masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgChris Davis turned 50 tonight.

Not his age. Heaven forbid. But Davis hit his 50th home run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

Davis crushed a changeup from Blue Jays’ right-hander Steve Delabar leading off the inning, sending the ball to the opposite field, as he tends to do. Delabar had replaced Sergio Santos.

Davis has tied Brady Anderson’s single-season club record for home runs set in 1996. Anderson also reached the milestone in Toronto, connecting off Pat…Chris Davis turned 50 tonight.

Not his age. Heaven forbid. But Davis hit his 50th home run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

Davis crushed a changeup from Blue Jays’ right-hander Steve Delabar leading off the inning, sending the ball to the opposite field, as he tends to do. Delabar had replaced Sergio Santos.

Davis has tied Brady Anderson’s single-season club record for home runs set in 1996. Anderson also reached the milestone in Toronto, connecting off Pat Hentgen, who later pitched for the Orioles, on the last day of the 1996 season.

Davis also is the third player in major league history to hit 50 homers and 40 doubles in a season, joining
Babe Ruth (59 homers/44 doubles in 152 games in 1921) and Albert Belle (52 homers/50 doubles for Cleveland in 143 games in 1995).

“I’ve expected great things from Chris and he certainly hasn’t disappointed,” Anderson wrote in a text message. “Chris and I are close friends and I’m truly happy he’s now in the 50-homer club, and that he did it with a clutch home run. Pretty cool he did it in Toronto, as well.”

Danny Valencia stayed hot, delivering an RBI single with two outs in the eighth to increase the lead to 5-3. Adam Jones crossed the plate after reaching on a single.

And yes, it’s another hit for Valencia against a right-handed pitcher. He’s going to ruin those splits.

Update: Jim Johnson recorded his 44th save, and the Orioles ended their three-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

Adam Lind singled leading off the bottom of the ninth, but Brett Lawrie lined to Johnson, who threw to first for the double play.

Colby Rasmus took a called third strike to end the game and the Orioles’ three-game losing streak.