What A Way To Close Out The Season's First Third

Wow, I don't think series get much better than this one. After taking two of three from the A's (a team that historically tortures them), the Orioles had every reason to be optimistic as they arrived in Kansas City. They had a revitalized offense, starting pitching that was continuing to get stronger, and a manager that finally figured out that the best time to pitch Danys Baez was with a huge lead or a huge deficit. And unlike many seasons of the past (or even many times this season), the Orioles didn't fail to live up to expectations. They walked all over the Royals, at least until Gil Meche came up in the rotation. But to give you an idea of the Oriole dominance over the Royals, Meche has given up only 1 run in 14 innings this season in two starts--and the Orioles won both games! The O's hardly needed the bullpen only needed to throw three innings and did so perfectly (nine up, nine down). While Miggy's power cooled down, he still came through as did several other people throughout the lineup (including Ramon Hernandez with a grand slam).


So, we're at the one-third mark (actually, we will be after one more game). Given the Orioles are about at 500 despite occasional managerial insanity, a shortstop slugger who forgot how to slug, three starters on the DL, and a high-priced setup man who makes us long for Jorge Julio, it's hard to complain. In fact, I'll go as far as to say I am downright optimistic (though maybe part of that is the current winning streak). The pitching keeps getting better and better (save for Baez), the offense is due for a better second half (Gibby & Huff, time to shine), and this team is proving it can battle through adversity. Markakis is the only player in pace to hit more than 20 HRs or drive in more than 90 and there are only two players hitting better than his .260. This offense WILL pick up. Meanwhile, I think Bedard is hitting his stride, Guthrie could turn out to be a real steal (they've been predicting this for years), and D-Cab still has time to step it up. I don't know about Trachsel or Burres, but with Olson in the minors and Penn & Loewen (and Wright?) available at the end of the year, there is depth.


So, will they catch the Red Sox? Well, people don't even think the Yankees will catch the Red Sox. But I do think the wild card may be open and it's not a stretch to think the Orioles could make some noise. Of course, I have to assume that. I wouldn't waste my time with this blog if I wasn't a little optimistic. Bring on the second third of the season...

Welcome Back Tejada

When you look at the Oriole lineup top to bottom, it's hard to understand why they've been so underwhelming. After all, while they lack the huge bopper like a David Ortiz or A-Rod, there are a lot of talented players on this team. They have a five guys who've hit at least 25 HRs in a season (Mora, Tejada, Huff, Gibbons, Millar, Payton) and a bunch more who could do it and not surprise anyone (Markakis, Patterson, Hernandez, Roberts). And yet they spent the first third of the season at the bottom of the HR pile. Did the power just deflate or was it a team-wide slump? Personally, I was trying hard to believe it was a team-wide slump and that the one person who could bust the Orioles out was their unquestioned leader.

Whaddya say, Miggy?

Well, Miguel Tejada has hit 3 HRs in four games and suddenly the Oriole offense looks legit. Against two fairly talented Oakland starters, Tejada went deep and the rest of the team followed. They score 8 runs on Saturday and Sunday and won going away. For a team that had a hard time scoring more than five runs for the previous few weeks, this really was busting out. Meanwhile, the pitching continued for the Orioles. After Bedard took the Orioles offensive dud Friday night, Brian Burres made sure Saturday was a laugher by dominating the A's. Sunday, D-Cab never looked sharp, but did what he had to and his only major mistake was a 3-run shot to Nick Swisher (who took everyone deep this weekend). On Sunday, the bullpen worked nicely with Bradford, Walker, and Ray closing it out nice and easy. The Orioles ERA is down to 4.23 (5th in the AL) despite injuries to 60% of the projected starting rotation and the collapse of Dany Baez. As May comes to a close, the Oriole starters have given up more than four runs only three times this month (twice by D-Cab and he actually won of those). Deal with it Mazzone-haters--so far this season, the restuls are shining through. But it doesn't mean anything if you can score some runs and close it out. With Baez safely ensconsed in mop-up duty until he regains his stuff, I feel better about the latter. So it's all about scoring some runs. Enter Mr. Tejada.

