Anaheim, CA – Manny Machado and J.J. Hardy each belted two- run homers to lead the Baltimore Orioles to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels and win the four-game series between the teams.
Hardy ended 2-for-4 in the triumph, with Ryan Flaherty contributing a two-run single to help Baltimore conclude a successful 11-game road trip with a 7-4 record.
"This whole road trip has been great," Machado exclaimed afterward.
Jason Hammel (5-1) overcame a three-run bottom of the first inning to post a fourth consecutive winning decision. The right-hander held the Angels to one run over the remainder of his six-inning stint, while finishing with five strikeouts.
Mike Trout went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs scored in the loss, the ninth in 12 outings for the disappointing Angels. Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick also collected a pair of hits with an RBI for Anaheim.
Jerome Williams (1-1) struck out six over 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the season, but the Angels' righty served up both Baltimore homers and permitted five runs total while walking three.
"At times Jerome was perfect, but the walks and home runs hurt him," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We dug ourselves a hole again. We have to start playing the game to generate wins. We have to pitch better."
Down 3-1 after three innings, the Orioles drew even on Hardy's blast over the left-center field wall with Adam Jones aboard and two out in the top of the fourth, then went ahead to stay when Machado slugged his second homer in as many games a frame later.
Trout launched a 2-2 pitch from Hammel into the rock display behind center field to put the Angels back ahead in the bottom of the fourth, but Machado followed a walk to Nate McLouth with a deep drive into the Baltimore bullpen during the fifth to give the Orioles a 5-4 edge.
"[Williams] left it a little up," Machado said of the pitch. "I made an adjustment and hit it pretty hard. It's about being patient. It comes with the more at-bats I get."
Hammel made the lead stand by closing out his stint with two scoreless innings, with Brian Matusz and Pedro Strop combining on a shutout seventh before Baltimore put the contest out of reach.
Machado walked to begin the eighth and later came around on a Chris Davis single that was matched by one from Matt Wieters. After Hardy greeted reliever Garrett Richards with another single that loaded the bases, Flaherty sliced a liner to left that knocked in two runners and put the Orioles up by an 8-4 count.
Doubles by McLouth and Jones off Williams in the top of the first gave Baltimore an early upper hand, but the Angels battered Hammel for three runs on four hits in their half of the inning to move in front.
All the runs came with two out, with Callaspo, Kendrick and Hank Conger delivering RBI singles in succession to account for the 3-1 score.
Game Notes
Home plate umpire Larry Vanover left the game after two innings, having been shaken up after taking a foul ball from the Angels' Mark Trumbo off his mask in the bottom of the first. Manny Gonzalez shifted from second base to fill in behind the plate ... Davis returned to the Orioles' lineup after missing Saturday's game with an injured right knee ... Williams has now lost seven consecutive starts dating back to last season ... Angels shortstop Erick Aybar went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games, during which he's batting .306 (11-for-36).
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