Toronto, Baltimore Wins Set Up Showdown at SkyDome : Tettleton’s Three-Run Homer Helps Orioles Remain Only a Game Behind

Mickey Tettleton was looking for a chance to break out of a recent slump, and he couldn’t have found a better opportunity Wednesday night.

Tettleton, in a one-for-17 hole, hit a three-run homer to spark a 4-0 Baltimore victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and keep the Orioles’ hopes for the American League East championship alive.

The win left Baltimore a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who beat Detroit, 8-1. The Blue Jays and Orioles will meet in a three-game series starting Friday night at Toronto’s SkyDome.

“It’s about time,” Tettleton said of his homer. “I’ve been struggling and it was nice to hit a ball hard. It was a game we more or less had to win. We didn’t want to go into Toronto with them having the opportunity to clinch Friday night. Now it’s right in front of us. We’ve just got to take our chances.”

The Orioles also got an RBI single from Cal Ripken, who was in a six-for-54 slump, and five-hit pitching in 6 1/3 innings from rookie Bob Milacki, who won his fifth straight game.

Baltimore Manager Frank Robinson said the Orioles won’t have much time to celebrate their win over Milwaukee.

“(Today) is (an) off day and we’re going to enjoy it, and then we’re going to go in Friday and concentrate on that game and see what happens,” Robinson said.

Tettleton’s homer, his 26th, came in the fifth off Jerry Reuss (9-9). It followed a walk to Randy Milligan and an infield single by Craig Worthington on a chopper that third baseman Gary Sheffield lost in the lights. Baltimore added a run in the ninth inning on Ripken’s RBI single.

Milacki (14-12) pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the first when Paul Molitor singled to extend his hitting streak to 17 games and Robin Yount and Greg Brock walked with two outs. Milacki then retired Sheffield on a fly to center.

Milacki gave four more singles, including hits to Molitor and Brock in the sixth before Sheffield hit into a double play. Milacki was replaced in the seventh by Kevin Hickey after walking Greg Vaughn and George Canale and getting a 2-1 count on Mike Felder.

Hickey pitched two-thirds of an inning and Mark Williamson finished with two innings, completing the six-hitter.

“It was a must-win situation and I was a little nervous,” Milacki said. “But I came out on top.”