This guy is too good to hold down. My fear of him being Placido Polanco was starting to feel real. After the opening day HR, he only had one HR in his next 45 games! In fact, until Thrusday, he had yet to hit a HR with a man on base this season. This from a guy who drove in 150 three years ago. This from a guy who was a start in the All-Star HR Derby a few years back. It seems like he hasn't been the same player since the Sammy Sosa incident. Rough second half of 2005. Trade demand that off-season. Mediocre 2006. Then this early stretch. But the recent trend gets you excited. This is a guy that carried the A's to a 20+ game winning streak in 2002 (winning an MVP in the process). He's been complaining about a lack of pitching and how the team needs to get better, but the team is getting the pitching now, Roberts and Markakis are doing damage in front of him in the order. The Orioles need is someone to step up and get the clutch hits. Not just in the 7th inning and later, but even the first inning when a 2-run HR can give the Oriole starting pitcher instant leeway and set the tone for the game. Will it continue? WHo knows. I do know the Royals are a team that the Orioles have matched up well against and they need to generate some momentum to get back to 500. The Yankees are still struggling (swept by the Angels in Yankee Stadium? Wow!) and the Orioles are, believe it or not, in second place. It's not about places at this point, but given a recent article ws titled "Orioles bad, Red Sox great" (wow, the creativity of some papers, though admittedly it was a syndicated column--by a Baltimore Sun writer, no less) and somehwere else in that paper, it was explained that the Orioles were 26th of 30 MLB teams. I guess by that measure, I am relatively optimistic. Keep up the starting pitching + non-Baez relief and let Miggy come to life and I'm willing to take my chances against most of those 25 teams ahead of the "bad" Orioles.

Groundhog Day starring Perlozzo + Baez

Sam Perlozzo is making it a little too easy to copy & paste blog entries at this point. With three of the last four entries coming right after a Danys Baez failure, it's hard to understand why we keep seeing this happen. It's like a bad version of the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day". The annoying part is that Perlozzo and Mazzone admit that Baez is leaving his stuff up in the strike zone. HELLO?!? Why put him in a tie game, if you can at all avoid it. It really isn't worth talking about any more. I know there isn't much mop up time with all these tight games, but let's just wait until there is for Danys to get another crack. Confidence is one thing. Blind faith is another.

The rest of the series saw some good things. While Daniel Cabrera didn't have a good start, Steve Trachsel and Jeremy Guthrie did. I think Guthrie has established himself as a legitimate starting pitcher to this point. Meanwhile, the Orioles showed a little life offensively for the first time in a while--though they continue to underwhelm in the clutch. Where they could only muster 2 runs in the last 2.5 games against the Jays in Toronto, this time, they racked up some hits and score at least four runs in each game--even against AJ Burnett. Alas, they are five games under. On the plus side, they're pretty much even with the Yankees, so if you feel underwhelmed in the season to date as an Oriole fan, imagine what you'd be feeling as a Yankee fan? And no one is picking apart Joe Torre's decision-making. It's all on the lack of pitching. Meanwhile, Toronto and Tampa Bay continue to struggle for consistency. Boston keeps motoring along. Will that continue? Hard to say. They really came up lame in the second half last year, partly due to injuries but also due to slow second halves from Lowell, Youklis, and others. Are the Red Sox catchable? Definitely. By the Orioles? Uhh, I didn't say that. The Orioles just need to figure out how to win the head-to-heads and they have two months to learn that lesson. That's actually good as I think there are a couple of ruts they need to work out of. I look at Huff and Markakis as historically second-half players. I have to believe Tejada won't be Placido Polanco forever. I think Patterson has to re-find himself or risk being lifted for Jay Payton full-time (I don't know if the competition will help or hurt) and I think Kevin Millar can benefit from the rest of the team stepping up. But before all else, they need breaks to go there way and they need to stop beating themselves. At that point, there's too much talent on this team to continue like this. Isn't there?

