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Game 139: Yankees (78-60) @ Orioles (77-61), 7:05pm

Joe Saunders is a lot of what stands between the Orioles and falling two games back in the AL East. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Joe Saunders is a lot of what stands between the Orioles and falling two games back in the AL East. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
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This is one of those times where I'd like to swagger into this thread, full of piss and vinegar, dropping taunts and trash talk and directing a stream of invective towards the track suit-wearing meatheads who will be invading Camden Yards tonight. It's pretty hard to pull that off when Joe Saunders is the Orioles starting pitcher of the evening, and when the designated hitter is Steve Tolleson.

I mean, this is the year of Team Steve and all, but let's not get ridiculous here. You're facing CC Sabathia in a game that needs to be as competitive as possible if the O's want to keep their division hopes alive - well, to avoid falling two games back, anyway, but with only one left to play against the now-division-leading Yankees - and that's the DH? Man, sometimes I wonder if Buck's just thrown up his hands and decided to put his trust in Orioles Magic. That seems like the most likely explanation sometimes, because there can't possibly be a rational reason.

Multiple beat writers have noted that Tolleson is 2-3 off Sabathia, which is the truth, but that also does not constitute a rational reason.

I hear that Sabathia hasn't exactly been himself this year, but then I look at a guy who's got a 3.42 ERA and I think, man, I wish we had a guy who's "not himself" with a 3.42 ERA. A strikeout per inning, not a lot of walks, these things don't suck. Maybe his velocity is kind of down or something? But maybe it isn't. Maybe he will throw a no-hitter tonight. Or maybe he will give up two home runs to number-two hitter Robert Andino, who is on a pace over his last two games for a 162 homer season. Baseball is kind of ridiculous sometimes.

At one point today it was looking like this game was sure to be a rainout. Now it looks like there may be a delay of one hour. The game could also possibly start on time. Weather is also kind of ridiculous sometimes. Actually, when you think about anything enough, it's ridiculous. The universe is ridiculous.

You know what else is ridiculous? The horse face of Mark Teixeira. He is back in the lineup tonight for the Yankees. Boo this man! Boo!


Lineup

BALTIMORE ORIOLES NEW YORK YANKEES
Nick Markakis - RF Derek Jeter - SS
Robert Andino - 2B Nick Swisher - RF
J.J. Hardy - SS Mark Teixeira - 1B
Adam Jones - CF Alex Rodriguez - DH
Mark Reynolds - 1B Robinson Cano - 2B
Lew Ford - LF Russell Martin - C
Manny Machado - 3B Andruw Jones - LF
Steve Tolleson - DH Ichiro Suzuki - CF
Taylor Teagarden - C Jayson Nix - 3B