Wieters' 11th-inning homer carries Orioles

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[July 28, 2015]  BALTIMORE -- A stiff back held Matt Wieters out of the Baltimore Orioles' lineup Sunday. He returned Monday and inflicted some pain on the Atlanta Braves.

Wieters led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a home run that gave the Orioles a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in an interleague matchup at Camden Yards.

The Orioles were going to play Wieters at first base Sunday in Tampa Bay and then put him behind the plate Monday, but he thought that might not be the best idea.

"I thought playing first yesterday might keep me from being able to catch today, and it was something that you could have pushed through it and played, but I wanted to be able to catch and be able to be behind the plate today," Wieters said. "That was when we thought it was best to just take yesterday off to where I was pretty confident I was going to be ready to go today."

Wieters went 3-for-5 and ended the night in style, crushing a 1-0 pitch from left-hander Luis Avilan (2-4) to center to snap a 1-1 tie and give the Orioles (49-49) their third consecutive victory.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that Wieters was just fine for this game -- and the skipper felt good about not making another move he had considered.

"I'm pretty glad I didn't pinch-run for him an inning or two before," Showalter said. "We could have pushed the envelope yesterday, but then he may not have been able to do what he did tonight."

Right-hander Brad Brach (4-2) got the victory thanks to a scoreless 11th. The Braves missed on several scoring chances and ended up stranding eight runners and going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

The Braves (46-53) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth on third baseman Adonis Garcia's solo homer off Orioles closer Zach Britton. However, Baltimore quickly answered in the bottom half.

Center fielder Adam Jones started the tying rally against right-hander Jim Johnson with a leadoff infield single. Wieters then lined a single to center, putting runners at first and third with no out before shortstop J.J. Hardy lined a game-tying sacrifice fly to left.

Starters Alex Wood and Kevin Gausman shut down the opposing teams for much of the game.

Atlanta left-hander Wood allowed just three hits in 7 1/3 shutout innings. He retired 12 in a row at one point and struck out seven with two walks but came away with a no-decision.

"That's baseball, you know?" Wood said. "The only thing that matters to pretty much everybody in this clubhouse and to me is winning. So no matter what I do or don't do, that's what it comes down to."

Gausman, a right-hander who pitched at LSU and faced Wood in college (Georgia), matched him. He threw a career-best 7 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up six hits, striking out five with one walk but also getting a no-decision.

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"Today, I established my fastball in and also down and away," Gausman said. "Just one of those things. Kind of the flip of a coin. Some days you are going to have rough days like that. That's one thing veteran guys do really well. Even when they are struggling, they could get you through five, six, seven innings sometimes."

The game also marked the return of Atlanta right fielder Nick Markakis to Baltimore. He played nine years for the Orioles, who let him walk away in free agency last winter for a four-year deal with the Braves.

Markakis batted leadoff and drew a huge standing ovation when he came to the plate to start the game. He saluted the fans and then doubled to left. The Braves stranded him there, and he finished 2-for-5.

Still, the game belonged to the pitchers.

"It's a shame that today's game (ended) like the way it ended," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It was ... well-played ... from both sides."

NOTES: LF Nolan Reimold took over the leadoff spot as Orioles manager Buck Showalter continues to rotate players there. 3B Manny Machado batted there for 72 games, but Showalter used DH Jimmy Paredes and LF David Lough up top over the weekend in Tampa Bay. This was the first time Reimold batted leadoff this season, while Machado stayed in the No. 3 spot for the fourth straight game. ... The Orioles have committed the fewest errors in the major leagues (39). They played an error-free game Monday. ...1B Freddie Freeman made his second consecutive start for the Braves after coming off the disabled list Saturday. He missed a month due to a right wrist contusion. He entered Monday hitting .411 with runners in scoring position -- the best in the majors -- but went 0-for-2 in those situations in the loss.

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