• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tejada homers as Orioles top Athletics

May 27, 2007 - 4:20 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- It's been rare that the Baltimore Orioles can celebrate a win against the Oakland Athletics.

Miguel Tejada hit his fourth home run of the season and Brian Roberts drove in three runs as the Orioles defeated Oakland, 8-3, to earn their first victory against the Athletics in four games this season.

Chris Gomez added two RBI and Corey Patterson also drove in a run for the Orioles, who have won for just the third time in their last 17 games here against Oakland. The Orioles are just 24-54 against Oakland since 1999.

"What I've done lately is be patient at the plate," said Tejada, who hit his second home run in three games after going 100 at-bats without one. "I just look for my pitch. That's why my swing is better."

Brian Burres (2-2) allowed one runs, three hits and three walks while striking out four in a season-high six innings. The lefthander retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a solo homer to Nick Swisher in the fourth.

"If I can keep my pitch count low, I can go as long as they let me," Burres said. "When you get a little cushion, you can really attack the hitters and get some outs."

Highlighted by Tejada's two-run blast in the first, the Orioles opened up a 4-1 edge through four innings before blowing the game open with four tallies in the fifth.

"(Tejada) does look different to me at the plate," Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said. "He's turning on some balls. His bat looks quick, but it also looks like he's geared up to hit the ball where it's pitched."

Patterson ignited the fifth-inning outburst with a two-out RBI single off starter Joe Kennedy (1-4) that scored Tejada from second. Ramon Hernadez, who was on first base, moved to third on the throw home and Patterson advanced to second.

After reliever Jay Witasick hit Jay Payton with his first pitch to load the bases, Roberts delivered a two-run single. Gomez followed with an RBI base hit to cap the rally.

"A lot of one-run games," said Roberts, referring to the Orioles' last two games - both one-run defeats. "It's been crazy. It was nice to have a little breathing room. We've played a lot of 3-2 games, that's good baseball, but we haven't been on the right side of a lot of them."

It was an uncharacteristic performance for Kennedy, who had allowed just one run in six of his eighth previous starts this season and hadn't given up more than three runs in any game.

The lefthander allowed seven runs, eight hits and five walks while failing to record a strikeout in 4 2/3 innings.

"He didn't have a good feel for the ball," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "He pitched his heart out, but it just wasn't his night."

It was the Orioles' biggest offensive output since an 11-6 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on May 10.

Swisher's eighth home run was his second in as many games against the Orioles. He has hit four homers against Baltimore this season and all seven of his career blasts against Baltimore have come in Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Oakland's Travis Buck hit his fifth home run of the season.