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Sunday, Jun. 11 1:35pm ET
Mussina masters Phillies in 7-2 win | |||||
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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Thanks in part to a home run from an unlikely s ource, the Baltimore Orioles finally gave Mike Mussina the chance to work with a comfortable lead. The right-hander responded with one of his best performances of the season. Mussina pitched five-hit ball over eight innings and Will Clark hit his first homer since last July as the Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 Sunday. Mike Bordick and Jeff Conine also homered for the Orioles, who took two of three to win their first series since May 23-25. Baltimore averaged only three runs in Mussina's first 13 starts, but the Orioles matched that total by the second inning, when Clark drove a 2-1 pitch from Andy Ashby over the center-field wall for a 3-1 lead. "It was one of those swings when you go, `Oh, thank goodness,"' said Clark, who had only six RBIs in 114 at-bats before Sunday. That proved to be enough offense for Mussina, who won his third straight decision following a 1-6 start. Pitching in temperatures that soared near 100 degrees, the Orioles ace struck out six and walked one in lowering his ERA to 3.73. "It was just a continuation of him throwing well, and he got some runs to work with today," Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said. The seven runs were the most the Orioles have scored behind Mussina this season. Rob Ducey homered for the Phillies, who have lost 10 of 15 against Baltimore since interleague play began four seasons ago. Ashby (2-7) gave up all three Baltimore homers in losing his fourth consecutive decision. He allowed seven runs and 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings. "I got a pitch up to Will Clark in a situation where I wanted to get a sinker down and away, and it ends up in the middle of the plate and it costs us a couple of runs," Ashby said. Ashby has allowed 16 homers in 13 games. This was the third time this year he has yielded three in a game. "It's frustrating. It's not like I'm trying to throw the ball down the middle," he said. "Maybe I'm trying to do too much or be too fine or whatever. I definitely don't want to be giving up three home runs." The Orioles went up 1-0 in the first when Brady Anderson doubled and scored on a groundout by Delino DeShields. Ducey tied it in the second with his fourth homer, a shot over the scoreboard in right. Baltimore took the lead for good in the bottom half. After Conine hit a leadoff single, Clark launched a 401-foot shot to center to make it 3-1. It was his first home run since July 24. Anderson singled to open the fifth, took second in a single by DeShields and scored on a double by Albert Belle. The hit extended Belle's hitting streak to 13 games. Baltimore broke it open in the seventh. Bordick led off with his 12th homer, B.J. Surhoff hit a two-out single and Conine hit an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center. Conine went 4-for-8 with two homers in the series. "Giving up three runs in the seventh inning took the wind out of our sails," Ashby said. "A couple of pitches were up and they took advantage of it." Mussina was appreciative of the support. When he took the mound in the eighth, it was the first time he had a six-run cushion to work with. "We got three runs late, that was big," he said. "They really hadn't been taken out of the game until then." Doug Glanville hit a sacrifice fly for the Phillies in the eighth. Game notesThe Orioles are 10-5 against the Phillies and 17-26 in other interleague games. ... The 11-game hitting streak of Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu ended. ... Anderson got three hits, his 13th multihit game in 23 starts. ... Orioles DH Harold Baines is 5-for-43 in his last 17 games. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Philadelphia Clubhouse Baltimore Clubhouse RECAPS Cincinnati 7 Cleveland 5
Baltimore 7
Chicago Cubs 6
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