Orioles use 4-run sixth inning to break open a tight game, beat the Diamondbacks 8-5

Manager Brandon Hyde admits he was irritated for a few moments. Then his offense took the field — a perfect antidote.

Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg both had crucial doubles in a four-run sixth inning, breaking open a tight game and leading the Orioles to an 8-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

“They’re good players, we have a good team,” Hyde said of the team’s response. “A lot of guys who just pass the baton on to the next guy. Good at-bats. Good baserunning. Putting pressure on their defense. We’ve been doing that all year.

“We responded extremely well.”

The Orioles took two of three in the series, winning the final two.

Arizona has lost five of its past six. The D-backs are currently in a three-way tie with the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins for the final playoff spot in the National League wild-card race. All three teams have a 70-67 record.

“We’ve got to tune some things up, go out, and win baseball games,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “That’s the bottom line. We’ve gotta win baseball games.”

Baltimore has the best record in the American League with an 85-51 mark. The Orioles are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

The Orioles broke a 4-all tie with four runs in the sixth. Ryan O’Hearn got the offense started with a leadoff double to deep center and was driven home by Cedric Mullins’ single. Westburg, who was pinch hitting, added an RBI double down the left-field line and Rutschman’s double scored two more to make it 8-4.

“I think we have a bunch of good players, one through nine,” Orioles third baseman Ramón Urías said. “They compete every at-bat.”

Baltimore’s offensive outburst chased Arizona ace Zac Gallen (14-7), who is one of the leaders in the NL Cy Young race. Gallen was roughed up for a second straight start, giving up five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.

The right-hander struck out four and walked one.

The Diamondbacks trailed 4-1 after two innings but rallied with a run in the third and two more in the fifth to tie the game. Rookie Corbin Carroll — whose solo homer cut the margin to 4-2 — scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch by Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty gave up four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

O’Hearn got the scoring started for Orioles with a two-run, two-out single in the first for a 2-0 lead. The D-backs cut that advantage in half in the bottom of the first when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a solo homer — which was his 22nd long ball of the season and second of the series.

Mullins had three hits for the Orioles while Gunnar Henderson, Urias, Adam Frazier and O’Hearn all had two. Danny Coulombe (5-1) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Arizona’s Christian Walker hit his 30th homer in the ninth, a solo shot to left center that cut the Orioles’ margin to 8-5.

A DOUBLE PLAY THAT WASN’T

Hyde’s fifth-inning frustration came after the Orioles looked like they were going to turn a double play in the fifth, but instead didn’t even get one out.

Henderson fielded a groundball and then just missed his tag on Geraldo Perdomo, who dove to avoid Henderson’s glove, and advanced to second. Henderson then tried to throw to first, but the speedy Carroll beat the throw.

Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde challenged both safe calls, but replay confirmed the decisions. He also thought Perdomo was out of the baseline when Henderson was tagged, but that call wasn’t reviewable.

The play was a big reason the D-backs rallied for two fifth-inning runs, tying the game at 4-all.

Orioles 1B Ryan Mountcastle batted cleanup after missing two straight games due to an illness.

Diamondbacks Walker was not in Sunday’s starting lineup after getting hit in the right elbow with a pitch during Saturday’s game. … OF Tommy Pham was scratched from Sunday’s lineup because of a bruised finger. He’s day to day.

Orioles: Travel to face the Angels for a three-game series starting Monday. The Orioles will start RHP Grayson Rodriguez (4-3, 5.03 ERA). The Angels will start LHP Kenny Rosenberg (0-0, 6.43).

Diamondbacks: Host the Rockies for a three-game series starting Monday. The D-backs will start RHP Merrill Kelly (10-6, 3.31).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB