A designed intentional walk blew up in the Orioles? faces Thursday, as the Florida Marlins hit a lame duck pitch by Baltimore reliever Todd Williams for an RBI single in the 10th inning.
Hanley Ramirez scored the game-winning run in a 8-5 win over the Orioles before 20,081 fans at Oriole Park atCamden Yards.
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The Orioles bullpen melted down in the later innings, including closer Chris Ray. Ray squandered a four-run lead in the top of the ninth inning by giving up two home runs.
Lost in the late-game mess was the fact that starter Kris Benson offered up the team?s second straight standout performance on the mound. Benson lasted eight innings, giving up six hits and one run but did not get the decision.
Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez broke out of a 0-for-23 slump in a big way by hitting two home runs.
“I think anybody that starts to go into a little bit of a skid usually goes a couple of days in a row where they hit the ball right on the button and they hit it at somebody and they start thinking about it,” Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said of Hernandez before the game. “Before you know it, mentally you start thinking about something different. He?s going to be fine. He just needs to relax a little bit.”
Hernandez helped start a four-run eighth inning with his home run. Benson was not as overwhelmingly dominant as Erik Bedard was Wednesday, but received good defensive support throughout the game, including a diving catch from center fielder Corey Patterson in the fourth inning.
Perlozzo said he envisions Patterson as a regular with the Orioles in the future.
“He?s fun. I just hope that continues because he?s really worked hard at it and stayed at it. He?s got a chance to be a great player for us for a lot of years,” Perlozzo said.
