Baltimore boosts its one-run wins; Pirates the victim

The Orioles overcame four homers by the Pirates and rallied from three deficits to win, 8-7.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Oscar Salazar homered in the ninth inning and Ramon Hernandez added a two-out RBI single to end a back-and-forth duel and give the Baltimore Orioles an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Baltimore overcame four homers by the Pirates and rallied from deficits of 2-1, 5-4 and 7-6.

Nick Markakis homered and Brian Roberts and Adam Jones each had three hits for the Orioles, who improved to 15-9 in one-run games after going 13-31 in that situation last season.

After Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer in the ninth off George Sherrill (2-1) to give Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead, Baltimore came back against Matt Capps (0-2). Salazar, who replaced an injured Melvin Mora in the first inning, tied it with his first home run since 2002.

Freddie Bynum then drew a one-out walk, stole second after a fly ball by Jay Payton and scored when Hernandez hit a liner to the gap in left-center.

Nady, Freddy Sanchez and Jose Bautista also homered for Pittsburgh. Bautista hit a three-run drive off Matt Albers to put Pittsburgh up 5-4 in the seventh, but the lead didn’t last long.

Roberts led off the bottom half with a single off John Grabow and Markakis followed with a towering drive that landed on Eutaw Street, well beyond the 25-foot scoreboard in right field. It was his 11th homer of the season, tied for the team lead.

But the usually dependable Sherrill, seeking his 23rd save in 25 tries, couldn’t make the margin stand up.

Mora left in the first inning after fouling a pitch off his left knee. The injury was determined to be a bruise, and team officials deemed him to be day to day. Salazar twice made the final out with runners in scoring position, but made amends in the ninth.

Baltimore starter Radhames Liz retired 14 of the first 16 batters, but the exceptions — Nady and Sanchez — both hit solo home runs.

Nady made it 1-0 in the second with his 10th homer, a shot to center that traveled an estimated 440 feet. After doubles by Jones and Roberts produced a run in the third, Sanchez homered in the fourth to end an 0-for-11 skid.

Baltimore tied it in the fifth on an RBI double by Roberts, and a two-run double by Alex Cintron in the sixth put the Orioles up 4-2.

Notes

Ravens OT Jonathan Ogden, who retired from the NFL on Thursday, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The Orioles hit five doubles and have 29 in their last seven games, and at least one in 21 straight games. ... Pittsburgh extended its season-high run of errorless innings to 65.