MLB Game Summary - Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Davis collected four hits -- three of which left the park -- to lead a Baltimore power surge that carried the Orioles to a 9-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a two-game series.
Davis finished with five RBI and four runs scored in his second career three- homer outing, with Nelson Cruz adding a solo shot to back six-plus solid innings from Miguel Gonzalez that helped the Orioles halt a two-game skid.
"Sunday against Kansas City I had some good pitches to hit and I rolled over everything," said Davis. "I was really frustrated so I got here early today and worked on some stuff in early BP, and sometimes it just clicks for you. Today was one of those days."
Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy each had two hits with an RBI in the win, Baltimore's sixth straight over the slumping Pirates.
Gonzalez (2-3) struck out seven without a walk and held Pittsburgh to a pair of runs in outdueling the still-winless Francisco Liriano, tagged for six runs on nine hits over five ineffective frames.
"I was leaving too many pitches in the middle of the plate," said Liriano. "Missing my spots a lot."
Liriano (0-4) has now failed to notch a victory in 13 regular-season starts dating back to last September, while the Pirates fell for the fourth time in their last five overall.
Andrew McCutchen ended 2-for-3 with an RBI for Pittsburgh, with Ike Davis delivering a solo homer in defeat.
Liriano cruised through the first three innings, but experienced command issues that led to a two-run fourth and was hit hard as the Orioles broke the game open in the fifth.
Down 1-0 entering the fourth, Baltimore put two on via Chris Davis' infield hit and a walk to Cruz before Hardy shot a single to center that tied the contest.
After an infield single by Jonathan Schoop loaded the bases, Liriano walked No. 8 hitter Caleb Joseph to force in the go-ahead run.
More trouble came Liriano's way in the fifth, as Manny Machado singled and Jones sent him home with a double in front of Chris Davis' first homer of the night that increased the lead to 5-1. Cruz followed with a blast into the seats in right center to give Baltimore a five-run cushion.
Chris Davis struck again in the seventh, crushing a Jared Hughes sinker well over the right-center field wall for a 7-1 advantage, then completed the trifecta with a no-doubter off Jeanmar Gomez with Jones aboard in the ninth.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, surrendered consecutive singles to Josh Harrison, Neil Walker and McCutchen that put Pittsburgh ahead in the third. The right-hander settled down to set down 10 of the next 11 hitters, however, before Ike Davis ended his evening with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh.