TORONTO, 24 April 2005 — Four players belted home runs as the Baltimore Orioles exploded out of a 22-inning scoreless slump with a 13-5 demolition of the Toronto Blue Jays in American League action at the Rogers Center on Friday.
Shut out their previous two games by the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles bats suddenly came to life rocking Toronto pitching for 17 hits and a season high 13 runs.
Jay Gibbons, Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada and Javy Lopez all went deep for the visitors.
Trailing 5-4 going into the eighth, the Orioles scored six runs and added three more in the ninth off a Gibbons three-run homer to win in a rout. Todd Williams (2-0) worked one inning of scoreless relief to get the win while Jason Speier suffered the loss, as the Blue Jays dropped their fifth game in six after getting the season off to a blistering start.
In New York, rookie Chris Young pitched 5 2/3 strong innings and limited the Yankees to just one run as the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Bronx Bombers 5-3. The Rangers gave their pitcher a big early cushion, tagging Yankees starter Kevin Brown (0-2) for four runs in the first inning. Young (2-1) was steady, allowing just four hits and striking out seven, stopping the Yankees from winning three in row for the first time this season.
In St. Petersburg, a pinch-hit ninth inning homer from Eduardo Perez powered the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 5-4 in over the Boston Red Sox. Perez, who had two homers off New York Yankee Randy Johnson earlier in the week, took the first offering from Alan Embree and crushed it over the left field fence.
In Detroit, Ivan Rodriquez pounded a 10th inning walkoff homer to lift the Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins, snapping a three game losing skid. Minnesota’s Justin Morneau sent the game into extra innings with a solo shot to deep right in the top of the ninth off Troy Percival (1-1), who eventually took credit of the win after tossing two innings of relief.
In Kansas City, Freddy Garcia pitched seven solid innings and Juan Uribe and Joe Crede each had three hits as the Chicago White Sox thumped the Royals 8-2, improving their record to 13-4. Garcia (2-1) allowed two runs on just four hits, struck out three and walked none.
In Seattle, Ronnie Belliard drilled a three-run homer and C.C. Sabathia tossed seven solid innings to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 6-1 win over the Mariners, ending a three-game losing skid.
In Anaheim, Scott Hattenberg spanked a two-run, two out single in the ninth to lift the Oakland Athletics to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Keiichi Yabu (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief to earn his first major league win.
