BALTIMORE -- One team ran into runs and one team ran out of them on Sunday, when the Orioles passed up a home run and a chance at an early lead in a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Baltimore catcher Javy Lopez epitomized his team's day by over-running a teammate on the basepaths, a blunder that turned a homer into a run-scoring single.

By contrast, the Angels scored on a double steal and on a bunt play, scoring with their wits and their legs. The score widened as the day wore on, but Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said the early action changed the complexion of the game.

"The whole thing changes. You do different things, possibly. Your ballclub stays a little bit more up," he said. "It has an effect on you. Anytime you take a run away and add one to your [opponent], it's going to be different in a low-scoring game."

The game's most notable play came in the second inning, and the Orioles were already trailing by one run. Lopez came up with one out and Miguel Tejada on first, and he drilled the ball toward the farthest reaches of left-center field. Darin Erstad tracked the ball back to the wall and jumped at the last second. When he came down, it was unclear whether he'd made the catch. It turns out he hadn't, and the ball had left the park.

With no immediate call from any of the umpires, Tejada drifted back to first base just in case he needed to tag up. Lopez passed him in the process and was subsequently ruled out, an interpretation that cost the Orioles (7-6) a run.

"We thought the guy caught it. We were waiting for the call from the umpire," said Lopez, explaining his perspective. "We didn't see any call, and we were assuming that the guy had the ball in his glove. Tejada went back and I was staying out there, ready to go back to the dugout. It's an out.

"All of a sudden, they call it a home run and Tejada starts running the bases. And he told me I'm out, because obviously, I passed Tejada. I don't know what to say about that. I'm assuming the umpire should've made that call earlier, when we were staring at each other, wondering if he got the ball or not."

"When I went out there, they told me that the third-base umpire had called it," Perlozzo said. "But at the same time, there was really no reason to be running back to first, because the guy was laying on the ground, not moving. Javy doesn't need to pass him up. That was just a botched play."

It was a botched play, but it was still early. The Orioles had plenty of chances to get back in the game, but John Lackey stifled them at every turn. Lackey (2-1) worked eight innings and never faced more than four batters in any of them, keeping the game moving at a consistent pace.

Vladimir Guerrero paced the road team with two solo home runs -- one in the first inning and one in the seventh. He also drilled a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.

"He's a tough hitter. I faced him a lot when he was with Montreal, and I faced these guys the past two years," said Baltimore starter Kris Benson. "I know what he's capable of doing if you don't make your pitches. You make your pitch, he breaks his bat and gets a base hit. You don't make your pitch, he hits it out of the ballpark. That's definitely the type of hitter he is."

The Angels (6-6) moved ahead for good in the third inning, when Maicer Izturis and Chone Figgins combined on a double steal. Figgins left from first base and got caught in a rundown, with shortstop Tejada and first baseman Jeff Conine chasing him back and forth. Izturis took advantage of the moment and broke for home, making it ahead of a late throw from Conine.

"With a guy like Izturis, you need to be ready," Lopez said. "You need to throw the ball earlier than normal, just because of his speed. Unfortunately, on a normal guy, it would've been a perfect throw. We could've had him out at home plate. With a guy like Izturis, he runs pretty fast and he was able to score."

"We were fortunate on that play," said Mike Scioscia, the Angels' manager. "They caught us in a pitchout. It was a straight-out steal of second, but those guys improvised and we were able to get it done."

The Angels widened the gap in the later innings, piling on Guerrero's back. Izturis and Adam Kennedy both doubled and scored in the fifth. Los Angeles added another hustle run on a bunt play in the eighth, and later in the same inning, Figgins hit a three-run homer to cap the scoring.

Benson (1-2) wound up taking the loss, allowing nine hits and four earned runs in five innings. The right-hander allowed eight Angels to reach scoring position, with seven of those coming in his last three innings. Situational southpaw Tim Byrdak only got two outs in relief, but he was charged with two hits and four runs.

"Overall, I was over the plate too much. The ball was up pretty much all day long," Benson said. "It was a weird game. Everything was kind of going their way. It was a little strange, but we had things going our way the first two days. Unfortunately, it didn't work out today."