If you're like me and wondering how in the hell the Orioles managed to score 14 runs in one game, on 7-10 hitting with runners in scoring position, you might be glad to know that I've reached a conclusion. After watching the team jump out to a 7-1 start for Buck, we've all been musing over what is the cause and today it hit me: it has nothing to do with Buck, luck, or anything else. What's actually happened is that the Orioles, except for the bullpen, have been replaced by pod people, and at some later date they will morph into a malignant mass of alien insanity and destroy us all. If the downfall of human civilization at the hands of extraterrestrial body snatchers is the price we must pay for not-sucky Orioles baseball, I for one welcome our new alien overlords.
The quality start streak came to an end last night and it'll be up to Brad Bergesen to get a new one started. Easier said than done, but he's coming off a couple of good outings so hopefully he'll be confident. The Indians lineup, depleted by injuries and trades, is full of unknown quantities, and as we saw last night, they can hang some runs up on you.
Pitching for the Indians is Josh Tomlin, who was their 19th round pick in 2006 out of Texas Tech. He's making his fourth major league start. A month ago I would have remarked on the likelihood of being on the wrong end of a no-hitter as a result - I really don't think I'll ever get over the trauma of that Buchholz game - but as Stacey reminded me last night, that's Old Orioles thinking. In his young career, Tomlin's holding opponents to a .162 batting average, and hopefully tonight the hot Orioles bats will send him back to the dugout weeping over the end of his fleeting success. Sorry, Josh, it's nothing personal.
Don't look now, but if the Orioles win tonight and the Pirates lose, we will have climbed out of the cellar of MLB to have merely the second-worst record in the majors. If anybody whines about how we might lose the #1 draft pick, I'm going to ban you. I'm not really going to ban you though, since I can't ban people, and Stacey probably won't ban you either, but seriously, if the price of getting the #1 pick was continuing to suck in historic proportions, that's just too high. Admit it: haven't the past eight games been just a little bit exciting?
Plus, once we pass Pittsburgh we can set our sights on Seattle for the third-worst record in MLB. Whoa, now! I guess I shouldn't get too crazy. One game at a time. Go O's!