O's-M's, Get Out The Brooms

The Orioles are looking for the four game sweep, and Daniel Cabrera starts the game in his usual fashion - he throws three straight balls, gets a strike, and then leaves a fastball right down the middle and Ichiro gives the M's a 1-0 lead with a homer into right-center field. Now that the O's are behind, the can do their whole comeback victory thing.

After a ground out, Cabrera gets back to what he's been doing best - a hanging curveball to Raul Ibanez makes it 2-0 Mariners.

Adrian Beltre hit a lot of balls hard foul, but Daniel is able to get him with a 94 mph fastball (with sink) at the knees. Why can't he do that all the time?

Brad Wilkerson walks. Now Daniel has done his thing; he's walked a guy, struck out a guy, gotten a ground ball, and given up the long ball.

Beautiful pitch to strike out Richie Sexson. It was 93, and tailed back to just hit the outside corner. So much potential - must...not...expect...ace. [It's always a struggle when he makes pitches like he did to Beltre and Sexson.]

After a outs by Roberts and Mora, Nick puts another good opposite field swing on the ball and doubles to left. Millar flies out to Ichiro to end the inning. It's not exciting if they come back right away.

Daniel leaves another pitch in the middle of the plate, and Vidro flies out hard to right. Cabrera keeps the ball down and/or in to the next two batters and gets a couple of ground balls. If he can hold them at 2, the O's should be able to put some runs on the board against Carlos Silva.

Huff grounds out, and Luke Scott puts a good swing on the ball, but Wilkerson makes the catch at the wall. Ramon Hernandez does likewise, but Ibanez is there. 1-2-3 go the Birds.

Daniel is really dealing now. The fastball is moving, but it's staying down in the strike-zone. A strike-out sandwiched between two ground outs ends the inning.

Adam Jones should have drawn his first walk as an Orioles, but the umpire called him out on a pitch that was outside. Luis Hernandez doubles his hit total for the year with a line drive up the middle. Brian Roberts gets the O's on the board with an opposite field double - the Pelican flies around the bases and scores from first. Melvin Mora; deep and gone. That makes it 3-2, Birds. Markakis takes a mighty swing, but misses the sinker in on his hands - then he misses a pitch away for the K.

Adrian Beltre singles off of Cabrera, but Daniel comes back to strike out Wilkerson on three pitches; the third a moving fastball in on his hands. Richie Sexson walks, as that's pretty much all he can do versus Daniel at this point. Vidro grounds to first, who throws to second to get Sexson, and the Pelican throws to Daniel at first. Vidro beats it out, and Cabrera forgets that Beltre is at third - Adrian comes in to score to tie the game. Johjima grounds out to end the inning.

The Orioles go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame. To the top of the fifth we go.

Daniel walks the number nine hitter to bring up Ichiro. Another ball in the middle of the plate to Ibanez results in an RBI double, 4-3 M's. Then he comes back to do that thing again where he tails the fastball back over the outside corner. Daniel's fifth strike-out ends the inning.

Adam Jones laces a ball down the left field line for a double. The Pelican sacrifices Jones to third, and Brian Roberts hits one hard through the infield to tie the game at 4. Brian may try to take off for second at some point. They can't get any more, as Mora strikes out and Kakes flies out. We've got a brand new ball-game, though. Hopefully Daniel Cabrera pitches better in this one than in the previous five innings.

Richie Sexson hits a one-out double, and the Trivia Question is which 3 AL teams never went to the World Series. That would be Texas, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. Daniel then intentionally walks Jose Vidro, after falling behind 2-0. Johjima gets jammed on a first pitch fastball, and pops out to the Pelican.

I was not able to see the rest of the game, but the bullpen was very good again with Walker going 2/3 of an inning, Sarfate blowing them away for 1 1/3, and George Sherrill picking up his fourth save. And why was Sherrill in position to save the game? Because Aubrey Huff hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. Orioles win, 5-4. They are now 5-1, after completing the four-game sweep of the Mariners.