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Scott, Mora help Orioles tame Tigers

Jul 19, 2008 - 3:28 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Detroit Tigers have a reputation as a home run-hitting ballclub, but on Friday it was the Baltimore Orioles who used the long ball to their advantage.

Luke Scott blasted two home runs and Melvin Mora added a two-run shot to help the Orioles roll to a 7-4 victory over the Tigers on Friday at Camden Yards.

Mora hit the go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth, erasing a 4-3 deficit. Scott homered in the second and again in the eighth, giving him his second multi-homer effort of the season and fourth of his career.

Tigers starter Armando Galarraga (7-4), who hasn't won in his last five starts, allowed five runs - four earned on three home runs - and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

"This is a home run-friendly ballpark and when you make bad pitches, it's going to happen," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We just didn't get any big hits. We had chance after chance after chance."

Baltimore had lost eight of its last nine, but was lifted by six solid innings by starter Jeremy Guthrie (6-7).

The righthander was the winner despite allowing a career-high 12 hits, while walking two and striking out five. After he surrendered singles to Placido Polanco and Matt Joyce to lead off the seventh, Chad Bradford relieved him and recorded two quick outs.

Jim Johnson followed with a scoreless eighth to bridge the gap for All-Star closer George Sherrill, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his 29th save.

While Scott's two home runs looked impressive, it was Mora's shot - which hit the top of the left field foul pole - that generated plenty of recognition.

"I got a pretty good look at it," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "He hit it good, so it didn't hook, but for one of the few times in the last couple weeks we finally had a ball that bounced our way."

Mora desperately wanted the ball to stay fair.

"I'm just happy that it hit the pole, because if it wasn't for that I think they were going to call foul ball," Mora said. "I was hoping. I was running and saying, 'Well, I got a chance,' because I saw the ball fair all the way through. But in the end it had a little curve, so I'm glad it was fair."

Detroit left fielder Matt Joyce had a good view of the ball and was hoping it would go foul.

"That's a one in a billion shot," Joyce said. "That's crazy. I've never seen it hit the top of the foul pole in my life."

Scott hadn't hit a home run since June 29, and his 16 home runs are just four shy of his career-high.

"You've got to take the highs with the lows, just battle it out," Scott said. "I believe that a big second half is coming."

The Orioles got a run in the bottom of the first. With one out, Adam Jones popped to short left field where shortstop Edgar Renteria dropped the ball for a two-base error and eventually came around to score on Nick Markakis' double to left.

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the second on Ivan Rodriguez's fifth homer of the year, his first of four hits in the game.

Scott's first blast tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second and Aubrey Huff's home run gave Baltimore a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third. Huff now has six multi-hit games in the past nine.

Detroit scored twice against Guthrie in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.

Miguel Cabrera snapped an 0-for-13 streak with a single and with one out, Rodriguez and Renteria singled to load the bases. Cabrera then scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Brandon Inge and Rodriguez was plated on Curtis Granderson's double.