Jays Trip Up In Baltimore
Posted April 14, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Kevin Millar homered and drove in three runs to back a fine pitching performance by Matt Albers, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Monday night.
Adam Jones tied a career high with three hits for the Orioles, who won their sixth straight home game and broke a first-place tie with Toronto in the AL East.
Millar hit an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run homer in the fifth. Serving as Baltimore’s cleanup hitter since the off-season trade of Miguel Tejada, Millar entered with a .227 batting average, one home run and four RBIs.
Albers (2-0) allowed one run, five hits and a walk in five innings. Obtained in the deal that sent Tejada to Houston, Albers started 18 games last season but began his first season with Baltimore in the bullpen.
The right-hander pitched 6 1-3 scoreless innings of relief before receiving a spot start because of a doubleheader last week. He was 3-13 lifetime as a starter with Houston, including 3-11 last year.
Jim Johnson pitched 2 1-3 innings of two-hit relief, Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford each got an out in the eighth and George Sherrill worked the ninth to earn his sixth save in six tries.
Alex Rios had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth — the first runs this season against Sherrill — and Vernon Wells had two hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who were coming off a three-game sweep of Texas.
Dustin McGowan (0-1) gave up three runs and 10 hits in six innings. He is 0-3 in seven career appearances against Baltimore.
After Wells hit a two-out RBI single in the first inning for Toronto, Millar singled in a run in the bottom half. The score remained tied until Millar connected in the fifth after a two-out walk to Nick Markakis.
Ramon Hernandez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
