Slumping Orioles Snap Back Big

The Baltimore Orioles finally put together the kind of performance they had been expecting all year.

Albert Belle and Charles Johnson each hit two home runs and combined for nine runs batted in Sunday as the Orioles ended a six-game losing streak with a 16-5 win over the Texas Rangers.

Despite an $84 million payroll, the Orioles entered the game with the third-worst record in baseball and were on the brink of being swept in a four-game series by the Rangers for the first time in 27 years.

“It’s a good day to win headed into our first-off day in three weeks,” Manager Ray Miller said. “Maybe the manager can get some sleep now.”

All nine starters had two or more hits for the Orioles, including a career-high four for Mike Bordick. Belle, B.J. Surhoff, Harold Baines and Jeff Conine each had three of Baltimore’s 24 hits as the Orioles had their most hits since a club-record 26 on Aug. 28, 1980 against the Angels.

Miller’s position as manager had become precarious after his team won just 12 of the first 33 games and was outscored 30-13 in the first three games of the Rangers series.

But Sunday, Baltimore put up its highest run total since scoring 16 on Aug. 7, 1997 against Minnesota. Surhoff, Belle and Baines each scored three runs.

“It’s kind of good to have a game like this where we jump out early and keep plugging along,” Johnson said. “We had a tough week where the other team was swinging the bats against us. It’s nice to be on the other side of it.”

Belle had a three-run homer off Aaron Sele (3-4) in the first inning and hit a two-run shot off Mike Munoz in the eighth for his ninth of the season. It was his second two-homer game of the season and 33rd of his career.