Orioles 7, Yankees 3: Brian Matusz makes us happy
Last June, according to the story told by Gary Thorne on today's telecast, Brian Matusz had just signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He was in
Fast forward 15 months. Brian Matusz got his wish, or, more accurately, earned his destiny and took the mound at the new Yankee Stadium today against the New York Yankees. He entered the day having won his last two outings, and having gone 7.0 IP in both. He'd given up just 5 ER in those 14 innings, and O's fan might have been cautiously optimistic about today's game.
Throw caution to the wind, people - Brian Matusz will be winning a lot more games in Yankee Stadium over the next six years.
Matusz went 7.0 IP again today, and aside from a SAC fly in the 1st inning, didn't allow a run in his last six innings of work. Sure, he had his troubles, but not many. There was a 20-pitch inning, and the Yankees sent five men to the plate in the 7th. That was the most he faced all day - five batters in an inning. It's great to win. But to face just three or four batters an inning, almost every inning? And by a rookie? Against a team that's up by eight games in the AL East? I'll take it.
The offense did its best, for one inning, to make this an easy day for Matusz. In the second inning, AL ROY candidate Nolan Reimold led off with a home run to left-center, Matt Wieters walked after Luke Scott looked terrible, again, and Ty Wigginton singled Wieters to second base. Michael Aubrey singled the two runners over, and Robert Andino singled Wieters in.
Then Brian Roberts came up. Then the ball went out, over the wall in right-center. Pretty quickly, too.
The grand slam by Roberts, his 15th HR of the season, made the game a 6-1 lead for the Orioles, and the way Matusz was pitching, you could almost feel comfortable. Next year, when he's allowed to complete games, a 6-1 lead may be as automatic a win as you can earn in the majors. But, for now, we're at the mercy of Diamond Dave's decisions with the bullpen.
The sight of Chris Ray warming up in the 7th inning was not needed. Really, Dave, really? Chris Ray? In
The Orioles go for the improbable series sweep tomorrow, and here's hoping the O's close them out. -duck
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Brian vs Brian
3 hits, an IBB, a stolen base, and a grand slam vs. 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R against the Yankees.
I think I’ll let hit marinate awhile before voting.
Earl Weaver would’ve kissed Adam Dunn on the mouth in public. - SC 08/11/08
Bad news on air hockey
My daughter swims that day in Annapolis at the Naval Academy in her first USA Swimming event. I"m sure I’ll eventually get to the O’s game, but the chances of me getting into Baltimore early enough to play air hockey at ESPN Zone are looking remote. Unless we get a VERY favorable schedule of events that day, and I won’t know it until we show up at the pool and get the program.
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
You want me to scan and post the meet entry sheet?
Geez, some of us have lives, you know!
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
Remember
when Erik got traded, then in the first week of the season he was scheduled to pitch against the O’s and we were all highly anticipating it and were all “Bring it, Erik” and then the day before he was all, “ow my hip!” and we all made fun of him for being a fraidy cat?
This reminds me of that.
Earl Weaver would’ve kissed Adam Dunn on the mouth in public. - SC 08/11/08
So if I'm Erik Bedard
Does that make you Garrett Olsen?
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
by duck on Sep 12, 2009 6:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't know what that means
But at least I’m not the candaina in the scenaroi.
Earl Weaver would’ve kissed Adam Dunn on the mouth in public. - SC 08/11/08
Coffee is for closers
Let’s not heat the pot for Jim Johnson being our closer next year.
Matusz, Tillman, Bergesen give me hope for the first time in a decade. Can’t turn their great games over to someone as inconsistent in the role of closer as JJ has been. He’s a great set up man, but he is no closer.
So, who is, among the prospects we have?
Hernandez? Koji?
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
big kam!
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
by j.q. higgins on Sep 12, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Koji isn't a solution though
Erbe is a possibility, or maybe even Britton.
"There's only one cure for what's wrong with all of us pitchers, and that's to take a year off. Then, after you've gone a year without throwing, quit altogether." -Jim Palmer
Interesting note from Schmuck...
And, if the Orioles shut Matusz down right now, he’ll retain his rookie status for next year.
As Dick Enberg would say, “Oh MY!”
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
i can honestly say...
i am so psyched to watch this guy pitch and seeing him start to figure out major league hitters before our very eyes is pretty cool.
that is a tough one, b/c i can’t imagine he gets more than two or three more starts before they shut him down anyways, but, man…kid’s on a nice roll.
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
by j.q. higgins on Sep 12, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
There's talk this was it
I’d love to see 1 more, but that’s it. If they shut him down now, fine by me.
