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CINCINNATI -- The Baltimore Orioles won six of nine games on the road trip. But it was the final two victories which provided reasons for optimism. Solid starting pitching, lock-down bullpen work, and timely hitting helped the O's take two of three from red-hot Cincinnati.
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"It's the way we expect to play," said shortstop J.J. Hardy. "It's not surprising from our vantage point."
Hardy's single in the 10th inning drove home Mark Trumbo with the go-ahead run, lifting the Orioles to a 2-1 victory over the Reds in the finale of a three-game interleague series at Great American Ball Park.
Trumbo walked with one out then advanced to second on a groundout. Hardy then muscled a 1-2 pitch from right-hander Blake Wood (0-2) into left field for the winning run.
"Not strike out," said Hardy of his two-strike approach. "I just wanted to see the ball, put it in play and make something happen. Fortunately, that ball fell."
Darren O'Day (1-1) pitched one inning with two strikeouts to earn the victory. Brad Brach retired the Reds in order in the 10th for his second straight save.
Jonathan Schoop homered for Baltimore (10-4). Joey Votto went deep for the Reds (9-7).
"It was a long trip in a lot of ways," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We won more than we lost. It will be nice to get home and see some familiar faces."
Orioles starter Wade Miley allowed only one hit through seven innings as Votto's solo home run in the fourth tied the score 1-1.
After retiring nine straight into the eighth, Zack Cozart doubled with one out. Miley struck out the next two batters to strand the go-ahead run at second.
Miley tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, reaching that total for the third time in his career. Opponents are hitting .127 against him through three starts this season.
"I had pretty good fastball command," Miley said. "We were moving it around, down and away then up and in."
Both starting pitchers rolled through the first six innings, allowing a combined two runs and five hits.
Baltimore, which struck out 16 times Wednesday night but won 2-0, was limited to a run and four hits by right-hander Scott Feldman on Thursday. Feldman struck out four and did not walk a batter through seven innings over 86 pitches.
Reds right-hander Raisel Iglesias struck out five over two innings of relief.
"The thing that shouldn't be overlooked is that we're getting good pitching and we're going to need that compete in our division," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "You hate to waste it, but I said in the first inning that Miley was on tonight and it's going to be a low-scoring game. We just weren't able to put any runs on the board."
Feldman retired the first five batters he faced before Schoop crushed his first pitch into the left field seats to put the Orioles ahead 1-0. It was his third homer this season.
"It was a curveball that caught a little too much of the plate," Feldman said. "I had in my notes that he's an aggressive hitter and to not throw him any curveballs for strikes, but that one caught a little too much of the plate."
Miley, meanwhile, rolled through the first three innings, retiring nine straight on only 36 pitches.
"He was making the ball (move) both ways," Showalter said. "There wasn't one pitch they could take away."
Miley set down the first 11 he faced before he made his lone mistake when Votto launched a 2-0 pitch into the visitor's bullpen in right center to tie the score 1-1.
Votto's fifth home run of the season was estimated at 423 feet.
Baltimore had runners thrown out at third base in consecutive innings.
Machado was thrown out by right fielder Scott Schebler in the fourth inning trying to reach third on Trumbo's single. Then, in the fifth, Hardy doubled over Billy Hamilton's head in center but was retired on a relay from shortstop Cozart trying for a triple.
Hardy atoned for his base-running blunder in the 10th.
"He just stuck his nose out there," Showalter said of Hardy's game-winner. "He never takes one phase (of the game) to another. He just stuck one out over the infield."
NOTES: Orioles manager Buck Showalter announced that LHP Jayson Aquino will make his major league debut Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. ... Reds C Devin Mesoraco will remain with Double-A Pensacola through the weekend. Manager Bryan Price said Mesoraco could be activated April 28 following an off-day. ... Orioles LF Seth Smith missed his second straight game with a strained right hamstring. ... Reds LHP Tony Cingrani was placed on the 10-day disabled list with oblique soreness.
