posted on Oriole Magic
Over the past few seasons, the second half for the Baltimore Orioles has usually become a wasteland, full of bad baseball, sometimes uninspired play and knowing the team will finish up poorly.
The 2009 Baltimore Orioles will surely not see the playoffs, or even in 2010, but it looks like Andy MacPhail’s plan is starting to pay off. Instead of a roster filled with past-their-prime players, the Orioles have given their youngers a chance to succeed at the highest levels, and perhaps a star was born last night.
Out of opportunity comes hope, and with Bergesen’s injury along with Rich Hill’s, guys now have a chance to step up.
Last night, highly touted Brian Matusz — who has only been in professional baseball all of a year — started his first game ever in the majors and walked out a winner as the Oriole offense and key plays plus big hits by Cesar Izturis led them to victory over Detroit, 8-2.
Aside from earning their 45th win in 106 games, Matusz showed that he has the poise and stuff to become a quality major leaguer. He went five innings, threw 99 pitches, gave up six hits, walked three and struck out five. While Matusz did not look like Nolan Ryan out there, and a few of his balls that were hit — if the Orioles ddn’t play cavernous Comerica Park on Tuesday — could have been potential homers in most other parks, he got guys out and mixed up his pitches really well.
Considering Matusz is only 22, there’s not much more you can ask for out of his major league debut. One has to only hope that he gets better from here and learns from his mistakes on Tuesday,
With Matusz’s win, he is the fifth rookie pitcher to earn his first major league win for the Orioles in a season. With the arms we have up here, plus the potential ones in the minors, assuming all works out, the days of non-competitive baseball may be soon coming to an end.
It must have been a special day with his family out there, and realizing his dream; therefore, we as fans can take solace that the future is finally looking up for the Orioles instead of being stuck in neutral.
