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Markakis hits game-winning single as Orioles rally past White Sox

Jul 15, 2007 - 4:13 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Nick Markakis drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the 10th inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

In the 10th, Corey Patterson hit a leadoff single off reliever Charlie Haeger (0-1), stole second and moved to third on Brian Fahey's flyout.

After Brian Roberts was walked intentionally, Chris Gomez grounded out, keeping Patterson at third. However, Markakis completed the comeback win with a single to left field that plated Patterson.

"I just went up there looking to hit the ball where it's pitched and try not to do too much with it," Markakis said. "You never know what you're going to get with a knuckleballer, so you just go with the pitch."

Chris Ray (5-6) tossed a scoreless 10th for the win.

In the bottom of the ninth, Gomez and Markakis hit consecutive singles against All-Star Bobby Jenks to open the frame. After Kevin Millar struck out, Aubrey Huff stroked an RBI single, and Markakis scored on a wild pitch to forge a tie.

"Nothing I did I wouldn't do any other day," Jenks said. "No ball was hit hard. They are a lucky team. It was the worse blown save I've had."

With Chicago holding a 5-1 cushion in the sixth, Baltimore finally got to starter Javier Vazquez. Millar hit his ninth homer and Jay Payton added a two-run blast two batters later to close the deficit to one run.

"I still felt like the guys were determined to win tonight, and I thought the key was Millar's at-bat that got us back in it," Orioles interim manager Dave Trembley said. "After Cabrera put a couple of zeros up, we got some momentum back on our side. I'm happy for the team because they certainly earned it."

But the White Sox added another run in the eighth, when Jerry Owens reached on bunt single, stole second and scored on Alex Cintron's base hit, increasing the lead to 6-4.

"It was a crazy game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The kind of game you should win."

Chicago was able to build an early lead before Vazquez even threw a pitch.

In the first inning, Paul Konerko delivered a two-run double to left, Jermaine Dye hit a run-scoring single and Rob Mackowiak drew a bases-loaded walk from Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera for a 3-0 advantage.

Cabrera surrendered five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

"I told everybody before the game, the key with him is if he has a lot of deep counts early in the game, he's probably going to struggle, and he ended up walking the leadoff guy," Trembley said. "I stayed with him because we didn't have our long guy tonight."

Vazquez allowed four runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames.

"It's a tough loss," Vazquez said. "We should have won."