Olson dominant as O's Cruise in Seattle

Garrett Olson pitched a shutout into the ninth inning and the Orioles eventually beat the Seattle Mariners 10-5.

Olson recorded one out in the ninth and left with the bases loaded and his team up 10-0. The bullpen couldn't slam the door shut, but the Birds held on for the win.

Olson's final line shows he allowed three runs off 11 hits while walking one and striking out one. His performance was much better than it looks on paper...his outing was the longest of his brief career, and he was pitching a one-hitter through four innings. He was just two outs away from a complete game shutout, and now leads the O's pitchers with eight wins...

The Orioles offense gave Olson an early 1-run cushion in the first, and then went on to score eight runs in the fifth inning. With two outs, Nick Markakis singled and the offense rolled from there...nine hits and eight runs in a single inning both set season highs...all eight runs came with two outs: that's clutch hitting! The Birds added one more run in the eighth to take a commanding 10-0 lead.

Staff ace Jeremy Guthrie (7-8) takes the mound tonight; he opposes Felix Hernandez (7-6). What a shame Bedard's still on the DL...

(photos courtesy of MLB.com)

Same Old O's...

With the trading deadline come and gone, the Orioles (51-56) were neither buyers or sellers this year...no deals were made, and the O's lineup later tonight will contain the same familiar faces we know and love...

Andy MacPhail never found any offers worth taking, and the O's are the exact same team as they were before...and I love it! MacPhail knows what he's doing, and unless the Birds can pick up a handful of prospects, there's really no need to rush things...

In other news, Daniel Cabrera was suspended six games for "throwing" at A-Rod...here's hoping he appeals. That has to be the stupidest news I've heard all day...

O's Can't Complete the Sweep

The Yankees spanked the Orioles this afternoon, a humbling 13-3 defeat at Yankee Stadium.

Dennis Sarfate's first MLB start wasn't horrific, but he still took the loss. Sarfate went four innings and allowed just two hits, but was charged with five runs (three earned). He struck out five but walked three; all three walks crossed the plate...

The bullpen couldn't keep it close, giving up eight runs in the final four frames. Brian Burres, whom Sarfate replaced in the rotation, surrendered four runs in just an inning and a third...

The offense never really found a rhythm against starter Joba Chamberlain, and finished with just three runs off six hits. Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff each had an RBI, and shortstop Juan Castro smacked his first homer of the season (I believe the first home run from an O's shortstop all year).

Not a bad series in NY; two out of three against the Yankees is really all you can ask for. The O's are off tomorrow, and resume play Friday night against the struggling Seattle Mariners...

O's Hold on to Win Third Straight

The Orioles took an early lead and almost gave it up in the ninth, but held on to defeat the Yankees 7-6 in New York.

Daniel Cabrera became the first starter to pitch into the eighth inning in what seems like an eternity, and after allowing a single was ejected after hitting Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. Cabrera was shown shouting, "Why?" amongst other things, but was forced to leave the game. The bullpen almost let this one slip away...

Aubrey Huff smashed a solo homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth, and that proved to be the game winner; Huff went 4 for 5 with four RBIs...George Sherrill came in with a 7-3 lead but allowed the Yankees to make it a game and probably sent a few fans in Baltimore to the hospital with cardiac arrest symptoms...

Sherrill allowed three runs to cross the plate and stranded the tying run at second base...he ended up striking out the side...

The Birds have won three straight and send Dennis Sarfate to the mound this afternoon...it's Sarfate's first Major League start...whatever happens, the O's have already won this series at Yankee Stadium!

O's Continue Dominance over Mussina

The Orioles crushed the New York Yankees 13-4, extending their winning streak to 2 games...

You heard it right; the Birds won on Sunday and then went on to beat the Yankees on the road...and they didn't just win the game; they controlled it.

The O's smacked Mike Mussina around for the second time this year. It wasn't as bad of a beating as the last time they faced him, but good old Moose took the loss...

The offense was absolutely amazing...O's starter Jeremy Guthrie left in the seventh with an 11-1 lead. He had 3-hit the Yankees up to that point; he was pulled after allowing a solo home run...why?

The bullpen wasn't as efficient, but it didn't matter. The O's smashed four homers in the game: Kevin Millar started it off with a 3-run shot, immediately followed by a solo homer off Ramon Hernandez's bat. Adam Jones hit a grand-slam and Aubrey Huff had a 2-run dinger of his own late in the game.

Guthrie and Jones are the obvious heroes of the game, but let's focus on Jones: he went 3 for 6 with five RBIs. He was a double shy of hitting for the cycle, and came up with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth...and flied out. Jones is just 22-years-old, and shows just what O's fans can look forward to in the next few seasons.

The Birds set season highs in hits (17) and runs scored, and are the one team that seem to have Mussina's number...

The Sunday win seems to have lifted the O's spirits and it shows...the Yankees had won eight straight at home before dropping a game to the Red Sox Sunday night. The Birds came in as the underdogs but showed they still have what it takes to win...

A Sunday Miracle

It's official...the streak is over! The O's beat the Angels 5-2 this afternoon, snapping a 15-game Sunday losing streak.

The Birds snapped a five game losing streak in the process, and starting pitcher Garrett Olson actually made it through six innings...things are looking up!

Backup catcher Guillermo Quiroz went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and the bullpen went three innings allowing just one hit and no runs.

The O's went 4-7 on the home stand, but hopefully this win can build some momentum heading into the road trip...next up: Jeremy Guthrie takes on the Yankees' Mike Mussina in New York...

Another Loss...

The Los Angelos Angels annihilated the Orioles last night, 11-6.

The O's have now tied their season high losing streak at five games, and are seven under .500 for the first time this season.

And it gets worse...it's Sunday. The Birds haven't won a series since they faced the Chicago Cubs, and are spiraling into the worst stretch of baseball seen from this team. A loss today would be 16 straight on Sundays...a new record! Go O's!

Radhames Liz was the most recent starter to go less than six innings (5 and 2/3) and eventually took the loss. Aubrey Huff hit a 3-run bomb and Luke Scott connected on a 2-run shot, but the damage had been done and the bullpen didn't fare much better than Liz. Overall, the O's pitching staff gave up four homers in the game...

I was planning on attending the game today, but with rain in the forecast and no incentives from the front office (they've given up hope, too...) I may just stay home today...I'll let you know either way...Garrett Olson takes the mound and opposes 11-game winner Ervin Santana...should be a good one.