The Truth About Good Teams and Bad

The difference between good teams and bad teams goes beyond talent. There are teams with worlds of talent that simply underachieve. Then, there are teams that play over their heads and contend when it seems like they have no business doing so. The 1998 Orioles had several future hall of famers (Ripken, Alomar, pre-steroid Palmeiro, Mussina) as well as a series of All-Stars (Jimmy Key, Scott Erickson, Brady Anderson) and they finished around 30 games out of first place. Meanwhile, the 1989 Orioles had no one (Ripken in the midst of an off-year) and came one weekend away from winning the AL East. What was the difference? The 1989 Orioles won the games they should have and a bunch that they shouldn't have. The 1998 managed to lose a bunch of games they had no business losing and didn't win enough that they should have. Games like the Mother's Day Massacre are games the Orioles should have won easily and didn't. Of course, it happens to every team. But when it becomes a habit, that's when there's a problem. It was a habit for the 1998 Orioles. And the 1999 Orioles. And the 2000 Orioles. And by then, all the talent left. This year, the talent looked like it might be there for a decent team. Well, starting with the massacre, it is clear the habit returned and this Sunday was the worst offender of all.

For the second straight week, the Orioles were SOOO close to having a weekend to be proud of. After all, a pair of one-run victories on the road set them up for their fourth sweep of the year and first on the road. With Bedard against Micah Bowie, things were definitely looking up. And through seven-and-a-half, things were definitely looking along those lines. Despite the Orioles inability to get a clutch hit (again!), they got plenty of pitching from Bedard and were in the home stretch of the sweep. Hey, this game was looking like a testament to the importance of starting pitching. In the end, it was a testament to the importance of smart managerial decisions.

OK, Sam Perlozzo has taken a tremendous amount of criticism and I hate to join the bandwagon here. But the moves on Sunday were so egregious that to not address them would be to ignore an obvious issue. Let's get one thing clear: pulling Bedard was the right move. I remember getting a little nervous when he was running the bases. Who knows what that takes out of a pitcher that isn't used to it. If Bedard said he's ready to come out, you have to respect it. We all use pitch count to determine fatigue, but there's a lot more than that and, at the end of the day, it's more useful to force someone to come out (like Loewen, who never gets tired) than to force someone to stay in. Plus, you get to pinch-hit for him with a runner on third and two outs in the top of the 8th. Before we get to the pitching, I do want to bring in something there. Corey Patterson is struggling mightily. Even Perlozzo admits he needs to work his way out of it, maybe with a couple of bunt hits or something. So why pinch-hit with him in that situation. I know the lefty-righty thing, but you have Millar waiting for a turn and he's one of the better clutch hitters on the Orioles--and he's not struggling like Patterson. C'mon, Sammy, recognize the trends.

Speaking of recognizing the trends, I was actually pleased to see Bradford in the 8th. I figured this was an opportunity to let Baez work things out while the more dependable relievers hold down the fort when it comes to setup work. But after a one-out double, here comes Baez--to face the lefty! the only thing I can make of it is that Perlozzo wanted to show he has confidence in Baez. C'mon Sammy--he's struggling. Keeping him on the roster is showing faith in him. He'll work things out, but he dangerous right now. Didn't you see him pump his fists after the final out of the 8th inning of Friday's game? He's lost faith in his ability, whether he admits it or not. Bradford is a ground-ball pitcher, so you didn't have to worry about the long ball. Plus, he was fairly well-rested. Stick with him. Or Walker looked lights-out the night before and we spent good money for him to get out lefties. So what if they would've pinch hit with Batista. I watched that guy for three years and I can tell you that if you keep the ball out of the strike and he'll pop up or strike out. Walker knows that. He saw what Parrish did to him the day before.

But there was Baez. And you know the rest. What's especially frustrating is that you knew what was going to happen, even when they were up by two. The Orioles give away one that was rightfully theirs. Blame the clutch hitting and the pen. But where you can't get too upset if Bedard got lit up or even Bradford gives up a HR because you need to trust your bullpen. But Sammy, you also have to gauge when your players are stuggling and adapt your team accordingly. This isn't XBox where players perform based strictly on their statistics. There are trends and Baez & Patterson are in a major slumps. Putting the game in the hands of someone in a slump? With the possible exception of a closer (where the role is so specialized), you don't do that when you have alternatives.

