Belle’s Streak Ends as Orioles Defeat Braves

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t need Albert Belle on Friday night.

Belle was benched after a shouting match Wednesday with Manager Ray Miller, but Sidney Ponson pitched a five-hitter and the Orioles beat Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves, 6-2, at Atlanta to end the Braves’ five-game winning streak.

B.J. Surhoff led off the sixth inning with a homer to spark a five-run outburst that erased a 1-0 deficit. But neither Surhoff nor Ponson could overshadow the temperamental slugger who spent the game watching from the Oriole dugout.

Belle had played in 392 consecutive games since sitting out a Sept. 18, 1996, contest while with the Cleveland Indians. He was replaced in right field by Jeff Conine, who went three for five, as the longest active streak of consecutive games came to an end.

“Albert Belle got the day off. That was my choice,” Miller said. “Any other reflection or matters about that subject will be handled internally. Let’s leave it that way.”

Belle clashed with Miller in the dugout after being removed from Wednesday’s victory against the Florida Marlins at Miami. The move came after he failed to run out a grounder in the ninth inning, capping a 0-for-5 performance that dropped his average to .244. He has one home run in his last 21 games.

Before the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta, Miller indicated that Belle would return to the lineup today. After Friday’s game, the manager would only say, “We’ll see about that when the lineup goes up tomorrow.”

Belle, who hasn’t spoken to reporters all season, declined to comment on his benching.

Maddux (5-4) cruised into the sixth with a four-hit shutout, having retired seven batters in a row, but was pounded for six hits in his final inning. The four-time Cy Young Award winner has given up 10 or more hits in seven of 13 starts, with opposing batters compiling a .332 average against him. He could take little solace in that only three of the five runs he gave up to the Orioles were earned.

“I didn’t pitch well,” Maddux said. “I made a lot of mistakes. I left a lot of pitches over the plate. When you don’t pitch well, you set yourself up for an inning like that. I made a bad pitch to B.J. to set the inning off, and it kind of snowballed from there.”

Boston 3, New York Mets 2--John Valentin hit a two-out, RBI single in the 12th inning at New York as the Red Sox overcame Tom Gordon’s second consecutive blown save to end a season-high five-game losing streak.

Gordon had converted a major league record 54 consecutive saves before blowing a chance last Saturday, a loss that started the skid.

This time he gave up a two-run homer to Mike Piazza in the ninth, but the Red Sox bailed him out.

Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 4--Miguel Batista won his third consecutive start and hit a go-ahead double in the sixth inning at Montreal.

Batista (6-2), who pitched a three-hitter for the first shutout of his career last Saturday at Toronto, lowered his earned-run average to 3.56. He gave up four runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings but only two runs were earned.

Texas 3, Colorado 2--Rafael Palmeiro hit his 18th homer, a two-run shot in the eighth inning at Arlington, Texas.

Vinny Castilla had given the Rockies a 2-1 lead with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly, but the Rangers rallied for their 18th come-from-behind victory.

Juan Gonzalez singled with one out against Darryl Kile, and Palmeiro followed with a drive into the right-field seats against Chuck McElroy (2-1). Palmeiro has had the winning hit in four of the Rangers’ last five victories.

Jeff Zimmerman (7-0) pitched the eighth, and John Wetteland finished for his 21st save. The Ranger bullpen is 17-1, winning its last 14 decisions.

Seattle 7, San Francisco 2--Edgar Martinez hit a two-run homer to start a six-run first inning at Seattle and Jamie Moyer won his sixth consecutive decision.

Moyer (7-4) retired 13 consecutive batters after he gave up a homer to J.T. Snow in the second after a double by Stan Javier.

The Mariners sent 10 men to the plate against Mark Gardner (0-5) in the first, scoring all six runs with two out.

Detroit 8, St. Louis 2--Dave Mlicki won for the second time in three starts and teammate Tony Clark homered at St. Louis in his first at-bat after coming off the disabled list.

Dean Palmer also homered for the Tigers, who have won three of four. The Cardinals have lost three of four, but held their opponent below 10 runs for the first time in three games behind strong pitching from Kent Bottenfield.

Chicago White Sox 5, Chicago Cubs 3--Magglio Ordonez drove in two runs and Jim Parque turned in another solid outing for the White Sox in a game at Wrigley Field called after five innings because of rain.

It was the White Sox’s first victory over the Cubs since 1997.

Parque (7-5) gave up three runs--two earned--and five hits in five innings. He struck out six.