. That's what it's doing. It's getting (expletive) stupid," Gagne said. "We should have won three games out of three and I (expletive) blew two of them.

"It's getting stupid. They brought me here to do a job and I'm not doing it. It's getting ridiculous. I'm not doing my job. These guys play eight great innings and I go out there and blow it. That's a shame. It's a bunch of (expletive). I'm not doing my job right now. I'm letting everyone down."

Corey Patterson singled off Snyder (2-3) to open the 10th and moved to third when Nick Markakis followed with another base hit. Tejada popped out with runner's on the corners before Millar blasted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field.

"It was looking for a curveball. He had gotten me on 2-1 and I had a feeling he would come back to it," Millar said. "I adjusted and was just trying to lift it far enough for the sacrifice fly."

Chad Bradford (1-4) picked up the win after recording two outs in the top of the 10th inning.

Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, Baltimore's stagnate offense broke through.

Boston reliever Hideki Okajima issued a leadoff walk to Patterson to start the inning and gave way to Gagne after getting Markakis to ground into a force out.

Tejada worked into a full count before blasting his 11th home run of the season over the left-center field wall.

"I told the manager that I would try to get it out of here in my last at-bat," Tejada said. "I'm happy I did. We are having fun and enjoying this."

Acquired from Texas at the trade deadline, Gagne has given up runs in four of five games and pitched to a 15.75 ERA. This series has been a disaster for the righthander, who also allowed four runs in one-third of an inning on Friday as the Orioles rallied for a 6-5 victory.

In his second start since he spending seven weeks on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, Boston's Curt Schilling allowed one unearned run, five hits and did not issue a walk or record a strikeout in six innings.

Before giving way to the bullpen, the 40-year-old righthander was in line for his first win since throwing a one-hitter to beat Oakland on June 7.

"I thought I threw the ball well. I had a good game plan," Schilling said. "I had good command. I mixed it up. I pitched to contact and I thought I pitched really well."

After falling behind 1-0, the heart of the Boston lineup got the better of Baltimore starter Steve Trachsel in the third.

Kevin Youkilis drew a one-out walk and moved to third moments later on David Ortiz's 36th double of the season. Cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez plated both runners with a double into the right-center field gap.

Hampered by injury in recent weeks, Ortiz has just three hits in his last 21 at-bats, a slump by the slugger's standards.

Boston extended the lead to 3-1 an inning later as Julio Lugo doubled to score Jason Varitek, who led off the frame with a double of his own.

Trachsel allowed three runs 10 hits and three walks while striking out one in 6 1/3 innings.

Baltimore's only run off Schilling came in the second inning when Lugo, the shortstop, allowed a potential double-play ball off the bat of Aubrey Huff goes through his legs. Kevin millar, who was on first base, advanced to third on the play and later scored on a ground out by Melvin Mora.