The Orioles are the same record they were at last year. This year's team has been underperforming offensive and in the pen and the manager keeps pushing the wrong buttons, but they are hanging on by a thread. They're not out of it and there's a clear opportunity to still contend if they can keep up the starting pitching and the pen & lineup play to their potential. But if they keep giving away games, it'll be over by July. Again.

Like watching the movie 'Groundhog Day' in Toronto

Sunday afternoon's nightmare seemed to have a lingering effect as the Orioles went up north to face the Jays. In a series where the Orioles got some great starting pitching, the bats went silent. Whether it was a mediocre performance against Tomo Ohka or a non-existent performance against Jesse Litsch and AJ Burnett, it's hard to believe the offense can be that weak. After a series in Boston where the offense was solid against arguably the AL's top staff, the Orioles only mustered 5 runs in the three games, which opens yourself up for a sweep even when you only give up 9. The amazing thing is that the storyline was the same every game. The Orioles take the lead, the Jays tie it, then take the lead on a Troy Glaus hit, and then close it out. That was the difference in this series--Troy Glaus. The pitching was great on both sides. Good defense, solid baseball. But Troy came up with the clutch hits while the Orioles simply did not. The Orioles haven't gotten a hit with a runner in scoring position since the Sunday meltdown. They even had the tying run on third on Tuesday and on first on Wednesday, but Aubrey Huff failed to deliver each time. I'm not singling Huff out here--the entire team is just playing too rigid. Are they trying too hard? Perhaps. But they need a hot bat. And Tejada needs to find that power stroke or else we've got nothing more than an expensive Placido Polanco.

That said, let's take a moment to applaud the pitching. With the exception of Dany Baez and Chris Ray, this has been the best pitching I think I have ever seen the O's provide in four straight losses. The end of the pen and the sputtering offense made this a freefall, but the long-term question is: can the pitching hold up? The bullpen is better than what we've seen (even though Baltimore seems to be the curse for any late-inning reliever that is acquired--DeJean, Kline/Reed, Hawkins, Baez) and the offense WILL heat up far more than it has done now (not one person is overachieving to this point). If DCab and Bedard find their grooves (which it looks like they are doing), while Guthrie and Burres can maintain the glimpses that we've seen so far, this summer will be MUCH more enjoyable. You can pretty much write off Benson and Wright for the year, so there's a major dependence on this stuff happening. Loewen and Penn need to get healthy for some starts in August. Olson should be ready by then as well. So, the Orioles have options longer term (in fact, I am not sure Trachsel makes it past the trading deadline as an Oriole). This will be the ultimate test for Mazzone. If they all regress, he'll be called a fraud. If the Orioles stay competitive, even if it's with series like the one in Toronto where they lose but the pitching was there, people will have to give Mazzone his due. Only time will tell. I can't say I'm happy with a losing streak, but you have to look for things and I see a team in a slump, but still managing to play competitive ball. That's what good pitching will do. Let's see if they can keep it up.

Bloody sock? Probably. Bloody Oriole bullpen? Definitely.

Wow. Going into the weekend, I think it was clear that this could end up being a painful weekend. But no one could've predicted how that pain would come. After winning the opener and sacraficing Game 2 due to a sloppy use of the bullpen, the Orioles looked overmatched on paper when Josh Beckett and his seven straight wins came up against Jeremy Guthrie and his one straight win. Beckett has been the league's best pitcher to this point and it didn't help that they were playing this one in Fenway. But when the O's snagged two runs in the first, anything was possible. And when Guthrie set them down efficiently and in order in the bottom of the first, you couldn't help but get a little intrigued. For 8.5 innings, the Orioles looked like the better team. The Red Sox were playing sloppy -- commiting errors, walking batters, and misplaying balls. The Orioles were playing solid defense and Jeremy Guthrie put on a clinic. Honestly, I don't know that last time I saw a pitcher do a number like that. As good as Bedard and D-Cab can get, there was something about how effortless Guthrie's effort was that made you think "this guy could really be something". You kept expecting it to fail, but he refused. He gave up three hits, including a wind-blown double that should've been a fly out. In fact, Guthrie did a major part to make it a homerless weekend for the Red Sox (the O's didn't hit one either) and went through 8 innings. Well, I'm not going to go through the gory details of the ninth. In fact, I'm trying hard enough to forget them. They're so amazingly impossible to believe that I am convincing myself it was just a mirage. This I know:

