Wednesday, May 14, 2008

O's Band Together Following Opener

BALTIMORE -- It was just one game, but you'll have to pardon the Orioles for making the most of it. Baltimore came back against one of the best pitchers and one of the best teams in baseball on Tuesday night, when it scored five of the game's last six runs to beat Josh Beckett and the Red Sox. Now, they hope to use that result as fuel for something more.

"It means a lot to me," said Baltimore manager Dave Trembley. "And I'm sure it means a lot to the team and our fans, because there's still that dilemma out there -- is this team going to snap or crack? They're not. These guys will stick together."

The Orioles had just narrowly missed a series sweep in Kansas City, and they'll have a chance for a two-game sweep on Wednesday. They'll also have their hottest pitcher -- right-hander Daniel Cabrera -- matched up against southpaw Jon Lester. Baltimore is just 3-5 against left-handed starters this year, but the team is 10-5 in one-run games.

"I've said that from the start," said Tuesday starter Jeremy Guthrie. "With this team, the difference from last year is that when we get behind, we really feel like we still have a chance to win the game. Last year, I don't think that was the feeling."

The Orioles went 6-12 against the Red Sox last season and have dropped the season series in nine of the last 11 years. In fact, Baltimore is 24-54 at home and 38-39 at Fenway Park against the Red Sox since the dawn of the 1999 season.

Pitching matchup
BAL: RHP Daniel Cabrera (3-1, 3.54 ERA)
Cabrera has thrown six straight quality starts for the first time in his career.

BOS: LHP Jon Lester (2-2, 4.06 ERA)
Lester is 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA at home and 1-1 with a 4.87 mark on the road.

Bird bites
Luke Scott tied a career high with three hits on Tuesday night and homered for the first time since April 8. ... Southpaw closer George Sherrill is second in the American League with 14 saves. ... Adam Jones recorded his first multi-hit game since the last weekend of April on Tuesday. Jones has six multi-hit games so far this season.

0 comments:

Baltimore Orioles News