The Orioles completed a three-game sweep of those pesky pesky Oakland Athletics. The A’s were dealt their ninth loss in a row after a 3-2 game yesterday at Camden Yards. The Orioles won on the backs of third baseman Mark Reynolds’ two-run homer in the fifth and a fantastic 5.1 inning, six strike out performance from Zach Britton. The bullpen was again great with Jim Johnson, Koji and Kevin Gregg combining for an easy 3.2 innings of one-run ball.
All in all it is feeling good to be an Oriole fan right now. I commented that it felt as if the season was starting to slip away a week ago since the Orioles have won four of their last six and swept a team they haven’t swept in 13 years. The Orioles will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to the Yard starting tomorrow.
The Orioles are sitting two games under .500 right now despite not having Brian Roberts or Brian Matusz for most of the year. You might as well include Nick Markakis in that group as well he hasn’t been here either. Derrek Lee has been on and off the starting lineup and Luke Scott has been struggling. Still, only two games under .500.
Thinking about it like that the Orioles’ record has been a bit remarkable.
On Tuesday the Orioles and MASN hosted the Post and other Orioles bloggers for a night of baseball. Anthony posted the interview with Adam Jones below. I have to say this, it was a night. Talking baseball with Camden Crazies and Camden Depot all night was quite a blast. I had never been on the field before, nor come face to face with a player like that. Walking onto that hallowed turf was quite a rush.
Walking onto that field filled me with the emotions of my younger days. I came to a realization, at 28 I am older than many of the players that I admire the way I did when I was a child. Yet here I am a grown man trying desperately to contain my enthusiasm for simply walking onto a major league ball field. I like to think I kept it under my, very stylish, hat. It was quite the experience and I am very thankful for having taken part in it.
As the season progresses in a very streaky manner you have to wonder which Orioles are the real Orioles. Every aspect of the team has gone on repetitive hot and cold streaks from the offense to the bullpen. Will Nick Markakis ever get it right? Was Luke Scott’s monster homerun the other night a sign of things to come? Mark Reynolds has three homers in the last four games, is he finally putting it together? A lot of questions still surround this team going forward in waht hopes to be a very intersting summer in Baltimore.