• Yes, hindsight is 20/20, but you have the opportunity to reward a pitcher for setting a great example by letting him go after the shutout when there's a five-run lead. It's one thing if he had thrown 120 pitchets, but HE WAS AT 91!!! What was the harm in giving him two more batters?!? Even if Baez closes it out quietly, I'd be asking this question--just not as angry.
• Ramon, you took your eye off the ball. And frankly, that shouldn't have been yours anyway. Everyone knows it's easier to come in on the ball than go out. Let Guthrie catch it--he had done everything else right today.
• Danys Baez just got hit. It's unfortunate, but it happens. Go get 'em tomorrow.
• Chris Ray blew it long before he dropped Millar's throw. How do you walk Drew? His run was meaningless. You could've tossed it over the plate like a softball and that would've been fine. I don't care if you didn't have your best stuff--you need to be able to throw a strike. Even the Youkilis walk was a little more acceptable as you don't want to make a mistake. BUT STILL!!! I think with Youkilis, Varitek, Cora, and Lugo, Ray was so worried about giving up a HR that he didn't pitch fearlessly.
• Millar's throw was behind Ray as opposed to leading Ray. C'mon guys--we're not even two months out of spring training. That should be fresh.

So, the Orioles are back to two games under 500 and head to Canada to face a Blue Jay team that is reeling from injuries to critical players Roy Halladay and BJ Ryan. The Orioles played them well in Baltimore, but how will they react to Sunday's meltdown. Everyone wondered why they invested in the bullpen--well, it was so this doesn't happen. Admittedly, even the best bullpens suffer from this, but when all is said and done, these games are exceptions. Given the Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium and now this, the Baez/Ray combo has twice surrendered five-run leads in the 8th inning or later--and against the primary division rivals, no less. How different is this season if you win those games? A three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium and winning 2 of 3 at Fenway? 18-16? I'm not asking for Baez or Ray to be perfect (they've both had other failings), but they need to close these out. Like I said, Baez just got beat and he's gotta do better. Ray needs to get it together mentally. This is where some closers just completely break down. We'll see if Ray can get back on that horse. Meanwhile, a few other things to consider about the ramifications of this game:

• If Perlozzo makes another bone-headed decision like that and clubhouse dissension starts rearing its evil head, what's his fate? Does he make it through the season? Before Mazzili, no Angelos manager was ever canned mid-season. But Sammy isn't doing himself any favors.
• If the travesty didn't occur in the ninth, I'd have spent most of this entry talking about Jeremy Guthrie. I was re-reading Moneyball recently and saw how Billy Beane (Oakland GM) was saying that Guthrie was the best pitching prospect in the 2002 draft (a first round that included Scott Kazmir, Jeff Francis, Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, and Adam Loewen--among others). I remember being excited about the O's snagging him off the waiver wire because I was hoping for a diamond in the rough. Well, if today is any indication, WOW. Leo Mazzone hasn't had a reclamation project success in Baltimore yet, but Guthrie is putting people on notice that he wants to be the first. I'm actually excited about his next start. He's fun to watch pitch. He hits numbers on the radar gun usually reserved for Cabrera. He throws strikes. He just looks like he knows what he's doing out there. The last time the O's had a talented pitcher from Stanford out there on the mound, he won 160 games over 9.5 seasons and then left for the Yankees. Unlike Moose, there are no expectations for young Guthrie (except for this writer's increasing hopes) and anything he does this year is a bonus.
• A loss is a loss. Saturday's meltdown was less painful, but costs the same. At two games under, the Orioles are still in 2nd place (whatever that is worth) and the season isn't over yet. Getting Scott Williamson back could be a nice boost for the pen if he's healthy.
• The Orioles don't play the Red Sox again for two-and-a-half months! Wow, weird scheduling. That should be just enough time to get the stink off. Of course at that time, they will play the Sox 13 times in 6 weeks. Let's hope there's no jinx left at that point, or it will be an annoying August.
• 6 out of the next 9 are against the Blue Jays while Roy Halladay recovers from an appendectomy. An already cold Blue Jay team will either be ripe for the picking or come out swinging. I'll guess the latter, but the Orioles have no excuses if they can't at least break even on these games against a team they've traditionally struggled against.
• Do you start Trachsel on three days rest on Thursday to skip Burres' next start since Trachsel didn't go deep in Boston and Burres was the erstwhile 5th starter (which could help provide a long man in the pen). Or do you keep Burres on a regular mental routine of being a starter?
• Interleague play starts Friday. Pitchers, start your BP.

