Orioles rally against Rodriguez, beat Mets 5-4 on 9th-inning single by Huff

Huff’s hit off K-Rod lifts Orioles over Mets 5-4

BALTIMORE — Aubrey Huff drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single off Francisco Rodriguez, capping a two-run rally that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Mets 5-4 Thursday night.

Rodriguez entered the game with a 0.56 ERA and 16 saves in 17 tries. After Matt Wieters hit a leadoff double and Nolan Reimold walked, Brian Roberts laid down a bunt, and the throw to third by catcher Omir Santos was too late to nail pinch-runner Felix Pie.

Rodriguez (1-2) then walked Adam Jones to force in a run, and after Nick Markakis struck out, Huff hit a liner to right — his second straight game-deciding hit.

Matt Albers (1-2) pitched the ninth for the Orioles, who were 0-34 when trailing after eight innings.

Rodriguez converted his first 16 save chances with New York before the Yankees beat him when second baseman Luis Castillo dropped a ninth-inning popup Friday night. The right-hander had not yielded an earned run since April 27.

Baltimore took two of three from the Mets, who have lost 10 of 14.

Held to one infield hit through the first five innings by rookie Jason Berken, New York rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Alex Cora got the first hit in each inning and scored twice.

Baltimore closed to 4-3 in the eighth when Huff doubled and scored on a groundout by Luke Scott, and the Orioles completed the unlikely comeback in the ninth.

Robert Andino homered for Baltimore, now 5-17 in series finales this season.

Mets starter Livan Hernandez gave up two runs and eight hits in seven innings. He left with the lead, and although the bullpen gave it away, Hernandez remained unbeaten since April 23.

After putting only one runner in scoring position over the first five innings, the Mets pulled even in the sixth. Singles by Cora and Carlos Beltran preceded a sacrifice fly by David Wright, and after Gary Sheffield singled, Ryan Church hit an RBI single off the right-field wall.

Berken retired the first two batters in the seventh before Cora singled and scored on a double by Daniel Murphy. Beltran followed with a run-scoring single off Danys Baez.

Making his fifth career start, Berken allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He had a career-high eight strikeouts, getting Wright, Santos and Murphy twice.

Andino put the Orioles up 1-0 in the third with his first home run since April 7, 2008, with Florida.

Baltimore added a run in the fifth when Roberts ended an 0-for-12 skid with an RBI double. But with the bases loaded and one out, Markakis struck out and Huff lined out to Castillo at second base.

NOTES: Baltimore 3B Melvin Mora has hit in 16 of his last 19 games, but has gone 34 straight games without a home run — the third-longest drought of his career. … The Mets have not made an error this season while Hernandez is pitching.