BALTIMORE — Adam Frazier hit a run-scoring grounder in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles their fourth straight victory, 2-1 over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
With the Tigers down to their last strike in the ninth, Javier Báez hit a tying single off Orioles closer Félix Bautista (2-1), snapping a 34-inning scoreless streak by Baltimore pitchers. The Orioles immediately answered.
Ryan Mountcastle hit a one-out single off Jason Foley (0-1), then went to third on a single by Anthony Santander. Frazier followed with a soft grounder to the right side, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s throw home was not in time to get Mountcastle.
Orioles starter Tyler Wells allowed three hits in seven innings, and Austin Hays homered in the seventh to give Baltimore a 1-0 lead. The Orioles hadn’t allowed a run since the first inning of Sunday’s win over the Chicago White Sox, the longest scoreless streak by an AL team in the same season since Baltimore threw 45 straight scoreless innings to end the 1995 season, according to OptaStats.
Wells walked one and struck out five. Two of the hits he allowed were infield singles. Bryan Baker struck out two in a perfect eighth, then Bautista came on in the ninth.
After pinch-hitter Akil Baddoo singled and stole second, Bautista struck out Nick Maton. Riley Greene then hit a sharp groundout to the shortstop, but Báez hit a single to left to tie it.
Michael Lorenzen pitched five scoreless innings for the Tigers, but the Orioles finally broke through on Hays’ two-out drive off José Cisnero in the seventh.
Baltimore has won eight of 10.
Wells surpassed his career high of six innings pitched, which he reached most recently on April 9 against the New York Yankees.
ZEROES
According to information from Elias Sports Bureau released by the Orioles, this was the sixth-longest scoreless streak in team history. The record is 54 in 1974.
The Orioles finished the 1995 season on a 45-inning run behind Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson, Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald. Mussina threw two complete games in that stretch, and Erickson and Brown pitched one each.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: SS Jorge Mateo (right hip discomfort) did not play. He left the team’s previous game, Wednesday night at Washington, in the second inning.
UP NEXT
Kyle Gibson (3-0) starts for Baltimore against Detroit’s Joey Wentz (0-2) on Saturday night.
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