Wednesday, September 24, 2008

O's Lose Ninth Straight

The Orioles started off hot but cooled off quickly, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 11-6.

The Birds came out swinging, and were up 6-0 after two innings. Tampa Bay scored 11 unanswered runs from the fourth inning on, and the Rays swept the Birds in four games.

Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Markakis doubled in the fifth inning, and now has 48 on the year...both Markakis and Aubrey Huff need two more doubles to reach 50 for the season and join Brian Roberts to become the first trio of teammates ever to have 50 doubles each.

The O's (67-91) have one final series at home against the Toronto Blue Jays (83-75) before the season comes to an end. The Birds are off tomorrow and will send Chris Waters (3-4) to the mound on Friday. It looks like Jeremy Guthrie is well enough to make one final start this season; he's slated to pitch on Sunday...I'll be in the stands for the finale!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tampa Tops O's Twice in Doubleheader

It was a long day for the Orioles and their fans...the Birds fell 5-2 in Game 1 and then again 7-5 in Game 2 on Tuesday. After nearly seven hours of baseball, the Birds bullpen (Jamie Walker) imploded and sent any and every O's fan still in attendance home with a severe case of "WHY!!"

The O's were up 2-0 in Game 1 before the tragic fifth inning...need I say more? Worse yet was Game 2...the Birds sent Alfredo Simon to the mound for his first big league start...Simon left in the eighth with a 5-3 lead...enter Jamie Walker (my personal hero this season, he's just pitched so well!). Walker came in with the daunting opportunity to record ONE OUT, and was unable to do so...he allowed four runs on three hits, a walk, and two wild pitches...if he's still around in 2009 he better be wearing a Seattle Mariners uniform.

That's it for me...the O's play one more against Tampa tomorrow night before the Blue Jays come to town...

Welcome Home! O's lose again...

After being swept in New York, the O's returned to Baltimore and continued their losing ways, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2.

Sorry I missed Sunday's game...as both my readers know, I don't follow the Birds on Sunday unless they win (they did not) and I was too busy following Baltimore's winning team, the Ravens (2-0 and in first place).

I was at the game Monday night, and Brian Bass looked great until the fifth inning. Bass finished his evening after 4 and 2/3 innings and had allowed no runs on no hits. He was pulled after walking the bases loaded (with two outs), and reliever Randor Bierd allowed Tampas' first hit of the game, a two run single to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

The Birds answered right back, collecting their first hits of the game and tying it up 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. That was all the scoring for the O's though, and the Rays went on to score two more in the seventh to take the win.

The O's and Rays will play a doubleheader later today...

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Burres magnificent but O's fall in ninth

The Orioles have finally found some quality starting pitching, but have lost their offensive spark... they fell to the New York Yankees 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

The Birds have now lost three straight one-run games, and are 20 -29 in one-run contests on the season. Their 29 losses are worst in the AL and tied with the Atlanta Braves for the most one-run losses in the Major League.

Brian Burres sparkled, allowing just three hits over seven innings, while walking none and striking out two. The O's bullpen couldn't back him up though; Jim Miller took the loss and Jamie Walker allowed the game-winning single with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Orioles face the Yankees later tonight on prime-time TV...the final game at Yankee Stadium. The O's send rookie Chris Waters to the mound, opposing the Yankees' Andy Pettite. I was looking for a sweep...but not a Yankees sweep. Waters is coming off a complete game shutout, and needs to fight his nerves and pitch to his potential...the O's need to step up and give the young man some run support...

I'll be flipping back-and-forth between the O's game and the Green Bay Packers game...as you all know I've lost my enthusiasm for the Birds on Sundays (except for the Ravens)! I hope to have something worth writing about later tonight...