• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Markakis powers Orioles past Nationals

May 18, 2008 - 3:28 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- In a season that's turning out much better for the Baltimore Orioles than many around baseball expected, it's been the bullpen that's the key difference.

On Saturday night, the recently reliable bullpen nearly frittered away a four-run lead, but thanks to Jim Johnson and George Sherrill, the Orioles hung on for a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.

The win was Baltimore's fourth straight and seventh in its last eight games.

The Orioles entered the eighth with a 6-2 lead, thanks to three RBI from Nick Markakis, a two-run home run from Jay Payton and 6 2/3 innings of four-hit ball from Brian Burres.

"You're not going to win by three or four runs every night. We're going a good job under pressure," Markakis said.

Chad Bradford, who relieved Burres (4-4) in the seventh, started the eighth by allowing a single to Wily Mo Pena. Felipe Lopez hit into a fielder's choice, Cristian Guzman singled and Ryan Zimmerman hit into a fielder's choice for the second out.

Manager Dave Trembley summoned Dennis Sarfate, who walked Dmitri Young to load the bases, and Aaron Boone singled for two runs. In came the reliable Johnson, who has a sparkling 1.12 ERA. He walked Wil Nieves to load the bases and hit Lastings Milledge to score Young.

But Johnson recovered to strike out the struggling Austin Kearns on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.

"It was an interesting eighth inning, as everybody saw, to say the least," Trembley said. "But we hung in there. I thought our poise was very good."

Kearns is in a horrific 2-for-33 slump that's sent the lifetime .265 hitter's average to .187.

In the ninth, it was Sherrill, who retired all three batters for his 17th save of the season - tied for most in the majors.

Markakis, whose three RBI equaled his season high, drove a pitch from Odalis Perez (1-4) into the right-center field bleachers in the third inning for a two-run home run. His first-inning single drove home Melvin Mora, who had two hits, two runs and an RBI.

The Orioles touched Perez for a season-high six runs and 10 hits. Perez has won just one of 10 starts.

"It was bad. It was bad," Perez said. "It was like they knew what was coming."

Burres (4-4), who broke a personal three-game losing streak, allowed two runs and four hits while walking two and striking out three.

"I thought we never gave up and battled hard," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "We were just one hit short."

The Nationals tied it in the top of the second when Young led off with a single. Boone doubled him to third, and Young scored on an infield out by Jesus Flores. The catcher was later ejected by home plate umpire Tim McClelland for arguing balls and strikes.

"Uncalled for," Acta said. "He asked the umpire, 'Where did you have that pitch?' and he just threw him out of the game."

Baltimore took a 4-1 lead in the third when Brian Roberts led off with a double. Mora singled to score Roberts and Markakis hit his two-run home run.

Ryan Zimmerman's leadoff homer in the fourth to left field cut the Orioles' lead to 4-2.

Payton's fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot, with two outs in the fifth made it 6-2.

"Our pitching's been phenomenal, keeping us in games," Payton said. "We've been able to get some timely hits. Nobody in here's panicking.

"We come in here confident in ourselves. We know if we play good baseball, we've got a chance to win."