At 7-0, He’s the Key to Oriole Pitching

OAKLAND — Jimmy Key gave up six hits in 7 2/3 innings to become the first seven-game winner in the major leagues as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Oakland Athletics, 5-1, Monday night.

Key (7-0) retired the first 10 batters before giving up consecutive doubles by Rafael Bournigal and Jose Canseco in the fourth inning. He gave up one other double and three singles.

Key, who improved his AL-best earned-run average to 1.82, did not walk or strike out a batter.

Tony Tarasco hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who at 24-11 have the AL’s best record. B.J. Surhoff had an RBI double and Cal Ripken Jr. added a sacrifice fly.

Key became the third Oriole starter to open a season 7-0. Dave McNally won his first 15 decisions in 1969 and Ben McDonald started the 1994 season with seven wins.

Bournigal got the A’s first hit with one out in the fourth inning, lining his double over the head of leaping third baseman Ripken. Canseco followed with an RBI double off the left-center wall.

Steve Karsay (0-4) gave up five runs on six hits in six innings for the A’s, who have lost a season-high six consecutive games.

Oakland’s Mark McGwire snapped an 0-for-22 slump with a seventh-inning single, his first hit since a May 5 homer at Milwaukee

The Orioles got four runs in the fourth inning on doubles by Rafael Palmeiro and Surhoff and Tarasco’s first homer of the season. Ripken added his sacrifice fly in the fifth.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NEXT SERIES FOR ANGELS

WHO: Baltimore Orioles

WHERE: Anaheim Stadium

WHEN: Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., Thursday: 7 p.m.