In just two seasons, Nick Markakis has given Orioles? fans plenty of reason to believe in the future.
With one out in the eighth inning of Monday?s game, the second-year right fielder broke a two-all tie with his 22nd home run of the season. The 405-foot blast, which came on an 0-1 pitch from Kansas City starter Gil Meche, gave the O?s a one-run lead they would not surrender.
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The Orioles (67-89) prevailed, 3-2, before an announced crowd of 15,769 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The solo blast gave Markakis 109 RBIs ? the highest mark for any second-year player in club history. Cal Ripken?s 102 RBI in 1983 represent the only other time an Oriole has reached the century-mark in his sophomore campaign.
“Those guys fly under the radar when you don?t have a winning team,” manager Dave Trembley said before the game. “I think he represents a lot of good things about the Orioles and a lot of positive things that are yet to come.”
It was the Orioles? fifth win in the past 11 games, having gone 4-6 on a recent road trip before returning for Monday?s make-up game with the Royals. The Orioles face Toronto for three games before ending the season with the American League wild card-leading New York Yankees this weekend.
Kansas City (67-88) got a great effort out of Meche, who scattered three runs on seven hits over eight innings. He walked one and struck out five on 126 pitches.
Chad Bradford earned his second save for the Orioles with a scoreless ninth, stranding the tying run on third with a David DeJesus groundout to Brian Roberts.
Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera gave a strong effort, scattering six hits and one earned run in seven innings. He gave way to Jamie Walker (3-2), who earned the win despite allowing a game-tying home run to Mark Grudzielanek in the eighth. Grudzielanek?s first career pinch-hit home run came on the third pitch Walker threw.
Markakis? blast would come in the next inning.
Tike Redman continued his scorching second-half, driving the right-center field gap with a run-scoring double in the fifth. Redman has hit safely in 15 of his past 19 games. He also made a brilliant diving catch in center field to end the seventh inning.
Melvin Mora had a two-hit night, including an RBI single in the fifth, scoring Redman.
Six Orioles starters reached base as the team recorded seven hits.
Notes
» As the Orioles starters took the field Monday they were accompanied by members of the West Salisbury Little League team. The 12-year olds from West Salisbury competed in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. as the Mid-Atlantic Region representatives.
» The Orioles have drawn 1,988,396 fans to 74 home games this season.
