Granny Helps O's Run to 6th Straight

Shortly before the Baltimore Orioles faced the Toronto Blue Jays, Ray Miller looked up at the scoreboard at Camden Yards.

"I

Perhaps because he finally had a reason.

Chris Hoiles hit a grand slam to cap a six-run first inning Tuesday night to lift the Orioles to their sixth straight victory, 11-5 over the reeling Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles moved within 10½ games of Boston in the wild-card chase -- a formidable deficit, but a whole lot better than the 15½--game margin at the All-Star break.

"It's the right time to start playing well," Miller said.

Rafael Palmeiro, B.J. Surhoff and Joe Carter hit solo homers for the Orioles, who completed their most successful homestand in five years. Baltimore took four from Boston and a pair from Toronto to match a 6-0 homestand in June 1993.

"We've been doing what this should have been doing all year," Hoiles said. "We still have a long way to go, but we believe we have a chance."

The Orioles now play two games in Texas and three in Anaheim. Those teams are fighting for the AL West lead, with the loser hoping to settle for the lone wild-card spot.

"Maybe can make up some ground on them, too," said Surhoff, who went 4-for-4 and is 10-for-13 over his last three games. Surhof has hits in each of his last seven at-bats, and the four hits Tuesday night matched his career high.

"He had a great day, a great series and a great week," Miller said.

Mike Mussina (7-5) pitched a seven-hitter, striking out six and walking one, in his third complete game of the season. He's winless in his three previous starts.

Hoiles' sixth career grand slam came off Woody Williams (8-4) after Eric Davis hit a two-out RBI single and Carter drew a bases-loaded walk.

The Blue Jays closed to 7-4 but lost for the fifth time in six games since the All-Star break.

"We're not playing good right now. We're absolutely not playing good," Toronto manager Tim Johnson said. "You get in a funk where you just try to stay positive and work your way out of it. Every team has them and it seems like we're in one of those funk areas right now."

The were there in the first half, but things are certainly different now.

Williams (8-4) allowed eight runs and 10 hits over five innings in losing for only the second time since May 8. His only other loss in that span was June 20 in Baltimore, when he yielded nine runs and 11 hits in seven innings.

Williams threw 52 of his 119 pitches in the first inning, walking two and allowing four hits, including Hoiles' fifth homer of the season. He claimed to be undone by home plate umpire Al Clark.

"I threw some good pitches in the first inning but I had no help," Williams said. "I think I had Davis struck out. If he strikes out, they get no runs in the first inning. I know for a fact that Carter struck out."

Toronto got an RBI double from Darrin Fletcher in the second, but the Orioles made it 7-1 their half on a run-scoring double by Brady Anderson.

Toronto got RBI from Alex Gonzalez, Shawn Green and Mike Stanley in the fifth. Baltimore went up 8-4 in the bottom half when Surhoff singled and scored on a Carter groundout.

Palmeiro hit his 27th homer, Surhoff his 14th and Carter his 11th in the seventh inning off Robert Person. All of Carter's homers have been solo shots.

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