BALTIMORE (AP) -- The heck with singles, bunts and stolen bases. Led by Charles Johnson, the Baltimore Orioles are using the long ball to pound the opposition into submission.

Johnson homered for the fourth time in three games Friday night as the Orioles beat Detroit 14-10 in a slugfest that featured nine home runs.

Johnson's three-run homer highlighted a six-run fifth inning that put the Orioles ahead 11-7. The teams combined for five home runs in the inning, tying a major league record.

After losing to Cleveland on Opening Day, Baltimore has won three straight by a combined 31-19 score. Each of Johnson's homers has given the Orioles the lead, and 21 of those 31 runs have come by virtue of a home run.

For the second time in two games, Mike Bordick has followed a homer by Johnson with one of his own.

"He's doing great. That stuff is contagious," Bordick said. "Every time he's hit a home run it's been a big part of the game. Guys get excited about it. Me hitting right behind him, it's pumping me up too."

Johnson and Albert Belle both drove in four runs. Johnson has 12 RBI in four games this season compared to one all last April.

"It's been a great start for me," Johnson said. "The biggest thing is that we've been able to come out and win these games"

Cal Ripken and Belle also homered for the Orioles. Ripken's first homer of the season left him six hits short of 3,000.

Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said Ripken would get the day off Saturday, thereby putting a temporary halt to his quest to become the 24th major leaguer to get 3,000 hits.

"I could do it, but I think I could benefit from the rest," Ripken said.

Juan Encarnacion, Brad Ausmus, Dean Palmer, Tony Clark and Wendell Magee homered for the Tigers, who have dropped three in a row after winning on Opening Day.

"We couldn't keep them in the ballpark. Wow," Detroit manager Phil Garner said. "They came up with a bunch of big hits with men in scoring position. They picked up more of theirs than we did of ours."

Detroit stranded 12 and Baltimore five. The victory put the Orioles two games over .500 for the first time since September 1998.

"I know it's early, but these games count," Johnson said.

The Orioles blew a 5-1 lead but went ahead for good in the fifth. B.J. Surhoff hit an RBI single off Dave Mlicki (0-1) and scored on a double by Belle. With two outs, Johnson launched a 424-foot drive to center that put Baltimore up 10-7. Bordick followed with his second homer of the season.

Delino DeShields drove in a run with his third hit during Baltimore's three-run seventh. Magee hit a three-run drive in the ninth.

The Tigers took a 7-5 lead by hitting three home runs in a four-run fifth. After Ausmus connected on an 0-2 pitch, Bobby Higginson walked and Palmer homered to chase starter Calvin Maduro, making his first appearance in the majors since 1997.

Clark then greeted Todd Worrell (1-0) with a homer to left, but the lead quickly disappeared in the Orioles' half.

Ripken's homer staked Baltimore to a 2-0 lead in the second. After Luis Polonia hit a sacrifice fly in the third for Detroit, the Orioles went up 5-1 in their half when Belle homered with two on.

Encarnacion answered with a two-run shot in the fourth.

Game notes
Detroit played a third straight game without Juan Gonzalez (strained hamstring). ... Baltimore's Will Clark went 1-for-2 with three walks and is 7-for-11 with six walks. ... Detroit reliever Mark Johnson allowed six runs (four earned) over 2 2/3 innings in his major league debut. ... It was the Tigers' first multihomer game of the year. They had one in their first three games.