masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles strung together three consecutive singles in the top of the first inning, but they didn’t score.

That’s always a neat trick.

Nick Markakis reached on an infield hit with one out. Adam Jones lined a single into left field and Vladimir Guerrero followed with a single to right, but Torii Hunter threw out Markakis at the plate.

The Orioles also had three straight singles in the second inning, but they broke a scoreless tie.

Mark Reynolds led off the inning with a single into left…The Orioles strung together three consecutive singles in the top of the first inning, but they didn’t score.

That’s always a neat trick.

Nick Markakis reached on an infield hit with one out. Adam Jones lined a single into left field and Vladimir Guerrero followed with a single to right, but Torii Hunter threw out Markakis at the plate.

The Orioles also had three straight singles in the second inning, but they broke a scoreless tie.

Mark Reynolds led off the inning with a single into left field, Robert Andino grounded a single into center and Nolan Reimold looped an RBI single into right-center.

J.J. Hardy doubled with one out to score Andino and put runners on second and third, and Reimold came home on Markakis’ grounder to second.

Orioles 3, Angels 0.

The Orioles already have sent 12 batters to the plate and collected seven hits in two innings against Angels starter Joel Pineiro.

Andino’s average is up to .272. He’s got hits in six straight games and 19 of 25.

I guess it isn’t such a reach to bat him seventh.

Down on the farm, Steven Bumbry had three doubles and an RBI for Single-A Frederck. Jonathan Schoop had a double, home run, four RBIs and two errors. Mike Flacco also homered.

Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Rick VandenHurk allowed one run – a Matt Carson homer – and two hits in six innings against Durham, with one walk and five strikeouts.

Update: So much for that lead.

The Angels scored one run off Tommy Hunter in the second inning and four runs in the third to move ahead, 5-3.

Bobby Abreu’s two-run double tied the game – Nolan Reimold didn’t take an ideal route to the ball, but I don’t know whether he could have made the catch – and Mark Trumbo blooped an RBI double to right after a lengthy delay caused by manager Mike Scioscia, who argued a foul ball ruling by the third base umpire.

I’m not sure what Hunter did during the delay, but he had time to hail a cab and cruise Anaheim.

Trumbo came home on Howie Kendrick’s ground-rule double to complete the scoring.

Update II: Jones hit his 22nd home run in the top of the fifth inning to reduce the Angels’ lead to 5-4.

Left fielder Mike Trout appeared to make a leaping catch to rob Jones, but the ball glanced off his glove.