Baltimore, MD – Nate McLouth's leadoff home run in the bottom of the 10th inning halted the Baltimore Orioles' longest losing streak at Camden Yards in five seasons, with the blast giving the host team a 3-2 triumph over the rival New York Yankees.
McLouth belted the third pitch thrown by Vidal Nuno (1-1) deep into the seats in right center to stop Baltimore's season-high six-game skid, with all the losses coming at home. The slide was the Orioles' longest at Camden Yards since dropping 11 in a row from Aug. 22-Sept. 7, 2007.
"We really needed this win," said outfielder Chris Dickerson, who provided the rest of Baltimore's offense with a pair of solo homers while finishing 3- for-4. "Everything is about momentum, and Nate came up huge, and those are the things that it takes to turn things around."
Miguel Gonzalez contributed seven strong innings for the Orioles in his first start since May 3. The right-hander, activated from the disabled list prior to the game, held the Yankees to a pair of runs on five hits without a walk.
"Having that rest helped me out a little bit," said Gonzalez afterward.
Jim Johnson (2-4) recorded the win with a perfect top of the 10th, one night after the Baltimore closer blew his third consecutive save in Monday's 6-4 extra-inning loss to New York.
Travis Hafner drove in both Yankee runs with a pair of singles, while Phil Hughes allowed two runs on five hits in a six-inning no-decision.
McLouth's shot also ended a combined 4 1/2 innings of scoreless ball from both staffs, with the game deadlocked at 2-2 after Dickerson completed the first multi-homer outing of his career by connecting of Hughes in the fifth.
The Yankees failed to register a hit off the Orioles after the seventh inning, with Gonzalez, Tommy Hunter and Johnson teaming up to retire 11 consecutive hitters.
Gonzalez set the Yankees down in order during four of the first six innings, but the right-hander was touched for a run in each of the two frames New York did manage a runner on base.
Brett Gardner began the game with a double to left and later scored when Hafner came through with a two-out single up the middle. After Dickerson ended a 10-pitch battle with Hughes by socking a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third, Hafner again delivered in his next at-bat.
Vernon Wells clubbed a double on Gonzalez's first pitch of the fourth before the Yankees' designated hitter shot a ground ball through the right side of the infield to put his team back ahead by a 2-1 count.
Six days after being bombarded for seven runs and six hits in just two-thirds of an inning against Seattle in his most recent outing, Hughes retired six of seven Baltimore hitters out of the gate before serving up Dickerson's first homer of the night. Dickerson went deep once more in his next trip to the plate, launching a 1-1 offering onto Eutaw Street to pull the Orioles even in the fifth.
"I had a few mistakes," said Hughes. "Overall it was decent and hopefully I can take a step forward from this one."
Game Notes
The Yankees suffered their first loss of the season when scoring the game's first run, having gone 19-0 in such situations entering the contest ... Dickerson is now batting .444 (12-for-27) with eight RBI during a seven-game hitting streak ... Baltimore is 20-5 in extra-inning matchups since the start of last season, though three of those losses have come to the Yankees ... Gonzalez had been sidelined with a blister on his right thumb.
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