After completing sell-off, Tigers blow six-run lead in loss to Orioles

BALTIMORE

One night after their comeback bid fell short, the Baltimore Orioles pulled off their biggest come-from-behind win of the season at the expense of the trade-ravaged Detroit Tigers.

Adam Jones and Manny Machado homered, and Baltimore rallied from a six-run deficit to register an uplifting 8-7 victory on Friday.

Down 6-0 in the fourth inning, the Orioles teed off against the pitching-poor Tigers and went ahead 7-6 in the sixth when Machado hit a two-run drive off rookie Jose Valdez (0-1), making his big-league debut.

One night earlier, Baltimore stormed back from a 9-2 hole before losing by a run.

"We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights (against) a good offensive team, and our guys found a way," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's tough, tough sledding."

It was the sixth win in seven games for the Orioles, who earlier in the day bolstered their roster for a playoff run by obtaining outfielder Gerardo Parra from Milwaukee before the non-waiver deadline.

Parra watched from the bench as Baltimore rattled off eight straight runs. Before this one, the Orioles' biggest turnaround was a three-run deficit against Miami.

"You can never quit, never give up," catcher Matt Wieters said.

The fourth-place Tigers insist they won't give up trying to win, but it's tough when management is clearly eyeing the future. After dealing away ace left-hander David Price and closer Joakim Soria on Thursday, general manager Dave Dombrowski traded slugger Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets for two minor leaguers.

Detroit compensated for the loss of the slugger by hitting three home runs off Wei-Yin Chen, including the 28th of the season by J.D. Martinez, and Ian Kinsler had four hits. But it wasn't enough.

"Guys continue to play hard," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Offensively we're fine right now. A week ago we couldn't buy a run. Now we seem to get runs but we can't seem to hold them."

As has often been the case this season, the Tigers, whose ERA ranks 13th in the AL, couldn't generate enough offense to overcome their shoddy bullpen. It was the fourth time in six games Detroit has yielded at least eight runs.

Detroit also made two errors, the last of which let in the eighth run.

Chen allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most runs he had given up since yielding eight against Boston on Aug. 27, 2013.

Mychal Givens (1-0) earned his first big-league win with 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, and Zach Britton got three outs for his 27th save.

Kinsler singled in a first-inning run and Jefry Marte made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the second. Martinez connected in the third with a man on, and it became 6-0 when James McCann and Marte homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth.

Baltimore began its comeback with an unearned run in the fourth, and then closed to 6-5 with a four-run fifth. With one out, Jimmy Paredes lined a single off the left leg of starter Buck Farmer, who limped around the mound after impact. Although he appeared a bit tentative as he warmed up in front of manager Brad Ausmus, Farmer had a 6-1 lead and needed only two more outs to qualify for his first major league win.

Four pitches later, Jones ended the rookie's outing with a three-run homer.

Ian Krol followed, getting two outs and giving up two runs.

"The hitting was there, the pitching wasn't there," Krol said. "That seems to be the problem so far in our season. But I believe in this team."

MOVING DAY

Tigers: Valdez and OF Tyler Collins were recalled from Triple-A Toledo ... Detroit activated LHP Daniel Norris, acquired in the trade that sent Price to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Orioles: Givens and RHP Mike Wright were recalled from the minors. Wright got in the game but lasted only one inning before leaving with a left calf cramp that Showalter said might actually be a strain.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman is nursing a sprained right ankle that might push back his start Monday in Oakland.

ON DECK

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61 ERA) beat the Orioles on July 17 and will seek an encore on Saturday night.

Orioles: Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20 ERA) strives for his first win since April 7. He has had 12 appearances since then, including five starts.