BALTIMORE | Brian Roberts hit a three-run homer, Jake Arrieta allowed one run in six innings and the unbeaten Baltimore Orioles thrilled a sellout crowd in their home opener by defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Monday.
On a gorgeous afternoon at Camden Yards, the Orioles extended a surprising winning streak that began with a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay. Off to its best start since 1997, Baltimore (4-0) has not yet trailed, hasn’t given up more than one run in a game and has outscored the competition 17-4.
With the score tied at 1 in the fifth, Felix Pie walked and went to third on a double by J.J. Hardy before Roberts hit a 1-2 pitch from Rick Porcello (0-1) over the wall in right-center. Roberts has Baltimore’s only two home runs this season.
Nick Markakis followed with his third hit, a double, and Matt Wieters delivered a two-out RBI single for a 5-1 lead.
Arrieta (1-0) gave up six hits, walked two and struck out three. Orioles starters have allowed two runs in 26 innings, a 0.69 ERA.
Jason Berken followed with two innings of one-hit relief and Koji Uehara pitched the ninth.
Will Rhymes drove in the lone run for the Tigers, who arrived after dropping two of three at Yankee Stadium. Detroit doesn’t begin the home portion of its schedule until Friday.
Porcello yielded five runs, nine hits and a walk in five innings.
With a crowd of 46,593 looking on, the Orioles continued their solid play under manager Buck Showalter. Baltimore went 34-23 after Showalter took over last year, and the offseason acquisitions of Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, Hardy and Mark Reynolds have Orioles fans hopeful that the team’s run of 13 straight losing seasons will end in 2011.
Baltimore went up 1-0 in the second inning when Wieters hit a leadoff double and scored on Porcello’s two-out wild pitch.
Detroit pulled even in the third. After Brandon Inge doubled and scored on a single by Rhymes, Miguel Cabrera flied out with two outs and runners at second and third.
The Tigers got only two runners in scoring position the rest of the way.
NOTES: Former Orioles manager Earl Weaver threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Showalter. … RF Magglio Ordonez started for Detroit after missing Sunday’s game with a sore right ankle. He snapped an 0-for-9 start with a fifth-inning single. … Baltimore is 38-20 in home openers, including 5-0 against Detroit. … Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was hospitalized Monday with a high fever, putting his scheduled start Wednesday in jeopardy.
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