Down by five runs, the American Legaue home-run leaders seemingly had no choice but to go deep to make up the deficit. Instead, the Baltimore Orioles found a different way to win.
Jonathan Schoop hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh inning as the Orioles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Thursday for their fifth straight victory.
After hitting 12 homers in their previous three games, Baltimore stormed back without benefit of the long ball. Schoop’s first career triple was the only extra-base hit in a seventh inning that included five singles.
Photo: Evan Habeeb, USA Today
Ten of the Orioles’ 12 hits were singles and still they won.
“It was very unusual for us, but I’m proud of the way we’ve been going about our at-bats and not just giving in, or going up there and hacking when we get down,” said slugger Chris Davis, who contributed an RBI single in the pivotal seventh inning.
Baltimore trailed 5-0 in the sixth. Detroit starter Mike Pelfrey allowed two runs in 5-1/3 innings, but the collapse of the Detroit bullpen left the right-hander winless in 15 starts since Aug. 12 last year.
Alex Wilson gave up three runs in the seventh and Justin Wilson (0-1) yielded the final two.
“We had a lead, couldn’t hold it,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “That’s the story of the game. There’s really not much else to it.”
After Adam Jones, Davis and Pedro Alvarez hit RBI singles, Schoop cleared the bases with a liner into the right-field corner.
“It feels really good,” Schoop said. “Everybody pulled together and we got the win. That’s the most important thing. It feels really good.”
Vance Worley (2-0) worked two innings, while Zach Britton got three outs for his ninth save in nine chances.
Jarod Saltalamacchi homered and Victor Martinez had three hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Martinez is 10 for 13 in his past three games.
“If anyone’s doubting that we’re going out there and giving our best, I’m going to invite them, and have them put on a big league uniform and go out there every single day,” Martinez said after Detroit’s ninth loss in 10 games. “Our energy, effort level is there. What else can we do? Just keep playing the game.”
One night after striking out 20 times against Washington’s Max Scherzer, Detroit fanned only four times against Ubaldo Jimenez and three relievers.
Detroit’s Justin Upton played center field for the first time since he manned the position at Double A Mobile in 2007. Normally a corner outfielder, Upton was moved to center after the Tigers recalled Steven Moya from Triple A Toledo and put him in left.
“It’s a smaller yard, which allows us to put Upton in center,” Ausmus said.
Upton played errorless ball.
He broke in on a liner in the sixth inning, but retreated in time to make the catch.
Jimenez allowed five hits and three walks over the first three innings, but Detroit’s lone run during that span scored on Martinez’s first-inning single.
Detroit made it 3-0 in the fourth inning. Saltalamacchia led off with his seventh homer and Miguel Cabrera added a run-scoring ground-out.
Detroit chased Jimenez during a two-run sixth that featured RBI singles by Cabrera and Martinez.
Thursday’s other results:
‧ Yankees 7, Royals 3
‧ Dodgers 5, Mets 0
‧ Red Sox 11, Astros 1
‧ Giants 4, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Padres 3, Brewers 0
‧ Phillies 7, Braves 4, 10 inns
‧ Cardinals 12, Angels 10
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