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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, July 1, 2009

O's rally from 10-1 deficit to win, 11-10


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones loses the ball and his glove trying to snag a two-run home run by Boston's Kevin Youkilis in the first inning.

NICK WASS | Associated Press

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BALTIMORE — John Smoltz watched in disbelief as the Boston Red Sox wound up on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history.

Smoltz wasn't upset that he didn't earn his long-awaited 211th victory. He just couldn't believe that the Red Sox didn't win, either.

"No one would have ever dreamed it would play out the way it did," Smoltz said after the Orioles rallied from a nine-run deficit to win 11-10 last night. "It's one of those games when you shake your head and can't believe what you just saw."

Nick Markakis hit a two-run double off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to complete the comeback before a mixture of delirious hometown fans and stunned Red Sox backers.

Baltimore trailed 10-1 before scoring five runs in the seventh inning and five in the eighth. The rally was even more shocking because it came against a Boston team that had defeated the Orioles eight straight times, including five this season.

"It was a weird game, a terrible loss for us," Dustin Pedroia said. "That's upsetting. Things just kind of spiraled on us."

Previously, the biggest comeback in Orioles history was Sept. 2, 1956, when Baltimore rallied from an eight-run deficit at Boston.

"We just had no answer," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We went through everybody. Nothing we did worked."

Mark Hendrickson (3-4) gave up one run in three innings and George Sherrill got three outs for his 17th save.

"That was probably the best game I've been involved in, right there," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "That was absolutely tremendous. When you talk about playing all 27 outs, that's tonight."

RANGERS 9, ANGELS 5:

Marlon Byrd homered twice to drive in five runs as host Texas defeated Los Angeles and Joe Saunders (8-5), who gave up four homers, eight runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

YANKEES 8, MARINERS 5:

Alex Rodriguez hit his 565th career homer, Melky Cabrera broke a 5-all tie with an RBI double and Derek Jeter capped the three-run eighth with a two-run single as host New York won its sixth straight.

WHITE SOX 11, INDIANS 4:

Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye drove in two runs apiece, and Chicago pounded Cleveland in a game called with two outs in the top of the seventh after a 57-minute rain delay.

RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 1:

B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar hit solo homers and Matt Garza (6-5) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings as visiting Tampa Bay beat Toronto for its seventh straight victory.

TWINS 2, ROYALS 1:

Justin Morneau homered for the third straight game, visiting Minnesota broke a 1-all tie in sixth by scoring on an error, and Scott Baker (6-6) allowed a run on five hits in five innings to beat Kansas City.

TIGERS 5, ATHLETICS 3:

Armando Galarraga (5-7) gave up a run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings and Placido Polanco homered and drove in three runs to lead visiting Detroit over Oakland for its ninth win in the last 12 games.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MARLINS 7, NATIONALS 5:

Hanley Ramirez homered and drove in four runs, and host Florida rallied with three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to beat Washington in a game that was called in the seventh inning because of rain.

BREWERS 6, METS 3:

Ryan Braun hit a three-run double and scored on Johan Santana's (9-6) throwing error in a four-run fourth, helping host Milwaukee extend New York's losing streak to a season-high five games.

GIANTS 6, CARDINALS 3:

Randy Johnson (8-5) allowed three runs and four hits — including two solo homers by Albert Pujols — in 5 1/3 innings for his 303rd career victory as host San Francisco handed St. Louis its third straight loss.

BRAVES 5, PHILLIES 4:

Martin Prado singled home Matt Diaz from third with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning for his career-best fourth hit as Atlanta beat Philadelphia for its first home win over the Phillies since 2007.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, REDS 2:

Dan Haren (7-5) gave up a run and four hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA to 2.19, and also hit a solo homer off Bronson Arroyo (8-7) as visiting Arizona beat Cincinnati to end a season-long, five-game skid.

PIRATES 3, CUBS 0:

Ross Ohlendorf (7-6) scattered four hits over seven innings, two relievers finished off the six-hitter and Freddy Sanchez drove in two runs as Pittsburgh beat Chicago for only the sixth time in its last 26 games in Pittsburgh.

ROCKIES 3, DODGERS 0:

Jason Marquis (10-5) pitched a two-hitter for his sixth career complete game to become the first 10-game winner in the NL, and also hit a two-run single to lead host Colorado over Los Angeles.

PADRES 4, ASTROS 3:

David Eckstein drove in the go-ahead run to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift San Diego over Houston. Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez left the game with a strained right knee in the fourth inning.