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Orioles Comeback - Volume 9 - May 27th, 2008


This is the final Pre-Buck installment in our series. In the more than 5 years that pass from June, 29th 2005 until Buck gets hired on July 31st, 2010, we only get to talk about 2 games, this being the second. In the 8 1/3 season that Buck is manager, we will talk about 10. It really is a testament to the change that he brought to the franchise, that we kinda forget about now since we are wallowing in the ruins of how that change ended.

But before we Buck-le up, we've got to get through this final Trembley-era game. And it's a fun one from Camden Yards! The Orioles come back from a 4 run deficit... twice. Trailing 4-0 in the 2nd. Then after tying the score, falling back behind 8-4 in the 4th. Then after tying the score again, falling behind 9-8 in the 11th, before walking it off 10-9. The nadir of their chances come at the end of the 4th with the Yankees as an 89% favorite to win.


We introduce two new starting pitchers in this game. The Yankees went with Ian Kennedy, who is apparently still in the majors, pitching out of the Royals bullpen. Kennedy would have one really great season where he won 21 games. It was not 2008, though... a season where he would win 0. The Orioles went with Brian Burres, who never had any really great seasons. He did manage a career high 7 wins in this 2008 campaign, though! To go along with a 6.04 ERA. Oof.

The game at hand remained scoreless through the 1st inning, but sadly that was not a good omen for either starter. Burres got the first chance to crap the bed in the top of the 2nd and he did so spectacularly. He gave up a 1-out solo HR to Jason Giambi. Later in the inning, he gave up a 2-out Earl Weaver Special to Johnny Damon to make the score 4-0. Should we go get him? No, let's see how he responds. First pitch to the next batter... he plunks Derek Jeter. Well, that's interesting. Since he wasn't tossed, and no more shenanigans ensue for the rest of the game, I'm assuming this HBP wasn't as bad as the situation, and the Major League reference, indicated it might be. Burres got out of the inning on a comebacker off the bat of Bobby Abreu.

Ian Kennedy, staked out to the 4 run lead, wasted absolutely no time in giving it all back. Aubrey Huff lead off the bottom half with a single to center. Then, after a strike out from Luke Scott, Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez went back-to-back and belly-to-belly! The two homers quickly made the score 4-3. Adam Jones then came to the plate, making his first appearance in our story. He gets a basehit described in the BRef play-by-play as "Ground ball thru Weak 3B". Take that, ARod! Jones would show off the aggressive base-running that we all know and love by taking 2B on a fly ball off the bat of Freddy "Boom Boom" Bynum. He then took 3B on a passed ball by defense-only catcher Jose Molina. With Brian Roberts at the plate, the next play is described as "Reached on E5 (throw) (Ground Ball to Weak 3B)". BRef really laying into ARod this inning, man. Either way, Jones scored and the game is tied at 4 after 2.

Neither team would score in the 3rd, but that would end the day for the young Kennedy anyway. 3IP 4H 3ER 0BB 3K. The 23 year old was probably on a pitch count.

The 27 year old Burres was probably not on a pitch count, but he wouldn't get through the next inning, either due to the sucks. He retired the first two batters, Robinson Cano and Molina in quick order. But he gave up a 2 out double to Damon, an RBI single to Jeter, and then, not to be outdone by Kennedy, back-to-back HRs of his own to Abreu and Alex Rodriguez to make the score 8-4. That was (finally) enough for Trembley, who turned to reliever Lance Cormier. Despite being as mediocre as you can possibly be and still having an 8 year MLB career, on this day Cormier was the right answer, if the question was "Who can stop the bleeding?" He got out of the 4th. And after an uneventful O's half, set the Yankees down 1-2-3 in the 5th.

Ross Ohlendorf was the Yankees pitcher who had come in after Kennedy departed. He appeared briefly in our last game, though I don't think I mentioned him because he didn't give up any runs in his 1 inning of work. I also didn't mention him when he pitched that aforementioned uneventful 4th. I am mentioning him now. So you can probably guess what happens. Well, probably not exactly what happens, but that he gives up runs. What exactly happens is that Roberts singles to start the inning and Melvin Mora homers to left to make the score 8-6. After Nick Markakis and Huff are retired, Scott and Kevin Millar hit... you guessed it... back-to-back HRs ("Boring!" "It's already been done!" "Generic ironic exclamation!") This very ho-hum 3rd back-to-back, belly-to-belly, etc-to-etc of the game made it 8-8 in the bottom of the 5th.

