(Sports Network) - The Baltimore Orioles took a step in the right direction with last night's win over the LA Angels of Anaheim in Buck Showalter's managerial debut, but as the old adage goes 'Rome wasn't built in a day'.
In a move to rebuild the foundation of a struggling franchise, the Orioles tabbed Showalter as manager and introduced the new skipper on Monday. Showalter then watched his new ballclub open a seven-game homestand with yesterday's 6-3 win over the Angels at Camden Yards, and will roam the dugout once again this evening in the second test of this three-game series.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Orioles got a two-run homer from Luke Scott and a two-RBI double out of Josh Bell to take the lead for good. Matt Wieters went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored for Baltimore, which won for the second time in 10 games.
"Those runs right there, they help everyone just relax," Scott said of Bell's two RBI on the team's site. "It's kind of like a momentum builder, guys get up there and the next thing you know guys are getting confident. Guys are playing more relaxed. They start believing, 'Hey, we can do this.' And things start rolling in our favor."
O's starter Jeremy Guthrie lasted seven innings on the hill, allowing three runs on five hits to pick up the win. The right-hander came into the game with a 1-7 mark in his previous 11 starts.
Baltimore, which will also host the White Sox for four games, is slated to send Brian Matusz to the hill tonight. Since opening the 2010 campaign 2-0 over the first three starts, Matusz is 1-11 with a 5.68 earned run average in his last 18 starts with the Orioles going 4-14 during that stretch.
The left-hander did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 win at Kansas City the previous time on the hill last Thursday, as the Royals ripped Matusz for five runs on two hits and four walks through 3 1/3 innings. Matusz, who is 3-11 overall this season, is still searching for his first home win and owns an 0-7 mark in 10 outings at Camden Yards this season.
Matusz faced the Angels once in his career on August 15 last season in a 5-1 home loss and was saddled with the defeat after allowing five runs -- four earned -- and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He had seven strikeouts in the loss.
LA is still tied with Oakland at eight games behind Texas for the American League West lead and suffered its ninth loss in 12 tries last night.
Howie Kendrick belted a two-run homer and Mike Napoli knocked in a run for the Angels, who got a decent performance from starting pitcher Trevor Bell. Bell did not record a decision and held the Orioles to a pair of runs and four hits with five K's in 5 1/3 frames.
"You couldn't have asked for anything more than Trevor showed," Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Francisco Rodriguez was dealt the loss for surrendering three runs in the decisive sixth inning. Anaheim is scheduled to visit Detroit for three games after this series and will hand the ball to starter Ervin Santana Wednesday. Santana has won two straight starts and four of his past six decisions, including last Friday's 9-7 victory over Texas.
Santana wasn't his best against the rival Rangers, but managed to secure the win despite allowing seven runs -- four earned -- and 10 hits in six innings of work. The victory pushed his mark to 10-7 in 21 starts to go along with a 3.65 ERA. The right-hander looks to push his career record against Baltimore over the .500 mark, as he is 3-3 in nine career starts in this series.
The Angels and Orioles are meeting for the first time since Anaheim won eight of 10 meetings a season ago, including five of the six contests at Camden Yards. Anaheim had won three in a row as the visitor in this series before Tuesday's three-run loss.