Another sweep before the supposed firing squad in Beantown

So the Orioles close out their homestand at 5-2 on the heels of a three-game sweep of the Devil Rays. That's their third sweep of the season (all against different teams) after two all of last year. The Orioles have begun to really enjoy playing the Rays. I suppose that started with Jorge Julio leaving town and continued with Aubrey Huff coming to Baltimore. Speaking of which, if it wasn't going to be Markakis getting the walk-off hit on Tuesday, wasn't it fitting that it be Huff? How many times did he hit the late HR for the Devil Rays against the Orioles. Ah, sweet poetic justice. Now he just needs to do that a dozen more times and we'll be even.

The highlight of the series had to be Erik Bedard. He's coming back to the Erik of old, perhaps. 7 shutout innings with 10 Ks is something I'll take any day. Meanwhile, Huff wasn't the only one torturing his ex-mates. Danys Baez had three scoreless apprearances. In fact, the bullpen pretty much had it going on, with the exception of Chad Bradford in the first game. The O's hit and when they didn't hit, they pitched lights out until they finally hit. Gibbons and Patterson started showing offensive signs of life. B-Rob with some great hitting and Markakis with a mammouth HR. They don't come more gratifying than this.

Actually, they do, but it's a bit more of a stretch. For all the good and bad that has happened this season, they still manage to sit at one game under 500. The Orioles head to Boston to take on the Red Sox in what has the makings of a very painful weekend. But in situations like these, teams can take one of two approaches. They can roll over and play dead (and make no mistake--the Orioles have done that in past years) or they can play like they've got nothing to lose. If this locker room truly is the best they've had in years with the right attitudes, then the latter can happen. That's where underdog stories are built. The Orioles are taking on Schilling and Beckett--just like they did when the Red Sox came to Baltimore. But the Orioles were tied late in Game 1 and leading in Game 2. They weren't blowouts and the Orioles were a Chris Ray fastball from a series split. And who knows what happens if that Walker-Ortiz battle didn't end with a bloop base hit. They are not invincible, though they'd like to think they are. Or at least Red Sox Nation does. Have you seen the article in the Globe about their supposed divisional domination? It's amazing to boast like that about a team that has gone longer without winning a divisional title than the Orioles (yes, that's true and you could look it up). Look, I'm not saying the Orioles are going to challenge or win the division. But do they really think they are going to leave the Yankees in the dust. The logic is brilliant: everyone who is hot will stay hot and the slow starters will heat up. If only that were the case for all of us. If Steve Trachsel keeps pitching the way he does and so does Jeremy Guthrie (we're done with the Indians, so he should be safe) and Bedard picks up his 2006 form and Brian Burres pitches like he did out of the pen and D-Cab hits his potential, WOW! Yes, WOW, but that's a lot of if's and the Red Sox have plenty of them as well. Look, I don't know what is going to happen this weekend and the Orioles seem to struggle to handle this hex that the Red Sox have on them dating back to late 2005. But it would be really nice to see this overpriced team with an overaged rotation put in its place. Of course, regardless of what happens this weekend, I'll be curious to watch how the Red Sox Nation will react if Schilling and Wakefield start showing their age (Timlin is already doing it) and the Yankees make their usual August move. I'm not rooting for the Yankees, but it certainly takes the sting out when they do it to the Sox sometimes. I'm just sayin...

