Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Ty Wigginton drove in four runs with a home run and a double as the Orioles salvaged the finale of a four-game set with Oakland, winning 8-3 to snap a nine-game losing streak.
Orioles Snap Nine-Game Losing Streak, Beat A’s 8-3
Brian Matusz (2-0) worked 6 1/3 strong innings and struck out eight to get the win. The young lefty yielded three runs on eight hits and a walk.
Nolan Reimold knocked in two with a double and Nick Markakis had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who picked up just their second win in 13 games to start the season.
Jim Johnson worked the final two frames to earn his first save of the season.
“We’ve been facing Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale since the start of the season, they’ve been reincarnated every time we play,” deadpanned O’s skipper Dave Trembley.
Oakland's Brett Anderson (1-1) was dealt the loss for giving up six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits over five frames. The left-hander had fired 12 scoreless innings over two starts coming in.
"Some days you just don't feel it. There's nothing you can do except go out there and compete, and that's what he did. Sometimes it doesn't go your way," said A's catcher Kurt Suzuki of Anderson's rough outing.
Jake Fox collected a pair of hits and drove in one, while Ryan Sweeney extended his hitting streak to 13 games for the Athletics, who were gunning for their first home sweep of the O's since May of 2004.
Oakland had beaten Baltimore 13 of the last 14 times overall entering Sunday and hadn’t lost at home in the series since July 22, 2007.
The O's pushed across three runs in the third to open the scoring. Wigginton followed consecutive two-out singles with a two-run double and Markakis singled into center field to chase home another. A Lou Montanez RBI single an inning later made it 4-0.
Oakland got on the board in the home half on Fox’s run-scoring single, but the Orioles countered with two more runs in the fifth. Wigginton reached on an error and Markakis singled with one out. Both moved into scoring position on a passed ball and Reimold slugged a double to center.
The A's got one back in the sixth when Kevin Kouzmanoff followed a Ryan Sweeney walk with a double to left, then drew within 6-3 in the seventh.
Travis Buck and Eric Patterson started the inning with back-to-back base hits and Matusz got Rajai Davis to ground into a fielder's choice before exiting. Will Ohman came on to allow an Eric Chavez sacrifice fly, but Davis ended the frame by getting thrown out at third on a Sweeney single.
Johnson allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way, and Wigginton tacked on the last two runs with his homer in the ninth.
Baltimore third baseman Miguel Tejada was out of the lineup after suffering a groin strain in Saturday's loss...Cesar Izturis had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles...Anderson struck out two and did not issue a walk...Oakland will host the Yankees for three games beginning Tuesday, while Baltimore heads to Seattle for a three-game series starting Monday.
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