GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: AL: OAKLAND (24-24) at BALTIMORE (22-27)

Tejada, Mora and Markakis go deep as Orioles take series

<h3>BALTIMORE 8, OAKLAND 4</h3>BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Miguel Tejada started off the powerspurge and Nick Markakis completed it as the Baltimore Oriolesblasted past the Oakland Athletics, 8-4, in the rubber game of athree-game series on Sunday.

Melvin Mora also went deep for the Orioles, who completed a 3-3<div class="pre">homestand before embarking on a 10-game road trip to Kansas</div>City, Anaheim and Seattle.

Tejada opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Oaklandstarter Joe Blanton in the second inning. It was his fifth ofthe season and third in four games, as Tejada completed thehomestand 9-for-22 with three homers and eight RBI whilesnapping a 100 at-bat homerless drought - the longest of hiscareer.

Markakis provided some breathing room with a three-run blast toright-center - his seventh of the season - off a 1-1 offeringfrom Blanton in the sixth that provided an 8-4 lead.

Markakis entered 0-for-8 in the series but finished 3-for-4Sunday.

In between, Baltimore extended the advantage to 5-1 in the thirdon Mora's sixth blast of the season - a two-run shot - thatsnapped a 2-for-16 skid over his previous four games. CoreyPatterson followed with a double, stole third and scored on abase hit to right by Brian Roberts.

That support was enough to make a winner of Baltimore starterDaniel Cabrera (4-5), who entered having lost both career startsto Oakland, being tagged for 10 runs in six innings. The 6-7righthander surrendered four runs and five hits in six innings.He walked four and struck out five.

Oakland scored its first run in the second on an RBI double byDan Johnson and drew within 5-4 on Nick Swisher's ninth homerand third in three games - a three-run shot off Cabrera.

Blanton (4-3), who was coming off his worst outing of the seasonMonday at the Chicago White Sox, was charged with eight runsand 10 hits in six innings. He allowed six runs and eight hitsin 5 1/3 against the White Sox after ripping off fiveconsecutive starts of at least seven frames.

 

Tejada, Mora and Markakis go deep as Orioles take series

<h3>BALTIMORE 8, OAKLAND 4</h3>BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Miguel Tejada started off the powersplurge and Nick Markakis completed it as the Baltimore Oriolesblasted past the Oakland Athletics, 8-4, in the rubber game of athree-game series on Sunday.

Melvin Mora also went deep for the Orioles, who completed a 3-3<div class="pre">homestand before embarking on a 10-game road trip to Kansas</div>City, Anaheim and Seattle.

Tejada opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Oaklandstarter Joe Blanton in the second inning. It was his fifth ofthe season and third in four games, as Tejada completed thehomestand 9-for-22 with three homers and eight RBI whilesnapping a 100 at-bat homerless drought - the longest of hiscareer.

"I'm working hard and feeling comfortable at the plate," Tejadasaid. "Also, I'm being more aggressive on inside pitches."

Markakis provided some breathing room with a three-run blast toright-center - his seventh of the season - off a 1-1 offeringfrom Blanton in the sixth that provided an 8-4 lead.

Markakis entered 0-for-8 in the series but finished 3-for-4Sunday.

"We are definitely starting to swing the bats as a team,"Markakis said. "It's a good feeling to go out and help thepitcher."

In between, Baltimore extended the advantage to 5-1 in the thirdon Mora's sixth blast of the season - a two-run shot - thatsnapped a 2-for-16 skid over his previous four games. CoreyPatterson followed with a double, stole third and scored on abase hit to right by Brian Roberts.

"It was one of those days when everybody is hitting," Mora said.

That support was enough to make a winner of Baltimore starterDaniel Cabrera (4-5), who entered having lost both career startsto Oakland, being tagged for 10 runs in six innings. The 6-7righthander surrendered four runs and five hits in six innings.He walked four and struck out five.

"I'd say he was part good and part fair," Orioles manager SamPerlozzo said. "Obviously, when he was staying ahead, he wasgetting people out. He had some bouts of wildness and couldn'tfind the zone and consequently got in trouble and paid for it."

Oakland scored its first run in the second on an RBI double byDan Johnson and drew within 5-4 on Nick Swisher's ninth homerand third in three games - a three-run shot off Cabrera.

"He (Swisher) always seems to come up when we don't want to seehim, Perlozzo said. "Maybe he's batting out of order."

Blanton (4-3), who was coming off his worst outing of the seasonMonday at the Chicago White Sox, was charged with eight runsand 10 hits in six innings. He allowed six runs and eight hitsin 5 1/3 against the White Sox after ripping off fiveconsecutive starts of at least seven frames.

"Today it just seemed like if he made a mistake, theycapitalized on it," A's manager Bob Geren said. Today justwasn't his day."