AMARISTA HITS HR, 2 DOUBLES IN PADRES WIN ‘LITTLE NINJA’ LEADS PADRES PAST ORIOLES

BALTIMORE — It was reserve catcher John Baker who first dubbed Alexi Amarista “Little Ninja” shortly after the versatile and strong — if diminutive — dynamo arrived on the Padres scene a year ago this week.

“Lexi sneaks up on you,” Baker explained Wednesday. “He’s small in stature like a ninja. You don’t see ninjas coming and wham! Teams don’t see Amarista coming. He sneaks up on them.”

Amarista certainly sneaked up on the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday at Camden Yards.

And wham!

The 5-foot-5 (optimistically), 150-pound Amarista hit a two-run homer and two doubles to lead the Padres to an 8-4 victory over the Orioles that gave the visitors a two-game sweep of the series and a 2-3 record in a five-game, interleague trip to cities contending for the American League East title.

The Padres return to Petco Park today to open a seven-game homestand against the Washington Nationals and former San Diego State All-American pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

In addition to going 3-for-5 with three runs scored plus the two RBIs, Amarista made a running catch in right-center in the seventh to help keep the Orioles at bay just as it seemed they might mount a rally.

Amarista wasn’t alone as the Padres struck early against spring training teammate Freddy Garcia and finished with their second, 17-hit assault of the season.

Shortstop Everth Cabrera, whose game-winning hit Tuesday night snapped a 1-for-22 drought, followed with his second career-best-equaling four-hit game of the season.

Like Amarista, rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko had three hits and every member of the Padres’ lineup had at least one hit. The bottom four hitters in the order — Gyorko, Kyle Blanks, Amarista and Baker — were a collective 8-for-19 with two doubles, two homers (Blanks hit the other), five RBIs and seven runs scored.

Of the four, only Gyorko is a regular, although only three Padres have appeared in more games than the 23-year-old Amarista, who was making his 17th overall start and his sixth in center field.

“It was a big day for the guys who don’t get a chance to play all the time,” said Baker, who put the first runs of the game on the board in the top of the second with a two-out, two-run single off Garcia. The RBIs were Baker’s first of the season.

Going into the at-bat, Baker had been hitless in 19 straight at-bats dating back to April 7.

“You have no idea how big that hit was for me,” Baker said. “My last six games have been particularly tough. No hits with runners in scoring position. And it’s tough going through this when you think about what could happen in a couple weeks.”

Truth is, when Yasmani Grandal returns from his 50-game suspension, Baker could be the third catcher out. Nick Hundley isn’t going anywhere.

Baker said getting to know Garcia during the spring as the 36-year-old veteran tried unsuccessfully to crack the Padres’ rotation came into play Wednesday.