Anyway, rather than waiting for the Yankees to take aim, I'd rather see the Orioles step up. The oddsmakers think it is pretty unlikely, but that would only make it sweeter. Let's see what you got, Birds...

Somewhat Satisfying Split

Coming into the series with the Cleveland, things were pretty low. Frustrating loss after frustrating loss, including a couple of one-run losses that were very winnable. With the hot Indians coming to town, the season could've gone down for the count. Fortunately for the O's, Erik Bedard was on the mound. Unfortunately for the Orioles, Bedard hadn't quite regained his 2006 form. Last year, Bedard had a strong April followed by a so-so May and June and then closed out with a fine second half. I don't think there's any issues with the cold weather given he is Canadian, but he definitely seems to do better as the season goes along. Problem is, the Orioles needed a stopper.

Fortunately, Bedard came through with a pretty strong game as did the bullpen. The offense mustered just enough offense to get their walk-off win. The more of those you get, the more you won't think you're out of a game in the 9th. That's a good feeling. I can recall 2005 when they NEVER came back in the late innings. This season, Markakis has had two walk-off hits. Getting that win was key to setting the tone for the series. The next night, Cabrera pitched a Cabrera-style game (never feeling completely comfortable, always a couple of 3-2 walks, lots of bending without breaking) and the offense came alive.

With that sort of opening to the series, they had reason for optimism on Sunday--even when Brad Burres had to spot start against Indian ace CC Sabathia. Even as Burres struggled and the Orioles fell behind, they were never out of it. In fact, it was Grady Sizemore that singlehandedly kept the Orioles from coming back. Even at the end, Melvin Mora nearly tied it on the game's last swing. No loss is easy to take, but the Orioles didn't need to hang their head on that one--the Indians just played one heck of a ballgame.

Perhaps that's what makes Monday's game so frustrating. A great start from Steve Trachsel (again--geez, who'd have thunk it?) and the bullpen melted down while the offense sputtered again against Fausto Carmona. It's as if they mailed it in (reminding me of another Monday afternoon game against the Indians years ago where the O's lost something like 12-0 and never should've bothered showing up). Still, getting a split from a talented team on a hot streak after the way the Orioles played the previous 10 games, they should feel OK about this series. Now, they need to make sure they win the series from the Devil Rays. Jeremy Guthrie gets another shot followed by Bedard and Cabrera, all against a very talented lineup of young hitters. Anything is possible, but the Orioles need this series to get some good karma and momentum going into a weekend series in Boston against the (gulp!) Red Sox...

Clutches on Cruches

The Tiger series was definitely one that showed why the Orioles aren't going to contend if they keep this up. They weren't outplayed in Detroit. They didn't lack talent per se. Going up against the defending AL Champs, they were their equal way in every way except one: where the Tigers rose to the occasion when necessary, the Orioles continued to fail in the clutch. Their anemic hitting when runners in scoring position led them to go down in a three-game sweep (well, that and their startling lack of power). It reminds me of the downward spiral of 2005 when the team seemed to be pressing extra hard as their pennant hopes were falling apart and they kept popping out with the bases loaded. Are they pressing extra-hard now? Perhaps. After all, things looked great 2-3 weeks ago and things seemed to fall down after that game against the A's where they had the good-looking comeback against Huston Street fall short thanks to some poor baserunning and bad judgment. That game seems to have them on a persistent jinx and you can't help but think that they are a big hit or a quirky play away from getting on a hot streak. But you can't force these things and that's what the Orioles continue to do. Now, it's a trip back home where they've been a much better team--even though their on a 4-game slide there right now. Sometimes, it take a little home cooking to make things right. Go Birds...