BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles ended their run of 15 straight losses in Sunday games, defeating Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 behind a sharp pitching performance by Garrett Olson.
Olson (7-5) allowed two runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, breaking a run of eight games in which an Orioles starter failed to get through the sixth. Olson gave up 23 runs in his previous four starts, a stretch that raised his ERA from 4.76 to 6.11.
The rookie's first win since June 28 came against a Los Angeles team that had scored 31 runs in its previous three games, and it helped the Orioles ended a five-game losing streak.
Just as important, it provided Baltimore with its first win on Sunday since April 6 against Seattle. Since that game, the Orioles were outscored by a combined 83-43 in compiling the longest skid on one day of the week since Arizona dropped 15 successive Saturday games in 2004.
Backup catcher Guillermo Quiroz went 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBI for the Orioles, who avoided their first home sweep of the season.
George Sherrill worked the ninth for his 30th save, matching the total of the entire Baltimore staff in 2007.
Santana (11-5) gave up five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings, his shortest outing of the season. The All-Star's five strikeouts were his fewest in nine starts since June 2. Full story
Mariners 5, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO -- Jose Vidro hit a two-run homer, Jarrod Washburn pitched eight strong innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays, snapping a season-long seven-game losing streak.
Seattle won for the first time since beating Cleveland 8-2 on July 18. The Mariners are 2-7 since the All-Star break.
Toronto's season-high five-game winning streak also ended.
The subject of trade rumors, Washburn shook off the speculation to win for the first time in four starts. He gave up one run and four hits, walked two and struck out two.
Royals 6, Rays 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Billy Butler homered and drove in four runs, Kyle Davies picked up his first victory in more than a month and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays to salvage a split of their four-game series.
Butler hit an RBI double in the fourth and a three-run drive off the left-field foul pole in the seventh.
Davies (4-2) gave up one run and six hits in five-plus innings, getting his first win since June 17 at St. Louis.
Carl Crawford singled in B.J. Upton in the sixth, and Ron Mahay replaced Davies with no outs and runners on second and third. The left-hander struck out Carlos Pena, retired Willy Aybar on an infield popup and got pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes to fly out to left to end the inning.
