Orioles rally past Bucs in 1979 throwback tilt

Baltimore came from five runs behind to past a 9-6 win over the Pirates.

BALTIMORE (AP) — They turned back the clock nearly three decades at Camden Yards, and the current crop of Baltimore Orioles did more than merely wear the throwback uniforms of the 1979 AL pennant winners.

They played like ’em, too.

Luke Scott homered, Melvin Mora had three hits and a key RBI, and Baltimore rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6 on Friday night.

The phrase “Orioles Magic” was created in 1979, when Baltimore used a series of comeback wins to charge into first place. The Orioles lost the World Series to Pittsburgh in seven games, and this marked the Pirates’ first game in Baltimore since winning Game 7.

Pittsburgh got a three-run homer from Jason Michaels in building a 6-1 lead in the third inning against Brian Burres, and at that juncture it appeared the Pirates would reach .500 at the latest point in a season since they were 67-67 on Sept. 1, 1999.

But Baltimore got a run back on a fourth-inning RBI double by Ramon Hernandez, then closed to 6-5 against starter Phil Dumatrait in the fifth on a run-scoring grounder by Aubrey Huff and a two-run single by Kevin Millar.

The Orioles took the lead in the sixth. Franquelis Osoria (3-2) walked Hernandez and Adam Jones singled before Brian Roberts singled in the tying run. One out later, Mora singled for a 7-6 lead.

Scott homered in the seventh, and Mora doubled and scored on a wild pitch by Marino Salas in the eighth to complete Baltimore’s eight-run blitz.

The Orioles have trailed in 18 of their 33 wins this season, but this was the biggest comeback of all.

Burres (5-5) gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings but retired his last eight batters. Jim Johnson got six straight outs and George Sherrill worked a perfect ninth for his 22nd save.

Outscored 46-27 in the first inning this season, the Orioles reversed the trend by taking a 1-0 lead on a double-play grounder by Huff.

Pittsburgh went up 2-1 in the second when No. 9 hitter Jack Wilson hit a two-out, two-run single on an 0-2 pitch. It became 6-1 in the third when Doug Mientkiewicz hit an RBI single before Michaels lined the next pitch from Burres into the left-field seats.

Notes: The Orioles have 24 doubles in their last six games and at least one double in the last 20. ... Pittsburgh recalled Salas from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and optioned RHP Bryan Bullington to the same club. ... Roberts has six multihit games in his last 11. ... Pittsburgh C Ryan Doumit failed to homer for the first time in four games.