Thursday, June 20, 2002
Orioles 6, Diamondbacks 1
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Tony Batista hit a two-run homer and Gary Matthews Jr. had a two-run triple as the Baltimore Orioles spoiled Curt Schilling's bid for his 13th win with a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.
“He's throwing pretty good this year, but any pitcher can make a mistake, and we took advantage of it,” Batista said. “He went outside with the fastball, and then he tried to go inside with the breaking pitch, and I hit it pretty good.”
Schilling (12-3) has lost consecutive decisions for the first time in 31 regular-season starts since last July 8.
Schilling, who made his major league debut with Baltimore in 1988 and spent most of three seasons with the Orioles, allowed six runs on seven hits. He also threw a wild pitch that was crucial to Baltimore's three-run sixth inning.
He struck out 10 — his eighth double-digit game this year and the 71st of his career — and increased his major league-leading season total to 160.
But he was beaten for the second time since his career-best nine-game winning streak was snapped in a 6-3 loss to Detroit on Friday night.
“It was kind of a repeat of the other day,” Schilling said. “I did not execute. I did not make the pitches, and we got beat because of it.”
Arizona manager Bob Brenly blamed unfamiliarity with the interleague opponents.
“These are a couple of very aggressive, swinging teams that obviously Curt hasn't seen much of,” Brenly said. “I thought he threw the ball well tonight. His fastball was good, his velocity was good, his location was good, but he hung a couple of pitches and they made him pay for it.”
Chris Brock (1-0), who pitched for three NL teams before joining the Orioles as a non-roster invitee at training camp, allowed one hit in three innings for the win.
He came on with two out in the fourth after starter Sidney Ponson was hit on the right wrist by a grounder off the bat of Steve Finley, who drove in Arizona's only run on the play.
X-rays revealed Ponson's wrist was bruised, and the team listed him as day to day.
Melvin Mora, Baltimore's second batter, singled off Schilling in the first, and Batista, batting cleanup, hit a shot that landed in the Arizona bullpen and put the Orioles ahead 2-0.
“Tony's been our all-star this year,” Matthews said. “He's been one guy who's been consistent. He's driven the ball out of the ballpark, he's got some hug knocks for us, and big home runs, and it gives us that little cushion.”
Ponson shut down Arizona until the fourth, which Quinton McCracken led off with a double.
Ponson walked two to load the bases with none out before Batista started a 5-2-3 double play off a grounder by Damian Miller.
Then Finley's sharp grounder struck Ponson for an RBI single and forced the right-hander to leave.
“It hurt like heck,” Ponson said. “It's sore, but I'm pretty sure I'll make my next start.”
Brock walked his first batter — one of his three walks — to reload the bases, but preserved the lead by getting Alex Cintron to ground out.
The Orioles made it 3-1 in the fifth when Matthews doubled and scored on Geronimo Gil's single.
“I thought the biggest inning in the game was when they scored the one run and we came back and put some numbers on the board the very next inning,” Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.
Mora struck out to start the sixth, but reached base when Schilling's wild pitch got past Miller.
Chris Singleton singled, and Matthews tripled against the right-field fence on one bounce. He scored on a double by Ryan McGuire for a 6-1 lead.
Notes: The Orioles have won 10 times in Ponson's 15 starts. ... Schilling is 19-4 in his last 27 regular-season starts and 23-4 in 33 starts counting the postseason. ... Diamondbacks 3B Matt Williams is scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tucson next week, his first since breaking his left leg in March.
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Orioles 6, Diamondbacks 1 