The game takes an actual boring turn at this point, as the 16 runs that scored in the first 5 innings are followed by 0 runs being scored in the next 5 innings.

Some fun things still happen, though.

In the top of the 6th, Cormier is still in the game and he runs into trouble. Jeter, on base through no merits of his own as he reached on a FC groundout, steals 2B. After a walk to Abreu puts runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs, Diamond Dave turns to future NPB legend Dennis Sarfate, who shows what a legend is made of by getting out of the jam... without even throwing a pitch. He instantly picks Jeter off second, so let's all point and laugh at Jeter in fine Orioles Comeback tradition.

In the bottom of the 7th, last game's loser Edwar Ramirez gives up a 2 out double to Millar. New New York Yankees' skipper Joe Girardi (that is, newly appointed manager of the New York Yankees baseball club, and not manager of the New New York Yankees blernsball club) whips out his trusty binder (not to be confused with lovable robotic alcoholic Bender), which suggests bringing in Professor Farnsworth (that is 21st century baseball pitcher Kyle "The Professor" Farnsworth and not... well you get it) to face Ramon Hernandez. Proving that the binder is dumb and yet dark magic is real, Farnsworth promptly gives up a single to Hernandez, but Millar is thrown out at the plate (and we have thankfully reached the end of the extended Futurama reference portion of today's program... you're welcome, Mark).

In the bottom of the 8th, Adam Jones leads off with a walk(!). DDT orders FBBB to SH. Bunts are dumb, y'all! Even though this one successfully does what it was designed to do, move Adam into scoring position, he would not progress past 2B, as Farnsworth intentionally walks Roberts and gets a GDP from Melvin Mora.

In the top of the 9th, George Sherrill works around two base runners, which isn't necessarily fun, but I wanted to give a shout out to Flat Breezy, as this will be his only appearance in our story.

In the bottom of the 10th, Mariano Rivera, no doubt remembering last game's fateful triple from Jay Payton, walks him on 4 pitches with the winning run on 2B (in the form of pinch runner Alex Cintron). That works in his favor as Brian Roberts flies out to end the inning.

That brings us to the eventful 11th.

Damon draws a lead off walk from Matt Albers. Jeter then tries to bunt Damon over, but one errant throw from Melvin Mora later and there are runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs. Jeter is credited with a hit here, but I take exception (sight unseen). He was clearly attempting a sacrifice, so that's what he should get. I am subtracting one of his career hits. Please adjust the record books accordingly. The O's decide to intentionally walk Abreu to load the bases for Rodriguez. This whole thing could go south in a hurry. But it doesn't. ARod grounds into the patented 4-2-5 double play. Jeter must have gotten a crappy jump on this ground ball to get gunned down at third with the infield drawn in, so let's all point and laugh, again. Stop pointing and laughing though, because just when it looked like the birds would improbably be getting out of this jam, Hideki Matsui singled up the middle, scoring Abreu with the go ahead run.

Since Rivera had just completed his second inning of work, he was not called back out for the bottom of the 11th and the save chance was given to LaTroy Hawkins. Hawkins was not a bad choice, per se, as he totaled 127 saves in his career. None came for the Yankees, though. And you're about to find out why. Mora singled to start the inning. Then after a loud out on a deep fly ball from Markakis, Huff would double to deep center, allowing Mora to score all the way from 1st to tie the game. Huff, the winning run, advanced to 3rd on the throw. Heads up baserunning, Aubrey, you truly are a Baltimore hero. The Yankees then did the "winning run on 3rd" IBB-IBB combo to set up the force at the plate and the double play. The beneficiaries of those free passes were Scott and Millar. Of note, Millar was removed for pinch runner Luis Hernandez, making him the 3rd member of the many headed 2008 SS monster to make an appearance in our story today, after Bynum and Cintron. And, oh, look at that, here comes Cintron himself with the bases loaded and 1 out in the tie game. The infield is in. The outfield is in. The game is on the line. And Cintron Absolutely crushes the ball into to the gap. I assume it's one of those balls that nobody even tries to field. It might still be sitting somewhere out there under a gap in the fence in right center. Huff scores! The Orioles win! 10-9, for the second straight time! Party like it's 2999!

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