ANAHEIM, Calif. – Nick Markakis hit a two-run single in the eighth inning and a run-scoring single in the 10th, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
LaTroy Hawkins (0-1) came on in the 10th and issued a leadoff walk to No. 9 hitter Robert Andino, who advanced on a sacrifice by Endy Chavez and a groundout by J.J. Hardy before Markakis grounded a hard single up the middle that deflected off the glove of second baseman Howie Kendrick and into center field on a 1-2 pitch.
Pedro Strop (2-1) pitched two innings for the win despite allowing a tying solo homer in the eighth by Kendrick. Jim Johnson got three outs for his seventh save, helping the Orioles avoid a three-game sweep.
Angels right-hander Dan Haren was charged with two runs and six hits over 7 1-3 innings and struck out eight in his fourth start. The three-time All-Star, still looking for his first victory, took a 1-0 lead into the eighth before giving up one-out singles by pinch-hitter Matt Wieters and Andino.
Chavez greeted lefty Scott Downs with a bloop single on an 0-2 pitch, loading the bases, before Downs turned Hardy's comebacker into a force at the plate. But the left-hander fell behind Nick Markakis 2-0 and Markakis put the Orioles ahead 2-1 with a two-run single through the left side of the infield — his first two RBIs in a span of 37 at-bats.
Kendrick pulled the Angels even in the bottom half with his one-out opposite-field homer to right, the first by the Angels in a span of 42 innings and just their second home run in 58 innings. It also ended a string of 36 straight homerless innings by Baltimore pitchers.
Haren threw 73 of his 115 pitches for strikes, one of which didn't sit well with Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who was ejected by umpire Angel Campos in the sixth for arguing after Markakis fell behind 0-1 in the count. Markakis eventually was called out on strikes to end the inning.
Wei-Yin Chen held the Angels to a run and five hits over 6 1-3 innings and struck out five in his third major league start. The Taiwanese left-hander was lifted by bench coach John Russell after giving up a pair of one-out walks.
Albert Pujols was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and remained homerless in his 16 games and65 at-bats, the longest drought from the start of a season in his 12-year career. He started as the designated hitter for the first time since joining the Angels, and was robbed of an RBI double in the first by left fielder Chavez, who made a lunging backhanded grab on in the warning track.
Notes: Pujols is 18 for 54 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 13 career games as a designated hitter, including 12 interleague contests with the St. Louis Cardinals. ... The Orioles finished their road trip 6-4, marking the first time that won more than they lost during a 10-game trip since September 2004. ... Showalter's ejection was the 20th of his career and first this season. ... Angels bullpen coach Steve Solis filled as 1B coach for Alfredo Griffin, who went back to the Dominican Republic for his mother's funeral.
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