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Orioles end nine-game skid with victory over Padres

Jun 21, 2007 - 6:10 AM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Enough was enough for Jeremy Guthrie and the Baltimore Orioles.

Guthrie pitched eight strong innings as the Orioles coasted to a 7-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.

Guthrie (4-1) allowed one run, four hits and one walk while striking out nine as the Orioles snapped a nine-game losing streak. The righthander retired 11 consecutive batters between the third and sixth innings en route to his fourth victory of the season.

"It's just really amazing the kind of year he has had, but I'm not surprised at it," Orioles interim manager Dave Trembley said. "He's a great success story. He's just been a great story, not only for the Orioles, but I think for baseball."

The Orioles wasted little time in giving Guthrie a cushion to work with, reaching Padres starter Justin Germano (5-1) for three runs before the first out of the game was recorded.

"We got a nice little lead at the beginning," Guthrie said. "The big thing was coming out and shutting them down for a few innings to keep that lead. It was just a real good way to start it and we did everything we needed to do tonight - defense, hitting and pitching."

Brian Roberts opened the first inning with a double before Nick Markakis, Kevin Millar and Miguel Tejada followed with run-scoring hits. Melvin Mora drew a walk before Germano retired Jay Gibbons for the first out of the game.

"It was a quick ambush," Padres manager Bud Black said. "They came out and got some balls through. After that, (Germano) was outstanding. Sort of like what we've seen all season. But, that happens. You can't take anything away from Baltimore. They came out and jumped on him."

Germano, who retired 14 of the next 15 batters after giving the three runs, allowed three runs, five hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings.

"I was just focusing on trying to get that first out and just take it from there," Germano said. "I was really hoping I could bounce back and keep us in the ballgame and I was able to get through six solid innings."

The Orioles did not score again until posting a four-spot in the eighth, highlighted by Jay Payton's two-run triple and RBI singles from Paul Bako and Mora.

"It was just a good game," Payton said. "We came out today and looked like we had a mission to get out there and get out of this funk we've been in. It's only one day, but it's something to build on."

San Diego's Russell Branyan hit his sixth home run of the season in the eighth to deny Guthrie his first career shutout.

After making one start and six relief appearances for the Orioles in April, Guthrie moved into the starting rotation in May when righthander Jaret Wright was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Since then, Guthrie is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in nine starts spanning 66 1/3 innings. He had pitched seven or more innings in his last eight starts.

"That guy was as good as we've seen all season," Black said. "I haven't seen him in a couple of years. He looked like a completely different pitcher."