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Saunders, Kendrick help Angels beat Orioles 7-5

Apr 29, 2009 - 3:30 AM By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE(AP) -- It took 19 games for the Los Angeles Angels to do something every other team in the majors had already accomplished: notch consecutive wins.

Joe Saunders allowed two earned runs in six innings, Howie Kendrick homered, and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 on Tuesday night to secure their first winning streak of the season.

Kendry Morales had two doubles and two RBIs for the Angels, who were coming off an 8-0 victory over Seattle on Sunday.

"I couldn't tell you when we had two in a row anytime, or when we lost two in a row or anything. We looked at the game we had on this night," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "And when this one's over, we'll turn the page and carry a little momentum into (Wednesday) afternoon's game."

The Orioles, meanwhile, were fuming after their second straight loss. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez called a balk on Jamie Walker in the seventh inning after it appeared the left-hander picked off Maicer Izturis, and three batters later Morales delivered a two-run double to make it 7-4.

"It's a (terrible) call," Walker said. "I don't know if the guy's got something against me or what, but no way did I balk. It changed the whole game. ... It's unacceptable at this level."

Orioles manager Dave Trembley, who was ejected from the game for arguing the call, said, "Angel didn't see it. He didn't think he stepped good enough towards first base. I don't like it when somebody is wrong and they try to tell me they're right. They are umpires, they do a great job, but they are not always right."

Saunders (3-1) gave up four runs and 10 hits. The left-hander is 10-1 lifetime in April and 5-0 in his career against the Orioles.

The Virginia native had around 20 family members in the crowd cheering for him.

"I just love coming back here. My family's back here and I wanted to show them a good game," Saunders said. "It's not always going to be eight innings and no runs. They know it's not always easy. I am sure they're proud of me."

Brian Fuentes worked the ninth and earned his fourth save despite giving up a solo homer to Adam Jones.

Melvin Mora, activated off the 15-day disabled list earlier Tuesday, had three hits and two RBIs for Baltimore.

Kendrick hit a two-run homer off Adam Eaton (1-3) in the fourth to tie it at 4, and the Angels used a run-scoring grounder by Torii Hunter to go up 5-4 in the fifth.

Morales hit the last of the Angels' six doubles, this one off Chris Ray, to up the margin in the seventh. Had the balk not been called, the inning would have ended without Los Angeles scoring.

"The runner obviously thought he was out," Walker said. "He was running off the field. I thought he was out. The only explanation I got was I stepped toward home."

Walker followed Eaton, whose ERA swelled to 7.17 after he gave up five runs and six hits in six innings.

Mora made his presence felt in his first at-bat, punching a two-out blooper to right that produced a first-inning run. In the second, Mora made an excellent pickup of Kendrick's hard-hit grounder to third with two outs and a runner on second.

Eaton, who didn't issue a walk over 7 1-3 innings in his previous start, gave up two in the third.

Notes: Scioscia spent time with the father and grandmother of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart on Tuesday afternoon at the team hotel. The pitcher, who grew up in Maryland, was killed by a drunk driver on April 9. More than two dozen friends and family attended Tuesday's game. ... Baltimore's Nick Markakis extended his hitting streak to 15 games, two short of his career high. ... The Angels won for the first time when outhit by their opponent.