Baltimore, MD (My Sportsbook) - Kevin Millar crushed a game-winning, three- run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the
Baltimore Orioles over the
Boston Red Sox, 6-3, in the finale of a three-game set at Camden Yards.
Corey Patterson and Nick Markakis greeted Boston right-hander Kyle Snyder (2-3) with consecutive singles to start the 10th. Miguel Tejada popped out, Markakis stole second and Millar, a former Red Sox staple, blasted a 2-2 offering deep over the wall in left. He circled the bases before a frenzied crowd of 48,551 and was mobbed at home plate by teammates, who poured a Gatorade container over his head during an on-field, post-game interview.
"I was looking for a curveball," said Millar. "He had gotten me with it on 2-1 and I had a feeling he would come back with it. I just adjusted a little bit and tried to drive it deep enough to get in the run."
Chad Bradford (1-4) got the final two outs in the top of the frame for the Orioles, who got 3 2/3 innings of one-hit ball from their bullpen. Steve Trachsel started the game and was tagged for three runs and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Millar finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, and Tejada clubbed a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth for Baltimore, which won a series versus Boston for the first time since July 7-10, 2005.
Curt Schilling scattered just five hits, surrendered an unearned run and did not walk a batter in six innings. It was his second start for Boston since spending seven weeks on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. He threw 92 pitches -- 70 for strikes -- and complemented his off-speed pitches with a fastball in the mid-to-low 90's.
Manny Ramirez chipped in with a two-run double for Boston, which has dropped two of three and is just four games ahead of the hard-charging New York Yankees in the AL East. The Yankees beat Cleveland, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon.
Baltimore took the lead with an unearned run in the second, due to a costly error by Boston shorstop Julio Lugo. Millar singled with one out before Aubrey Huff bounced Schilling's first offering toward short, where it went between Lugo's legs to put runners at second and third. Melvin Mora followed with a ground out, but with Millar going on contact he scored easily to put the O's up 1-0.
The Red Sox responded with a pair in the third. Kevin Youkilis drew a one-out walk, David Ortiz doubled and both came home on a two-bagger by Ramirez that fell just beyond the reach of Markakis in right field. Ramirez was caught stealing for the second out, however, and Mike Lowell eventually lined out to end the inning.
Boston added to its lead when Jason Varitek doubled to open the fourth before scoring on a one-out double by Lugo.
Schilling found his way out of a two-out jam in the bottom of the frame, worked around a leadoff single in the fifth, then shrugged off an error by second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the sixth to finish strong.
The Orioles then battled back to tie the game in the eighth off a pair of Boston relievers. Hideki Okajima started the inning and promptly walked Patterson, who moved to second on a ground out by Markakis. The Sox went back to the bullpen for Eric Gagne, who worked a full count against Tejada before he crushed a game-tying, two-run homer to left.
Game Notes
Millar played with Boston from 2003-2005...Schilling did not have a strikeout for the second time in three starts. Even with the no-decision he is 4-0 in his last seven starts against Baltimore, including 1-0 in three outings this season...The total attendance for the series was 146,786, the largest for a three-game series in the 16-year history of Camden Yards...Tejada has hit safely in seven straight games and has 10 RBI in his last five contests.