BALTIMORE (AP) - Just when it seemed as if Tim Beckham couldn’t possibly do anything more marvelous for the Baltimore Orioles, the spunky shortstop provided the team with a milestone shot.
And then, just five games into his tenure with Baltimore, Beckham made his first curtain call.
Beckham hit the Orioles’ 10,000th home run, the last of three by Baltimore on Saturday night in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Welington Castillo put the Orioles in front with his 11th home run, an opposite-field drive to right in the seventh inning on the third pitch thrown by Joe Jimenez (0-1).
Beckham made it 4-2 in the eighth, and was summoned by the crowd of 33,911 to leave the dugout and acknowledge their cheers. Since coming from Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade, Beckham is 13 for 20 with three home runs.
Not coincidentally, the Orioles have won three of five.
“He’s given us a little jolt and a little juice,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s in a good place, he’s in a good frame of mind.”
Beckham also earned a spot in Orioles history with their 10,000th home run since their move from St. Louis in 1954. Only the Yankees, Tigers and Red Sox have as many during that span.
“It’s tremendous that he was able to do it, and this is one of the most historic franchises in all of baseball and all of sports,” teammate Adam Jones said. “It’s going to mean something to his family and his kids down the line.”
Beckham certainly won’t forget the curtain call anytime soon.
“It was a great feeling, man. My first one in my career for sure,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to play in Baltimore, in front of the Orioles fans.”
Jones also homered, and Jonathan Schoop doubled in a run for Baltimore to increase his RBI total to 80, tied for the AL lead.
Justin Upton homered in a third consecutive game for the Tigers, who were 4-0 in August after trading away three stars before the non-waiver trade deadline.
“We didn’t get a lot going offensively,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “We got a two-run homer from Upton and didn’t do much the rest of the way.”
After losing the first two games of the series, Baltimore fell behind 2-0 in the first inning before coming back for its sixth win in eight games.
Brad Brach (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings and Zach Britton got four outs for his ninth save. Britton, the subject of trade rumors late last month, has converted an AL-record 58 straight save opportunities.
Orioles starter Wade Miley gave up two runs and four hits over five innings, finishing with seven straight outs. The lefty allowed three hits and a walk in the first inning and needed 113 pitches to get through the fifth.
“We got his pitch count up there,” Detroit’s James McCann said. “But you have tip your cap because he found a way to get through five.”
Ausmus selected reliever Drew VerHagen to make a spot start for Michael Fulmer, who was placed on the disabled list Thursday. Like Miley, he yielded two runs and four hits in five innings.
The Tigers jumped in front when Upton hit his 21st homer of the season after Nicholas Castellanos ended an 0-for-14 slump with a single.
Baltimore used doubles by Jones and Schoop to get a third-inning run, and Jones connected in the fifth to reach 20 for a seventh straight season - the third-longest streak in Orioles history behind Cal Ripken Jr. (10) and Eddie Murray (9).
STREAK OVER
McCann’s career-best hitting streak ended at 14 games with an 0-for-4 performance. It was the team’s longest streak since Miguel Cabrera’s 15-game run in June 2013.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: LHP Daniel Norris (4-7, 5.29 ERA) will throw a bullpen Sunday for the first time since going on the DL with a left groin strain.
Orioles: LF Trey Mancini returned after missing one game with a bruised left knee. … DH Mark Trumbo (rib cage strain) is expected to spend the minimum time on the DL and be activated Wednesday. … C Caleb Joseph was available despite being hit in the hand with a pitch Friday night.
UP NEXT
Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (3-1, 5.83 ERA) starts the series finale looking to build on his last start, a win over the Yankees in which he allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings.
Orioles: Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.56 ERA) has more career losses against Detroit (12) than any other club.
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