Monday, August 12, 2013
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Hardy, Jones homer as Orioles pound Giants 10-2

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[August 12, 2013]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- J.J. Hardy hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Adam Jones added a three-run shot in the ninth and the Baltimore Orioles pounded the San Francisco Giants 10-2 on Sunday.

Hardy's 21st home run of the season gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Four players drove in a run in the eighth, Jones hit his 24th homer and every player in Baltimore's starting lineup finished with at least one hit.

Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence each hit RBI doubles off Bud Norris in the first for San Francisco's only runs.

Matt Cain (7-8) retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced. He struck out five and walked one in seven innings, allowing only an RBI single by Nate McLouth in the sixth before Hardy's homer.

Troy Patton (2-0) tossed one scoreless inning of relief. Baltimore has won four of its past five games.

Norris gave up six hits, struck out two and walked two in five innings. He had won his first two starts since the Orioles acquired the right-hander from Houston on July 31.

The finale between the black-and-orange and the orange-and-black turned out to be a one-sided affair.

Cain, long accustomed to receiving little run support, baffled Baltimore's batters most of the afternoon. He sent down the first eight he faced before Norris' comebacker bounced off his glove, knocked him down and trickled around for an infield single.

The Orioles couldn't crack Cain again until Brian Roberts tripled leading off the sixth. After pinch-hitter Henry Urrutia struck out, Nate McLouth singled to slice San Francisco's lead to 2-1.

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A day after hitting his majors-leading 42nd home run, Chris Davis doubled off the 399-foot marker in center leading off the seventh. Two batters later, Hardy homered to left to put the Orioles ahead.

Nick Markakis, Jones, Matt Wieters and Roberts all drove in a run in the eighth to put Baltimore up 7-2. Three of the runs were charged to lefty Jose Mijares, and the other to Sandy Rosario.

Jones homered off starter-turned-reliever Barry Zito in the ninth to put the Orioles up 10-2. Most of the announced sellout crowd of 41,622 headed for the exits.

San Francisco's stagnant offense never put up a fight. The Orioles retired 17 of the final 19 batters for the Giants.

Buster Posey, the reigning NL MVP and batting champion, is hitless in his last four games and in a 2-for-19 skid at the plate. World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval, who turned 27 on Sunday, snapped a 0-for-20 skid when he singled in the sixth and also walked twice.

NOTES: Orioles INF Wilson Betemit (right knee) will begin a rehab assignment at Class-A Frederick on Monday, while OF Lew Ford (sports hernia) will report to Double-A Bowie on Tuesday. ... Giants CF Angel Pagan is progressing well in Arizona from left hamstring surgery and could be ready to make a rehab start soon, manager Bruce Bochy said. The Giants hope Pagan can return around Sept. 1. ... The Orioles begin a three-game series at Arizona on Monday. The Giants are traveling to Washington on Monday to open a three-game set against the Nationals on Tuesday.

[Associated Press; By ANTONIO GONZALEZ]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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