Scott's second shot for O's drops Tigers in eighth

BALTIMORE (AP) -- After sputtering into the All-Star break in a 1-for-21 slump, Luke Scott assured Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley there was no reason to worry.

According to Trembley, Scott said, "I'll get hot the second half. It's always been that way with me in my career."

Scott backed up those words Friday night, hitting two home runs to lead the Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 7-4.

Obtained from the Houston Astros in December, Scott has endured an up-and-down season with the Orioles. He was batting .324 on April 26, .262 on May 10, .281 on June 17 and .254 at the break.

"Everyone goes through it," Scott said of his hot-and-cold streaks. "I'm not immune to it. No one's immune to it. You've just got to take the highs with the lows. I believe that a big second half is coming."

Scott hit a solo shot in the second inning off Armando Galarraga and a game-clinching, two-run drive off Bobby Seay in the eighth. It was his second multihomer game of the season and fourth of his career.

Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora also homered for the Orioles, who won for only the second time in 10 games.

Ivan Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for the Tigers. Detroit went down in order only once but hit into three double plays and was 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

"When you get 14 hits," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "you're supposed to get more than four runs."

Detroit's lack of clutch hitting, along with Baltimore's four home runs, was too much for the Tigers to overcome.

"Both played a big factor," left fielder Matt Joyce said. "Those home runs, they killed us. And you got to score runs."

Down 4-3, the Orioles rallied in the sixth against Galarraga (7-4). After Huff led off with a single, Mora hit a high drive down the line that bounced off the top of the left-field foul pole.

"You don't see it hit the top very often," Joyce said. "I was shocked."

It was Mora's 13th homer and second in two games.

"I'm happy it hit the pole. If it wasn't for that, I think they were going to call foul ball," he said.

Singles by Placido Polanco and Joyce leading off the seventh chased Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (6-7). Chad Bradford then got Magglio Ordonez to hit into a double play before Miguel Cabrera grounded out.

After Detroit stranded a runner at second in the eighth against Jim Johnson, George Sherrill got three outs for his 29th save.

Guthrie won his third straight decision despite giving up four runs and a career-high 12 hits.

Galarraga, who allowed eight hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings, is winless in five starts since June 18.

"Every bad pitch he threw, he paid for it," Leyland said.

Even the good pitches proved costly for Galarraga. In the first inning, the right-hander got Adam Jones to hit a popup that shortstop Edgar Rentaria dropped. Nick Markakis followed with an RBI double.

Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the second, the first of his five this season with a runner on. Scott countered in the bottom half.

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in the third before Ordonez hit into a double play. Huff connected in the Orioles' half, his fifth homer in 13 games. He has 19 for the season, four more than he hit all last year.

The Tigers again filled the bases in the fourth, but this time they cashed in. Brandon Inge hit a run-scoring grounder before Curtis Granderson doubled in a run to make it 4-3.

Game notes
Guthrie has allowed a team-high 16 home runs, one more than Daniel Cabrera. ... Ordonez went 2-for-5 to lift his career batting average at Camden Yards to .336. ... Jones has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games. ... Seay's streak of 10 straight scoreless outings ended.