Trout's First HR Helps Angels Beat Orioles 9-3
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jeremy Guthrie pitched well enough to win, yet all he got for his seven-inning effort was his major-league high 14th loss.
The irony was not lost on the Baltimore Orioles right-hander, who is rumored to be headed out of town before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
After Guthrie and the Orioles lost to the Los Angeles Angels 9-3 on Sunday, the hard-luck pitcher was asked if he considered the possibility that this was his final start for Baltimore at Camden Yards.
"I don't think so, but if it were, I guess it was kind of a perfect microcosm of my career in Baltimore if it did happen to be that," he said, tersely.
Guthrie (4-14) came into the game with the seventh-worst run support in the AL (3.38 runs per game), and the Orioles didn't even match that against the Angels. Certainly, he should have a better record given his 4.33 ERA, but that's pretty much how it was the last three seasons, when he finished 10-12, 10-17 and 11-14.
The speculation is that perhaps the sturdy pitcher would fare better with a contender that can back him with some offense. Asked if he's heard the trade rumors, Guthrie replied, "I only hear it because you guys bring it up every 3 1/2 minutes. Most players don't hear the rumors, most players don't know. But I guess it's exciting for everyone else to talk about it, so we hear it through those avenues."
Guthrie allowed three runs, six hits and four walks. He left with Baltimore down 3-2, and his replacement, Mark Worrell, yielded five runs in the eighth to turn the game into a rout.
Pitching in 99 degree heat and toward what Orioles manager Buck Showalter described as a "challenging strike zone," Guthrie did his part for the last-place Orioles.
"I thought he held up real well and gave us a chance to win. Impressive," Showalter said. "It's tough to pitch seven innings under all those conditions, and he gave us a good chance to win."
Worrell gave up a three-run homer to 19-year-old Mike Trout and a two-run drive to Torii Hunter. It was the first big league homer for Trout, who was batting .162 with two RBIs before connecting on a 3-1 pitch.
"It's definitely special," Trout said. "I think it's my parents first home run they've seen in pro ball that I hit in a game."
Angels starter Tyler Chatwood (6-6) gave up six hits, struck out four and walked none in lowering his ERA on the road to 3.21.
Alberto Callaspo had three hits for the Angels, who took two of three from Baltimore to improve to 10-1 in their last 11 series.
Nick Markakis homered and had three hits for the Orioles, and Adam Jones hit his 18th of the season and second in two games.
Jones has five homers and 11 RBIs in his last nine games, and is one short of matching his career single-season high for home runs. The loss ruined Baltimore's bid to secure its first series win since June 24-26 against Cincinnati. The Orioles are 0-6-1 since then.
Baltimore hit into two double plays, making it six over two games. Although they totaled 20 hits on Saturday and Sunday, the Orioles scored only six runs and finished with seven in the series.
Los Angeles went up 1-0 in the third. With two outs, Hunter broke a 2-for-31 skid with a double and Bobby Abreu grounded an RBI single into right field.
Taking advantage of two walks, the Angels upped their lead to 3-0 in the fourth. A leadoff walk, a double by Howie Kendrick and a sacrifice fly by rookie Mark Trumbo produced a run, and after Guthrie walked No. 9 hitter Bobby Wilson, Izturis hit an RBI double off the glove of first baseman Derrek Lee.
Baltimore closed to 3-2 in the sixth. After Markakis singled with two outs, Jones hit a 2-0 pitch an estimated 446 feet over the center field wall. It was the first home run allowed by Chatwood in seven starts since June 6.
Following the Angels' big eighth inning, Trumbo added an RBI single in the ninth. Markakis connected in the bottom half off Bobby Cassevah.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
