A Pitch Short of the Perfect Weekend

There are a lot of ways of looking at the Orioles series with the Yankees. On the plus side, any time you can take two of three at Yankee Stadium, you don’t ask questions. You just take it and hope you can do it again. Going back to my formula for success (break even against the Yankees, Red Sox, and NL), this is the right progress. The Orioles dominated Yankee starters and exposed what is bound to be the biggest weakness in the Bronx throughout the year. Meanwhile, all three Oriole started asserted themselves with strong efforts and each day was better than the one before. They led every game by a significant amount at one point or another and certainly established that they weren’t going to be pushovers.

Then again, there was the five minutes that could destroy a team. Two outs and none on in the 9th, holding a one run lead and Chris Ray self-destructs. Orioles closers have a knack for finding teams that are like kryptonite. Who can forget Jorge Julio and the Devil Rays or BJ Ryan and the Twins. Well, Chris Ray picked the worst team to struggle against. His numbers are horrible against the Yankees and the sequence in which Saturday’s game went down was stunning. Single, walk, HBP. Then, with A-Rod in the hole at 1-2, a fastball in his wheelhouse to send the crowd into a frenzy. For just a moment, let’s imagine what strike three would’ve done. Boos from the crowd. Tears from a the game’s highest-paid player, followed by repeated denials that he wasn’t happy in New York. Some clever headline in the New York Post like “A-Flop”. Boy, that would’ve been great. If Sunday’s game plays out, you have the Yankees at 1-4 with A-Rod a goat, and George Steinbrenner voicing his opinions (we just don’t hear from him enough any more).

So, a successful series is slighly overshadowed by what could’ve been. In addition, the bullpen is going to have to earn its stripes before we can start patting Flanagan and Duquette on the back for their off-season strategy. As much as Ray blew the save, Baez really blew the hold and did so on two walks and a Giambi HR. Perlozzo shouldn’t have to use Walker in that situations–that’s why you get a Baez! Of course, how about the gut check by the Orioles on Sunday? Coming off the excruciating defeat on Saturday and falling behind 3-0 in the first despite their ace in the mound, there are Oriole teams in the past that pretty much would’ve folded up the tent and gone home. That’s the value I think Kevin Millar brings to this team (and I wasn’t heartbroken when we had to settle for bringing him back). He keeps the guys lose, reminds them that it’s one game, and then hits a clutch 2-run HR followed by a key double to help the Orioles overcome the 3-0 defecit while Bedard regained his groove and proceeded to treat the Yankees the way they should be treated (retiring 20 of 22 with two singles as the only blemishes). The Orioles have trailed in every game and led in all but one. The ability to bounce back is important–they can never feel like they are out of a game. That’s the mark of a contender and that’s something they’ll need to continue going forward.

Next up, the Orioles finally return home to Camden Yards. It’s hard to believe that the stadium opened 15 years ago. Let’s see if Cabrera can match his solid outing from last week. Game three should be especially interesting as two young guys go at it in Verlander and Loewen.