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Orioles use long ball to crush White Sox

Aug 28, 2008 - 3:24 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar all homered as the Baltimore Orioles avoided a three-game sweep with an 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Brian Roberts and Juan Castro each drove in three runs for the Orioles, who rapped out 16 hits in snapping a five-game skid.

Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye homered for Chicago (76-57), which had its lead over the Minnesota Twins (75-58) in the American League Central reduced to one game.

Roberts' two-run single in the second put Baltimore up, 3-1, and it never looked back.

"He played great," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said of Roberts, who was to have a scheduled day off before Alex Cintron came down with food poisoning. (He) came up with some big hits for us."

Jim Thome sliced the deficit to one run with an RBI single in the third, but Roberts restored the two-run cushion by ripping a run-scoring double a frame later.

The hit parade continued in the fifth as Castro delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 6-2. Mora belted his 23rd homer in the sixth for a five-run lead, and Castro drove in a run with a groundout in the seventh to make it 8-2.

Castro sparked the bottom of the Orioles' lineup, which went 6-for-9 with six runs scored.

"There's something to be said about those guys at the bottom of the order, especially Castro rolling the lineup over," Trembley said. "You have to take advantage of scoring opportunities and we had some real big two-out hits."

Dye's 32nd home run in the eighth pulled the White Sox to within 8-3, but Huff belted a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame. Two batters later, Millar capped the scoring with his 19th home run.

Lost in the offensive explosion was a solid effort from rookie Radhames Liz (5-3), who was making his second start since being recalled from Class AAA Norfolk. The righthander battled through wildness, allowing two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with five walks and three strikeouts.

"I would say Liz did enough to stay out of the big inning," Trembley said. "Pitched around some walks ... I thought this time his changeup was the real key because they were sitting on his fastball."

"I was trying not to be too aggressive with my body," said Liz, who went 1-4 with a 6.95 ERA in a five-start stretch before being optioned on July 27. "Last time I was up here I lost a little bit of confidence. I was more relaxed in the minors. I feel much better now."

Chicago, which won the first two games of the series behind solid performances by Clayton Richard and Gavin Floyd, was let down by John Danks (10-7). The lefthander allowed four runs and seven hits in four innings, walking three and striking out one.

"Tough tonight for everyone," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think John didn't throw the ball the way we've seen him throw the ball. Pitchers dictate the way we play the game. Unfortunately, they didn't bring anything to the ballgame today."