Orioles 3, Rays 2: Finally

by Stacey on Oct 1, 2009 10:38 PM EDT in Post-Game Comment 9 comments

Good job, Chris. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Our long national nightmare is over! The Orioles won their first game since September 16th. I couldn't even remember that game, so I looked back at the recap. Wow. I was happy back then. Sadly, even then Jim Johnson pitched poorly as he blew the save that night and was saved by Matt Wieters' walk off home run.

Matt Garza made the start for the Rays and pitched 6 innings, giving up three runs. He didn't pitch poorly by any means. The only extra base hit he allowed was a first inning double to Cesar Izturis, who would score on a single by Nick Markakis that deflected off of Jason Bartlett's glove. The O's other two runs were scored on singles by Melvin Mora and Jeff Fiorentino. Most days 3 runs wouldn't be enough for this team and its pitching staff, but tonight it held up.

Chris Waters made his first start of the year and came through in a big way. He pitched 5 innings, allowing 1 run on just two hits. He was rolling after 5 innings, but since he hadn't started a game since September 5th in Norfolk, he probably didn't have much left. The effective and decidedly un-Oriole like pitching continued as Cla Meredith, Alberto Castillo, and Danys Baez pitched the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings without allowing a hit.

The O's entered the 9th with a 3-1 lead when poor, sad, awful Jim Johnson came into the game. The perfect way for this losing streak to end would be if JJ had been strong and looked good. If he'd thrown that sinker we all know he's capable of, struck a few guys out, and restored our faith in him.

Yeah, that didn't happen. Johnson allowed a lead off double to Ben Zobrist, who is pretty much my least favorite Ray ever. He retired Upton on a popout, and Willy Aybar hit a fly ball to center field. It wasn't hit deep and Jeff Fiorentino, who was playing on the warning track, couldn't get to it. Zobrist moved to third and then scored on Pat Burrell's sac fly. Gregg Zaun hit a pinch hit ground ball single that just eluded Brian Roberts and the tying run was on third with two outs. Jim Johnson looked miserable. He and Matt Wieters couldn't agree on any pitches so Wieters had to go to the mound. Kranitz also went out for good measure. I've never seen anyone sweat more in a temperature controlled dome than Jim Johnson. But he ultimately got the job done, getting Iwamura to ground out right back to him.

O's win! It wasn't pretty, but it worked. They now head home for the final three games of the season where Jason Berken, Mark Hendrickson, and Jeremy Guthrie will do their best to go out on a good note.

Poll

Hey it's been forever since we've done this, but who was tonight's Most Birdland Player of the game?

Chris Waters (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R)

87 votes

Cesar Izturis (2-3, 2B, BB, R)

6 votes

Melvin Mora (RBI single, several sweet plays at 3B, plus there are only three more days to ever vote for him again)

48 votes

141 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Whats the poll for?

What is a Birdland player? I cant comprehend this.

"Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me, I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I’d rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out."-Ichiro

by WestcoastO'sFan on Oct 1, 2009 10:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

seriously

isn’t the phrase something like “if you don’t use it, you lose it?”

by twistedlogic on Oct 1, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Poor Jim Johnson...

After all, it’s not like he wants to stink. But man, he must have taken this losing streak harder than anyone, given that he singlehandedly kept it going a few times.

What a way to end the season. No Matusz, no Jones, no Pie, no Bergesen, no Reimold, etc. etc. Thirteen games in a row, some of them blowouts, some of them close.

Time to close up shop and hope that next year all of the promise and potential turns into reality. Despite these last two weeks, I’m cautiously optimistic.

by Bad Horse on Oct 1, 2009 11:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Me too.

I think the end of this season would have been completely different with a healthy AJ, Reimold, and Bergesen. Not to mention Pie and the guys who’ve been shut down.

by O'sFan21 on Oct 2, 2009 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

just curious

why don’t you like zobrist?

by Y Not on Oct 2, 2009 5:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just because he kills the Orioles

I don’t actually have anything against him but it seems like he’s hitting about .800 with a .900 SLG against the Orioles.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Oct 2, 2009 6:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

I thought I was exaggerating when I said .900 SLG, but here are his stats against the O’s this year.

Split AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB BA OBP SLG OPS
Baltimore Orioles 55 13 22 8 1 6 17 6 .400 .452 .909 1.361

Actually and it looks like B-R hasn’t updated with last night’s games yet so you can add a 2-4 with a HR to that.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Oct 2, 2009 7:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Waters looked good last night...

I’m now 2 for 2 on the year going to see the O’s play. JJ wasn’t the only one sweating during the 9th! It looked pretty ugly there before Aki got out.

by OsNBohs on Oct 2, 2009 8:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap, we won another game. So Soon. I figured that'd prolly happen in March, somewhere in Florida. Funny game, ain't it?

And speaking of wins, is it true that the Orioles won more games between 1955 and 1993 than any other MLB franchise (which I just read on somebody’s blog)? I assume it is, but I can’t find the excellent chart Z made up and can’t think where else to look off the top of my (pointy) head…

In other news, how about Oregon considering reinstatement for Mr. Suckerpunch guy? Anybody steamed over that?

Tomorrow’s big game is, of course, UCLA at Snodfart, with the Robber Barons a 5-pt fave. Take that, and take SC with 4 over Cal. Oh, and if you’re really going to be drinking, bet Washington State. ’Course, you could pretty much say that any weekend.

Go O’s!

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Oct 2, 2009 6:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs