Somebody Must've Put Something in Their Starbucks

Buzzing about the win; Do we really have to wait until August to play Seattle again?

by Matthew Taylor

O’s 8 – Mariners 7

The O’s are fun to watch again, and for this franchise that really means something. In recent years a 5-0 deficit would’ve been enough for me to tune out and save myself the aggravation. Something told me this one could be different. And it was.

Some thoughts on last night’s enjoyable victory.

-How do they eat their words in Seattle? My guess is that they toss them over a counter first. Perhaps we should ask Mariners blogger Rally Fried, who noted the following at the outset of season: “The schedule-making gods sure smiled on the Mariners this season. First the Rangers, then the Orioles, followed by the Rays. How long will it be until the M’s start facing some real baseball teams?”

Head-to-head wins: Orioles 6 – Mariners 1.

-Perhaps I’m just oversensitive after last season, but for me the O’s early season success is a direct function of the bullpen. As The Sun notes in its game story (linked above), “They improved to 7-1 in one-run games after going 13-31 in such games last season.” That stat speaks for itself.

-Speaking of the bullpen, Roar from 34 favorite Randor Bierd put up another solid night for the Birds: 2 Innings, 1 hit, O runs. However, I (jokingly) think Dave Trembley’s expectations are getting to be a bit much. I know the guy hasn’t given up any runs this season, but is it fair to pull him as soon as he gives up a hit?

-G-“O” Down Fighting

Roar from 34's chosen narrative for the overall 2008 O's season gets a bit more fuel with the Birds' ninth come-from-behind victory. Of course if the O's keep winning there may not be any “down” in the “G-'O' Down.” No matter, it's all about the team's fighting spirit.

Trembley: “I made a couple of trips to the mound and the guys said, 'Hey, let's get some outs here because we are going to come back and score.'”

Roberts: “I mean, I know it's early. But we were down 5-0, and it was kind of like, ho-hum. It's not like we knew we were going to win or anything, but there was no panic at all.”

More Roberts: “It's a fun team to be a part of right now because we play all 27 outs. If you beat us, we tip our hats, but we're not going to quit, we're not going to die. I think some of our young guys are gaining confidence by the second and some of the older guys are coming up with big hits. It's a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Gary Thorne also believes in the O's fighting spirit, noting optimistically throughout the game that the O's were on the doorstep of a comeback.

-I cursed Jamie Walker as much as the next guy after he blew the O's first lead of the game, but it's hard to not appreciate his honesty afterward.

“That pitch should have been hit out,” said Walker, who has given up game-tying homers in three of his last six outings. “[Heck], my son could of hit that ball out. If we had lost, I'd have probably chewed my arm off. But that said, we won the game and that's all I give a [damn] about.”

A proposal: The next time that Walker allows a game-tying homer he actually does have to chew his arm off. Can I get a ruling from the kangaroo court?

-Despite his perfect conversation rate on saves, George Sherill makes me nervous. With that in mind, it's hard to overstate the importance of the ninth inning, 4-6-3 double play the Birds turned against Ichiro. And they did so almost on cue after Jim Palmer noted how unlikely such an occurrence would be.

-Burning question after last night's game (believe it or not, it doesn’t deal with Adam Loewen): Just what did Dave Trembley say to the fan who ran on to the field in the ninth inning? Trembley clearly had some words for the guy, who security paraded past the O's dugout.

-Burning question No. 2 after last night's game (again, no mention of Loewen): Should the Birds break up the team at the trade deadline if they have a shot at ending the run of losing seasons? Roar from 34's answer: Still a yes.