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BALTIMORE(AP) Using something old, something new and uniforms from another era, the
Baltimore Orioles
ended their four-game losing streak and blunted the
Texas Rangers
' playoff push.
Melvin Mora
homered and drove in three runs, and rookie pitcher
Brian Matusz
won his third straight decision Saturday in Baltimore's 5-4 victory.
The 37-year-old Mora hit a solo homer in the second inning, a two-out RBI single in the third and snapped a 4-all tie with
a two-out single in the fifth. Along with his sparkling performance at the plate, the third baseman made an outstanding catch
of a foul bunt by
Ian Kinsler
in the eighth inning.
Mora, the longest tenured player on the team, is in the final year of his contract with Baltimore and nearing the end of a
down season. But on this day, he carried the Orioles offensively.
''I think my motivation is when you see the other team in the other clubhouse, they're contending for the playoffs,'' Mora
said. ''When you see guys play like it's the playoffs, that comes into my body. I'm going to play like it's the playoffs,
too.''
Matusz was appreciative of his teammate's performance.
''Mora came up very clutch today with some two-out hitting, and the home run obviously was huge,'' the pitcher said. ''He
just swung the bat really well.''
Making his seventh big league start, Matusz (4-2) allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings. The left-hander faced the
minimum 12 batters over his final four innings; the lone batter to reach,
Elvis Andrus
on a walk, was thrown out trying to steal.
The 22-year-old Matusz struck out four and walked one. He's 3-0 over his last four starts.
''I feel great right now. I feel strong. I've conditioned myself really well and I feel healthy,'' he said.
Danys Baez
worked the eighth and
Jim Johnson
got three outs for his eighth save.
The Orioles donned replica uniforms of the 1949 Baltimore Elite Giants, who won the Negro League championship 60 years ago.
To keep with the spirit of the occasion, the players and coaches wore stirrups.
Matusz and Mora were more of a factor than the clothes they wore, but the Orioles nevertheless improved to 15-33 since the
All-Star break.
David Murphy
homered for the Rangers, denied their first five-game winning streak since July 19-24. Texas did not get a hit after the third
inning and remained two games behind Boston (which lost to the
White Sox
) for the AL wild card.
''Things didn't change. We're still in the same spot,'' Rangers manager
Ron Washington
said. ''We still have to come back (Sunday) and do what we wanted to do anyway - win the series.''
Kevin Millwood
(10-9) gave up five runs, seven hits and four walks in five innings. He has won only two of his last 11 starts.
''I just pitched bad. I don't know what to say,'' the right-hander said. ''I thought pitch selection was bad, location was
bad.''
Baltimore took a 5-4 lead in the fifth when
Nick Markakis
got an infield hit, went to second on a hit-and-run groundout and scored on Mora's two-out single up the middle.
It turned out to be the final run in a game that featured plenty of early offense.
A run-scoring double by
Marlon Byrd
and a two-run homer by Murphy gave Texas a 3-0 first-inning lead, but Matusz didn't panic.
''I knew after the first inning that I had good stuff. I could feel it in the bullpen and going out to the mound,'' he said.
Markakis hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, and Mora's seventh homer got Baltimore within a run in the second.
Texas made it 4-2 in the third. Andrus was credited with a triple when his liner to right was lost in the sun by Markakis,
and Byrd followed with a sacrifice fly. Matusz avoided further damage by retiring
Ivan Rodriguez
with runners on second and third and two outs.
Baltimore tied it in the bottom half. After
Nolan Reimold
hit a solo homer, Millwood loaded the bases with three walks and Mora singled off the glove of third baseman
Esteban German
.
NOTES: Texas OF
Josh Hamilton
rejoined the team but missed a second straight game with a back injury. ... Batting third for the second straight game, Baltimore's
Brian Roberts
went 0 for 3 and is 7 for 46 (.152) since Aug. 23.
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