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Saturday, Sep. 9 4:10pm ET
Mercedes wins despite 8 walks | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- It wasn't Jose Mercedes' prettiest game of the season. But he called it one of the best of his career. Mercedes ran his second-half record to 9-1 Saturday with a 10-3 win over Anaheim despite a career-high eight walks in six innings. "To give up eight walks and only one run -- that was one of my better games ever," Mercedes said. "I had to battle the whole game. It wasn't an easy win, but I'll take that any time." The Orioles made it as easy as possible for the struggling right-hander, supporting him with a 14-hit attack that included a pair of four-run outbursts. Delino DeShields drove in three runs, two on a ninth-inning double, Jeff Conine had a two-run single in the ninth and Eugene Kingsale had a pair of RBI singles. Mercedes' previous season high had been three walks, and the right-hander had never walked more than five in 102 major-league games. "He had nothing today, in the bullpen or in the game," said Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove, who was one pitch away from removing Mercedes (12-5) during an agonizing five-walk third inning. After the first walk was erased on a double play, Mercedes issued four straight walks -- the last to Tim Salmon with the bases loaded, cutting Baltimore's lead to 2-1 -- then ran the count to 3-and-1 on Garret Anderson. "That was his last batter. If he had lost him, I would've gone and gotten him," Hargrove said. Mercedes retired Anderson on a fly to the right-field warning track, then faced 11 men over his final three innings. He has gone at least six innings in each of his last 11 starts. In the third inning alone, Mercedes matched the career high of five walks he issued on Aug. 9, 1997, when he was with Milwaukee. "We did a good job setting the table with walks, but couldn't do much with men on base," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Four double plays will take the life out of any rally." The Angels grounded into double plays in each of the first four innings. "Mercedes isn't afraid to have the hitter make contact," Hargrove said. "If anyone can win without his good stuff, it's him. He has to change speeds all the time anyway." The Orioles grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second with a pair of unearned runs off Scott Karl (0-2). Shortstop Kevin Stocker's error on a grounder by Cal Ripken set up RBI singles by Mark Lewis and Kingsale. After Mercedes helped the Angels trim that lead to 2-1, Baltimore chased Karl during a four-run fourth sparked by Chris Richard's ninth homer. Kingsale had an RBI single and scored on Brady Anderson's double to make it 5-1. DeShields' run-scoring single off Lou Pote made it 6-1. Anaheim drew closer with a pair of runs off reliever Buddy Groom in the seventh. Singles by Matt Walbeck, pinch-hitter Benji Gil and Darin Erstad loaded the bases before pinch-hitter Ron Gant's RBI grounder and Mo Vaughn's sacrifice fly made it 6-3. The Orioles padded their lead in the ninth on a two-run double by DeShields and a two-run single by Jeff Conine off reliever Ben Weber. Karl gave up six runs -- two unearned -- in 3 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out one. "The whole season has been this way," said Karl, who was acquired from Colorado on Aug. 22 and has been hammered for 24 hits and 15 runs in 11 1-3 innings, covering three starts. "I'm healthy, and my pitches are moving correctly but, after a while, you don't trust your stuff." Game notesVaughn struck out in the ninth, giving him an Angels' record 157 on the season. Reggie Jackson struck out 156 times in 1982. ... Anaheim's Matt Wise, originally slated to start Sunday, will skip the turn with a "tired" right elbow. Long-reliever Al Levine will instead makes his second start of the season. ... Baltimore's Albert Belle missed a fifth straight game with right-hip inflammation. ... Stocker hasn't homered in 186 at-bats with the Angels and has gone 242 at-bats since his last homer on April 26 with Tampa Bay. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Baltimore Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS NY Yankees 5 Boston 3
Baltimore 10
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