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Huff's blast helps Trachsel pick up rare win

May 10, 2008 - 5:43 AM By Patrick Madden PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Steve Trachsel tossed 5 1/3 strong innings and Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora belted homers to help the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Kevin Millar had an RBI single for Baltimore, which has won 11 straight meetings with Kansas City dating back to the 2006 season.

"I didn't even know that," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I've been here long enough to understand what all that means. We're just trying to be competitive."

The winning streak is the Orioles' longest over any team since they defeated the Detroit Tigers 11 straight times from July 7, 1996-July 3, 1997.

Trachsel (2-4), who ended a personal four-game losing streak, allowed two runs and five hits while walking one and striking out two.

"My curveball was really good today," said Trachsel, who picked up his first win since April 4. "I was able to locate it on both sides of the plate, ahead in the count, behind in the count. This is the first game I've done that all year."

"He got his pitches down," Trembley said. "It seemed like he attacked the hitters better. What he's been trying to do is to get people to nibble and chase, and you can't do that. You've got to try and go at guys and attack them."

With the game tied at 2-2, Freddie Bynum led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second one out later on a throwing error by Royals starter Gil Meche (2-5). Mora grounded out to shortstop for the second out and the Royals opted to walk Nick Markakis intentionally.

Huff made them pay by drilling a 1-2 curveball into the right field seats for a 5-2 lead.

"I wasn't really expecting it," Huff said of the walk to Markakis. "Nick's been swinging the bat well this series, and that has been happening a lot with him this year. In those situations, you really want to come through, bear down and make them pay. Every now and then, if you swing hard enough, you're going to hit it."

Markakis had a three-run homer in Thursday's 4-1 victory over Kansas City, which apparently influenced Royals manager Trey Hillman.

"I think that Aubrey Huff is less dangerous at this point in time than Markakis," Hillman said. "Nick's more dangerous on all pitches."

"I don't blame them," Trembley said. "Huff's a clutch hitter, but Nick's a pretty good hitter, too. You don't want the same guy to beat you two nights in a row. That's really what it comes down to."

Baltimore tacked on two runs in the seventh to make it 7-2 as Markakis scored on a wild pitch by Ramon Ramirez and Millar delivered his RBI single.

Matt Albers relieved Trachsel in the sixth and got out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing Ross Gload to hit into an inning-ending double play. Jamie Walker and Jim Johnson bridged the gap to closer George Sherrill, who worked a scoreless ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Kansas City grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Alex Gordon's two-run homer, his fifth of the year. But Mora answered with a two-run shot in the third.

It was a disappointing outing for Meche, who has yet to win in four starts at home this season. The righthander allowed five runs and six hits in five innings, walking two and striking out a pair.

"Today, my curveball was not real sharp," Meche said. "It was kind of loopy. Three or four of them that were hit hard were breaking balls."

Mark Grudzielanek, David DeJesus and John Buck each collected two hits for Kansas City, which is 1-3 on its 10-game homestand.