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Hunter powers red-hot Angels past Orioles

Jul 27, 2008 - 3:25 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Torii Hunter had a pair of home runs and five RBI to help the red-hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continue their torrid pace with an 11-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Saturday night.

Casey Kotchman and Juan Rivera also went deep for the Angels (64-39), who recorded their ninth win in 10 games to improve upon the best record in baseball.

"For a long time, our pitching has been driving this whole machine," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "In a couple of the last games, we haven't been as crisp on the mound but, offensively, we picked them up, so that's a good sign."

Hunter, who missed three games this week while visiting his ailing grandmother, hit a solo shot in the third then tacked on a two-run blast in the ninth - his 15th of the season. The center fielder reached base five times, walking twice and adding a two-run single.

"The field is my safe haven," Hunter said. "(My grandmother) always told me to have fun and play the game, so that's what I did today."

Anaheim starter Jon Garland (9-6) earned the win, allowing five runs and seven hits while walking two and striking out three in 5 1/3 innings. All the damage off Garland was from the long ball, with Aubrey Huff crushing a first-inning offering over the right-field bleachers for a three-run homer and Luke Scott adding a late two-run blast to mark the end of the righthander's night.

"The two (home runs) that I gave up were both hit pretty good. ? I've just got to do a better job of getting the ball down," Garland said. "But it's nice to see the team start to put up runs like they are. It takes a lot of weight off you when you go out there ... you can just trust your stuff and you know you'll get taken care of."

Rookie righthander Radhames Liz (4-3) continued the woes of the Orioles' starting staff, allowing six runs and seven hits with four walks and one strikeout in 5 2/3 frames. In the last 20 games, Baltimore has had just one pitcher last six innings.

"(Liz's) ball-strike ratio was not what it needs to be in order to put himself in a situation where he can put himself in some sort of comfort zone," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "He was pitching behind a lot. ... Leadoff walks and two-out walks have a way of catching up with you in a hurry."

Hunter got his night started early, touching Liz for a two-run single in the first. Kotchman then re-captured the lead with his two-run shot in the third before Hunter struck again with a solo blast to make it 5-3.

The former All-Star center fielder also scored on Howie Kendrick's sixth-inning RBI single, then came around again after Rivera's three-run blast in the eighth.

"When you're in a groove, you don't have to think - it's just see ball, hit ball," Hunter said. "When you hit it like that, it's so sweet."

Ramon Hernandez had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost five straight.