Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer to help lead the Orioles past Angels 6-4

Huff hits homer to lead Orioles past Angels 6-4

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer, Luke Scott doubled home two runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Angels 6-4 on Friday night, dropping Los Angeles into a first-place tie with Texas in the AL West.

David Hernandez (2-2) allowed three runs and six hits over 6 2-3 innings after getting staked to a 6-0 lead. The right-hander, making his fourth big league start and second since Koji Uehara went on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis, struck out two and walked two.

George Sherrill got three outs for his 18th save in 21 chances.

Ervin Santana (1-4) threw 99 pitches over five innings, allowing six runs, eight hits and three walks in his first start off the disabled list, after missing two starts because of stiffness in his right forearm and triceps. Two of the runs were unearned as a result of shortstop Erick Aybar’s fielding error — only the third for Aybar in his last 45 games. In his four starts this season at Angel Stadium, Santana is 0-2 with a 12.12 ERA.

The Orioles, who came in hitting a major league-best .298 with runners in scoring position, loaded the bases with one out in the first when Adam Jones was hit by a pitch, Aybar booted a potential double-play grounder by Nick Markakis and Huff singled to right. One out later, Scott lined a 1-1 pitch high off the 18-foot wall in right for a 2-0 lead.

Scott has driven in at least one run in four consecutive games, equaling the longest streak of his four-year career. The last time he did it was May 27-30, when he homered in his first four games off the disabled list and went 8 for 15 with 14 RBIs after missing 14 games with a left shoulder strain.

Huff, who didn’t have an RBI in 15 previous career at-bats against Santana, made it 5-0 in the third with his 11th homer of the season after a single by Jones and a double by Markakis. Huff has 14 RBIs in his last 14 games and 55 for the season, the most on the club. The Orioles are 9-1 when he’s homered.

The Angels got their first three runs on a fourth-inning RBI double by Maicer Izturis, and a two-run homer by Kendry Morales in the sixth. Vladimir Guerrero had a run-scoring groundout in the eighth, his 11th RBI in 128 at-bats since coming off the disabled list on May 25.

NOTES: Twenty-four of Morales’ 26 career homers have come batting left-handed, including all 14 this season. … Of the four starting pitchers Orioles manager Dave Trembley is using in this series — Hernandez, Jeremy Guthrie, Jason Berken and Rich Hill — only one had ever faced the Angels before. That was Guthrie, who lost 5-2 Friday night in his fourth career start against them. … Former Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Alfredo Griffin (Angels 1B coach) and John Shelby (Orioles 1B coach) presented the lineup cards at home plate. … Orioles LF Nolan Reimold was named Friday as AL rookie of the month for June, after batting .320 with four homers and nine RBIs. The last Baltimore player to win that award was Markakis (August 2006).