Sun May 11 01:00:34 2008

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Millar homers as Orioles hold on to upend Royals

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Kevin Millar went 3-for-4, including a three-run home run, as the Baltimore Orioles outlasted the Kansas City Royals, 6-5, in a game that saw a one hour and 52 minute rain delay after the top of the first inning.

Luis Hernandez and Melvin Mora collected two hits apiece for the Orioles, who have won three in a row on the heels of a five-game skid.

Baltimore starter Garrett Olson (2-0) got the win after pitching 5 1/3 innings and only giving up three runs on eight hits. George Sherrill earned his 13th save of the year by giving up a hit and a run in the ninth.

David DeJesus went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored twice for the Royals, who have lost three in a row and five of their last six. Esteban German had a pair of RBI and Billy Butler scored a run and knocked one in.

K.C. starter Brett Tomko (1-4) took the loss after going 5 1/3 innings and giving up six runs on nine hits, while fanning eight.

The Orioles drew first blood, as Brian Roberts and Mora both got on base, setting the stage for Millar's three-run home run.

Roberts left the game with a left foot contusion after the top of the first inning.

Kansas City got a run back in the third. Joey Gathright clubbed a lead-off single and moved to second on DeJesus' base hit two batters later. Gathright then stole third and scored on German's sac fly, making it 3-1 after three frames.

Freddie Bynum and Hernandez hit back-to-back one-out singles in the fifth. Mora then singled to right to bring home Bynum, and the Orioles' lead jumped to 4-1.

Millar led off the sixth with a single, and Adam Jones' triple plated him two batters later. Joel Peralta came on in relief of Tomko and gave up an RBI sac- bunt to Guillermo Quiroz, and Baltimore was up 6-1.

The Royals rallied with two runs in the home sixth. It was second and third after Butler's single and Mark Grudzielanek's double. Jose Guillen then singled to plate Butler and Chad Bradford came on in relief. John Buck singled to load the bases, and Gathright grounded into a force out, but scored Grudzielanek, closing it to 6-3 after the sixth.

Jamie Walker took the mound for Baltimore in the seventh and gave up a lead off triple to DeJesus. German's single then plated DeJesus and the Royals were within two runs.

Sherrill took the mound to try and close it out for the Orioles in the ninth and gave up a lead off walk to DeJesus. Pinch-hitter Miguel Olivo went down swinging, as did Alex Gordon. Butler, however, drilled a double off the wall in left to score DeJesus and it was 6-5. Grudzielanek grounded out to third to end the threat and the game.

Game Notes

Baltimore has now won 12 straight encounters with the Royals...Time of game was 3:21, not including the delay...Attendance was 15,808.