O's roar back, erase 6-run deficit vs. Tigers
BALTIMORE -- A night after coming within one run of a comeback victory, the Orioles were able to overcome a six-run deficit on Friday night to top the Tigers, 8-7, at Camden Yards.
Detroit chased a Baltimore starter after 3 1/3 innings for the second night in a row, this time at the expense of Wei-Yin Chen. The Tigers collected 10 hits and six runs off the lefty, including a two-run long ball from J.D. Martinez in the third inning, and back-to-back homers from James McCann and Jefry Marte in the fourth.
After falling behind, 6-0, the Orioles picked up a run on an error in the fourth and scored four in the fifth, highlighted by Adam Jones' three-run homer to left field. Manny Machado kept the power surge going in the sixth, with a two-run homer to left that gave the Orioles a 7-6 lead. Chris Davis chipped in the final run for the Orioles, who saw Mychal Givens pick up his first Major League victory with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on the day he was recalled from Double-A Bowie.
Video: DET@BAL: Britton fans J.D. Martinez for the final out
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
J.D. delivers: Martinez went nine games without a home run, his longest streak since late May and early June, before taking Chen's third-inning offering deep to left field. Martinez's 28th homer of the year punctuated Detroit's second straight early-inning outburst in this series. More >
Video: DET@BAL: J.D. Martinez cranks a two-run shot to left
Bullpen blues: Buck Farmer had the makings of a quality start before a walk, an infield single and Jones' three-run homer ended his night. That was bad news for a Tigers bullpen that struggled to hold onto a seven-run lead the previous night. Ian Krol paid for two singles, a walk and a throwing error for another run. Jose Valdez, just recalled from Triple-A Toledo after the Joakim Soria trade, made his Major League debut and didn't retire any of the four batters he faced, giving up the go-ahead runs. Neftali Feliz rescued his new team with two scoreless innings to keep the game close.
"A week ago, we couldn't buy a run," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Now we seem to get runs and we can't seem to hold them."
Video: DET@BAL: Farmer induces DP to escape 3rd-inning jam
O's starter struggles ... again: Chen lasted 3 1/3 innings, tied for the shortest start of his career, while giving up a season-high six runs. The left-hander struck out six but gave up a career-high-tying three home runs on 10 hits. Prior this series, Baltimore's starters had gone 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA and five quality starts. In the first two games of the series, Oriole starters have combined to throw 6 2/3 innings, allowing 11 runs.
"I did miss my spots a lot today and I tried to locate my pitches on both sides of the plate, but unfortunately a lot of pitches went right down the middle," Chen said through his interpreter. "When you are throwing your pitches down the middle, you are going to get hit. That's what happens in the Major Leagues."
Comeback deja vu: The Orioles' comeback was sparked by a Davis homer Thursday night, but it was Jones who got things started this time. Jones hit his 17th home run of the season on a 2-1 pitch that he sent deep into the left-field stands to bring the Orioles within three in the fifth. Machado got Camden Yards on its feet once again when he gave Baltimore its first lead of the night. The Orioles have scored eight runs off the Detroit bullpen this series.
"That's where you can never quit, never give up," Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. "You never know what some confidence or some good swings last night might have done for some guys tonight, to be able to come back and have a shot at the end. That's why when we get down, there's no quit in this team."
QUOTABLE
"We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights with a good offensive team and our guys found a way. It's tough, tough sledding. Adam obviously had a big blow. There were a lot of big at-bats in there." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter
Video: DET@BAL: Jones clobbers a three-run shot in the 5th
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Jones' home run was his 183rd as an Oriole, passing Ken Singleton for sole possession of seventh place on Baltimore's all-time list. It was also Jones' 100th home run at Camden Yards.
REPLAY REVIEWS
The Tigers' Rajai Davis attempted to steal second with one out and Detroit holding a 6-0 lead. Davis was ruled out on a strong throw from Wieters, and the ruling stood after Ausmus' challenge was unable to overturn the call.
Video: DET@BAL: Wieters throws out Davis, call stands in 4th
A crew-chief review was also called in the seventh, when the umpires looked at whether Wieters violated the collision rule on a tag at the plate on a relay throw from Jonathan Schoop on a Ian Kinsler double. After a review, it was ruled that there was no violation.
"I was told that if a runner doesn't slide, that you can't argue blocking the plate," Ausmus said, "which makes no sense to me. Wieters was way out in front of the plate, which makes it almost impossible for [Jose] Iglesias to slide."
Video: DET@BAL: Play at the plate confirmed in the 7th
WRIGHT EXITS WITH INJURY
On the same day that Mike Wright was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, the right-hander entered the game with one out in the fourth and left an inning later with a left calf injury. Wright will undergo an MRI on Saturday. More >
Video: DET@BAL: Wright exits game due to leg cramp
• Parra arrives to join O's playoff push
• Two-day reboot reshapes Tigers' farm system
WHAT'S NEXT
Tigers: Anibal Sanchez, who beat the Orioles two weeks ago at Comerica Park with six innings of two-run ball, will try to repeat that feat Saturday (7:05 p.m. ET). It'll be his first start at Camden Yards since 2010, when he was still with the Marlins.
Orioles: Kevin Gausman will make his sixth start of the season for Baltimore as he looks to pick up his first win since Aug. 22. The young right-hander is coming off a no-decision against the Braves on Monday, when he threw a career-high 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.
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