McLouth enjoys career game against Royals

KANSAS CITY -- Orioles left fielder Nate McLouth, who has been a catalyst for the team's lineup all season, reached base five times for the first time in his career in Monday's 9-2 win over the Royals.

McLouth, who has posted a .290/.363/.413 line in 73 games from the leadoff spot, went 2-for-3 with a triple and three walks in the O's series-opening win against Kansas City, and has been a big part of the Orioles' recent success early in games.

"They walked him, but he was selective. So, there's two sides of that," said manager Buck Showalter, whose club has outscored opponents 16-1 in the first three innings the past four games. "Nate's been pretty consistent since Day 1, that's kind of what his personality is about, too. There's a lot of guys in here I have no worries, I know what I'm getting when they walk through the door. Nate brings what this club is supposed to bring.

"He's been on the other side of the fence. A lot of people think the grass is greener somewhere else. Nate's a guy who has been around. He likes it here, he knows we get what it brings, and he's going to bring it. It's just a good place for him. He doesn't get outside of what he is."

McLouth signed a one-year deal to return to Baltimore last winter and he's played his way into an everyday spot in the lineup.

"It's how I hoped it would work out," said McLouth, whose signing is even more important, given left fielder Nolan Reimold's season-ending spinal correction surgery. "It wasn't something I thought a ton about. I thought if I came in and did what I knew I could do, this would be what happened. It's worked out well."

Since the All-Star Break, McLouth has gone 8-for-16 (.500) with a double, two triples and an RBI, and he extended his career-high in stolen bases to 25 this weekend in Texas. He owns a .286/.358/.419 line through 100 games overall.