Orioles Win Fourth Straight; Key 5-0

BALTIMORE — Jimmy Key improved to 5-0 for the first time, giving up four hits in eight innings as the Baltimore Orioles stretched their winning streak to four by defeating the Oakland Athletics, 7-1, on Friday night.

Mike Bordick hit two doubles and drove in three runs, and Eric Davis and Roberto Alomar homered to help Baltimore to its sixth victory in seven games. The Orioles’ 18-7 record is the best in the AL.

Key struck out five, walked one and retired 15 consecutive batters at one point in lowering his earned-run average to 2.21 over six starts. The left-hander’s previous best start was 4-0 in 1991. Now in his 14th season, Key is the first Oriole to go 5-0 since Ben McDonald won his first seven decisions in 1994.

Davis put the Orioles ahead, 2-1, in the third inning by driving a 3-2 pitch from Steve Karsay (0-3) into the center-field bleachers. Alomar hit his fourth homer of the season to make it 3-1 in the fifth.

A two-run double by Bordick put Baltimore up, 5-1, in the sixth. Karsay, bidding for his first victory since April 1994, gave up five runs and nine hits in six innings.

B.J. Surhoff hit a two-run, two-out single off Mark Acre in the seventh.

A two-out, run-scoring double by Bordick tied the score in the second. In the last five games, Bordick has five runs batted in after failing to get one in his first 21.

Baltimore’s Rafael Palmeiro extended his hitting streak to 13 games, and every Oriole starter had at least one a hit.