Orioles Continue Streak With 12-6 Win Over Padres
SAN DIEGO -- The Baltimore Orioles set the bar high for the All-Star Game lineups coming to Petco Park two weeks from Wednesday.
Baltimore's offense continues to shred opposing pitching, with the San Diego Padres' staff absorbing a haymaker in the Orioles' 12-6 win, their seventh straight.
"They're just aren't too many teams that are going to be able to do what we do,'' said Mark Trumbo, after hitting his 23rd home run, which leads the majors. "We're getting contributions from everyone. I think there's full confidence in one-through-nine throughout this lineup. There's really no holes.''
With all those big bats, it's easy to overlook Yovani Gallardo's solid pitching. That would be a mistake.
Gallardo (3-1) allowed three runs on three hits and struck out six in six innings to pick up the victory.
He was stellar in gaining his second win in his third start since returning from the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. He beat the Padres for the fifth time in nine decisions.
Trumbo paced the Orioles with four RBIs and Manny Machado added three in the Orioles' 12-hit attack.
Christian Friedrich (4-3) started well but faltered in the fourth and fifth innings when the Orioles scored six times. Friedrich was charged with six runs (four earned), five hits and two walks. He struck out seven in losing for the second time in his last three starts.
Gallardo nearly wiggled from his lone jam after Melvin Upton Jr. opened the sixth with a walk, which was followed by Wil Myers' single. Brett Wallace blasted a two-out, three-run homer to center, pulling the Padres to within 7-3.
Relievers Odrisamer Despaigne, Brad Brach, Oliver Drake and Michael Givens collected the final nine outs to secure the win.
Meanwhile, the Orioles abused the Padres' bullpen for six runs, with five coming in the ninth.
Baltimore enjoyed a 6-0 advantage after tacking on two runs in the fifth.
The trouble started when Gallardo drew a one-out walk from Friedrich. Jonathan Schoop's second double pushed Gallardo to third before Machado was walked intentionally.
Then Friedrich committed a two-run throwing error on a bases-loaded play that started out meekly. Chris Davis hit a dribbler up the first-base line, and just before it rolled foul, Friedrich scooped it up and threw to Myers covering first. But Myers was apparently shielded by Davis and was unable to glove the throw, which ended up in right field. That scored Schoop and Machado and the rout was on.
Andy Green wasn't around to see it as the Padres' manager notched his second ejection of the season after getting in a heated debate with first base umpire Bill Miller. Green was arguing that Davis wasn't in the runner's lane and should have been called out for interference.
"As soon as Christian picked up the ball (Davis) had a step on the grass,'' Green said. "You could see his foot print. In my mind, in real time, it impacted (Myers') ability to receive the ball.''
Added Myers: "I missed it.''
After retiring the first nine batters, Friedrich walked Jones to open the fourth inning. Schoop followed with a crisp double to left-center, scoring Jones for a 1-0 Baltimore lead. Machado collected his 47th RBI by plating Schoop with a single.
"The first three innings he was off the charts, outstanding,'' Green said. "But that's a tough order to navigate through two or three times.''
After Davis struck out, Trumbo hit a two-shot that traveled 410 feet. It was also the club's 55th homer in June, which tied the major-league record of the 1996 Oakland A's.
"It's a special thing but it's not something anyone's going to gloat about or spend too much time thinking about,'' Trumbo said. "It just goes to show we're on a nice little run.''
And no one is running with it like Trumbo.
"Trumbo is swinging a hot bat right now,'' Friedrich said.
Trumbo's round-tripper gave the Orioles a 4-0 advantage, more than enough to give Gallardo his first road win of the season.
