The Baltimore Orioles ended their run of 15 straight losses in Sunday games, defeating Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 behind a sharp pitching performance by Garrett Olson.
Olson (7-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, breaking a run of eight games in which an Orioles starter failed to get through the sixth. Olson gave up 23 runs in his previous four starts, a stretch that raised his ERA from 4.76 to 6.11.
The rookie's first win since June 28 came against a Los Angeles team that had scored 31 runs in its previous three games, and it helped the Orioles ended a five-game losing streak.
Just as important, it provided Baltimore with its first win on Sunday since April 6 against Seattle. Since that game, the Orioles were outscored by a combined 83-43 in compiling the longest skid on one day of the week since Arizona dropped 15 successive Saturday games in 2004.
Backup catcher Guillermo Quiroz went 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs for the Orioles, who avoided their first home sweep of the season.
George Sherrill worked the ninth for his 30th save, matching the total of the entire Baltimore staff in 2007.
Santana (11-5) gave up five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings, his shortest outing of the season. The All-Star's five strikeouts were his fewest in nine starts since June 2.
Los Angeles, which came in with nine wins in 10 games, got RBIs from Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson. But the Angels hit into three double plays and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Not only did the Orioles end their losing-on-Sunday trend, but they also reversed their annoying habit of falling behind early. Coming in, Baltimore had been outscored 77-54 in the first inning.
This time, however, the Orioles took a 2-0 lead after Olson began the game by retiring the Angels in order. Nick Markakis hit an RBI double and Santana hit Luke Scott with a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Jay Payton then hit a popup and Quiroz struck out.
Baltimore used a single and two walks to load the bases again in the third. After Payton struck out, Quiroz singled in two runs with soft, broken-bat liner to left.
Los Angeles closed to 4-1 in the fourth when Guerrero got an RBI on a slow roller to third with runners on the corners. But Olson averted further damage by retiring Robb Quinlan with two outs and the bases loaded.
A triple by Payton and single by Quiroz made it 5-1 in the sixth and chased Santana.
Anderson singled in a run as a pinch hitter in the seventh.
Notes:@ Mired in a 7-for-40 skid, Orioles 2B Brian Roberts did not play. 3B Melvin Mora was also rested after being hit in the back of the knee by a pitch Saturday night. ... After falling to 33-19 on the road, the Angels begin a three-game series against Boston at Fenway Park on Monday. ... Before stranding six runners in the first two innings, Payton was 6-for-7 with 13 RBIs with the bases loaded this season.
Copyright 2008 AP News
