Baltimore 2, Jerks from Canada and New Jersey 0

Within five minutes of each other tonight, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Jets 10-9 and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Blue Jays 4-3. As Camden Chatter 2632 said to me via text message after the games ended, "Baltimore has defeated the entire sporting world!" To read all about the details of the Ravens win, head on over to Baltimore Beatdown. To read about the details of the Orioles win, stay right where you are. 

The game started on a down note as Brian Matusz was hit in the arm with a ball hit by Yunel Escobar in the first inning. He finished the inning but had to come out of the game, which really sucks. He's been diagnosed with a left triceps contusion, and in the post game press conference Buck Showalter said it was a better safe than sorry decision and that Matusz should be able to make his next start. Let's hope he's right. 

Rick VandenHurk replaced Matusz in the second inning and did a hell of a job filling in. He pitched 5.1 innings and allowed just one run, a home run by Edwin Encarnacion in the sixth inning. He allowed just two hits and didn't walk any, striking out three. 

The O's offense got a lot of hits but couldn't knock hardly anyone in. They went just 2 for 11 with RISP and left fifteen men on base. Brian Roberts led off the first inning with his fourth home run of the year, and they scored another in the second when Brandon Snyder got his first big league hit to knock in Adam Jones. Don't worry Brandon, we don't have to talk about how that RBI single went about forty feet and didn't come close to leaving the infield. The O's third run scored in the seventh inning when, after an intentional walk to pinch hitter Luke Scott to load the bases, Blue Jays pitcher Shawn Camp hit Adam Jones to score Nick Markakis from third. That would give the O's a 3-1 lead going into 8th inning, where the bullpen would erase the fine work done by VandenHurk. 

Adam Lind singled off of Mark Hendrickson to lead off the 8th inning and was immediately replaced by Jim Johnson, who had some troubles. John Buck singled, then JJ retired Encarnacion and Travis Snider, but Escobar singled to knock in both Lind and Buck and tie the game at three. 

Tied at three was where it would remain until the bottom of the 11th inning, when Nick Markakis led off with a single. He moved to second base on a ground out by Ty Wigginton, and Luke Scott lined a single to center field to score Nick and win the game. Adam Jones adorably gave Nick a hug at home, lifting him off the ground. Felix Pie ran out to second and adorably leaped into Luke's arms. It was a fine ending to a fine night in Baltimore sports, even if the O's really should have won much earlier in the game.