Jim Palmer: "I said to Nolan, 'Why do you run every ball out like that?' and he said, 'Why wouldn’t you?' "
Grand Slams are Birdland.
But seeing dominating pitching performances out of rookie Orioles in the new house of the most storied franchised to ever be storied, is even more birdland. I will never get tired of watching Jeter get fooled at the plate.
I love ya, BRob, but I gotta go with the kid on this one.
"I think my motivation is to see the other guys in the clubhouse. They’re contending for the playoffs, and when I see that it gets into my body. I play like it’s the playoffs too" —Memlo
Much like that weird all star game a few years ago
This one should have been a tie.
holy cow
I had no idea BRob had even close to 15 HRs
Orioles.com says
“O’s use their Brians, find formula to beat Yanks”
heehee… see, it’s Brians instead of brains. Hehehehe
For those of you who have never experienced a hip pointer...OUCH.
"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.
I was so torn here.
I voted for BMat, but more because of what his performance made me feel about the future. If this game were played in a vacuum with no future implications, I think I would have voted for BRob. He had about as good a day as you can have. If BMat had a few more K’s he would have been a no doubter too. Still a fucking awesome start though!
i was until about 5 seconds ago
fuck that
by twistedlogic on Sep 12, 2009 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm a fan of neither
but i LOVE to rub it in with all of my michigan friends (i have no idea why they are mich fans, but they are) when they lose. it was a good game tho.
in other news, uva discovers in the last 4 minutes of the game (while down 30-0) that if you throw the ball, maybe, just MAYBE, good things will happen
by twistedlogic on Sep 12, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Should we start a CC 'what week does al groh get fired' pool?
He’s gotta be just about out of lives at this point right?
honestly, i'm not sure its his fault
but something has to change. a handful of throws in the first 3 qtrs, most of them resulting in drops. finally they got agressive with a couple of mins to go and sewell throws 2 touchdowns on some pretty solid throws.
by twistedlogic on Sep 12, 2009 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions
hey dude
i sent you a trade offer in fantasy football
"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 Sep 12, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
yea i know
im gonna let that stew for a little bit. wanna see how the colts break up the carries
by twistedlogic on Sep 12, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Great win, it'll shut up all the Yankee fans around here for a few days
"When we won the league championship, all the married guys on the club had to thank their wives for putting up with all the stress and strain all season. I had to thank all the single broads in New York"
Joe Namath
Wow!
So much birdlandery today… And I missed it. Sorry gang. I’ll get the MBP page updated again. Just don’t know when since I’ll be at M&T ALL DAY tomorrow. Anyway, go o’s!!! Sweep them mofos!
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
This game was so totally Birdland.
So, If this is B-Matz’ last start, Can he still qualify as a rookie next year?
"Everything comes hard." ~ Lou Montanez
Whoops, Just saw duck’s post.
I want 2 ROYs in a row, Babeh!
"Everything comes hard." ~ Lou Montanez
We better have some nice prospects coming up in 2011 and 2012, then
"There's only one cure for what's wrong with all of us pitchers, and that's to take a year off. Then, after you've gone a year without throwing, quit altogether." -Jim Palmer
Negitive Nancy
:(
"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 Sep 13, 2009 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Lost in all this joyous revelry is the fact that this win puts us into the WC card race: we're only 24.5 behind!
WC stands for water closet, of course, so in essence these two wins have put us a bit further from claiming the loo of the AL East as our own, good ‘n’ proper, for ‘09. But we’ll be there, don’t worry. Even if we magically conjur 70 wins…
In other news, those of you who foolishly ignored my NCAA predictions have only yourselves to thank for not losing money, as the world went haywire despite my specific instructions. SC failed to cover vs TOSU— and only beat them (other than statistically) late in the 4th. Judas Priest, I’m glad I didn’t watch. UCLA, a mid-level wannabe, whupped TN in Deliveranceville, or wherever it is they play, making the Vowels (Voles?) look less like the upper-middle-bowl prospect I have them pencilled in as. And Snodfart, after taking a commanding 17-3 lead over an ACC team, decided not to take yes for an answer and found a way to lose with 0:02 left. It took some doing.
That said, let’s get back to Happyville! SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP! It’s Guts tonight, so we actually have a chance again. On the other hand, I feel the Spectre of Statistics and Probability standing over my shoulder, sort of like communism haunting Europe or the grim reaper haunting everybody, and the notion of the Yerks not getting 6 or 8 runs at home three games in a row seems, well, discouragingly unlikely.
On the other hand, F*ck you, Spectre! Go get ‘em, Guts! 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.

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