Brian Matusz, wearing the uniform of the 1949 Baltimore Elite Giants, rebounded from a rocky first and turned in seven quality innings in the O's win. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox / September 5, 2009) |
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Third baseman Melvin Mora has four more weeks left before his ninth and likely final full season with the Orioles is over. Brian Matusz's Orioles career is just starting, but he's part of a young nucleus that the organization hopes will bring better days.
With the Orioles one loss away from clinching their 12th straight losing season, the two players at vastly different stages of their careers helped push aside the inevitable for one more day. Matusz, making his sixth career start, rebounded from a rocky first and turned in seven quality innings. Mora, the longest-tenured member of the club, homered and drove in both the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers before an announced 18,028 on Saturday at Camden Yards.
"My motivation is when you see the other team in the other clubhouse, they're contending for the playoffs," said Mora, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and made a diving catch on Ian Kinsler's bunt in the eighth inning. "When you see guys play like it's the playoffs, that comes into my body. I'm going to play like it's the playoffs, too. You have to go out there and play hard because you know they're trying to beat you."
Wearing the uniforms of the 1949 Baltimore Elite Giants, the winners of two Negro leagues championships, the Orioles broke their four-game losing streak and won for just the 15th time in 48 games since the All-Star break.
They also ended the four-game winning streak of the Rangers, who would have moved within a game of the Boston Red Sox for the American League wild card with a victory.
Mora gave the Orioles their first lead with a two-out RBI single off Kevin Millwood in the fifth, and Matusz and two Orioles relievers made the lead stand up. Matusz, Danys Baez and Jim Johnson retired the Rangers' final 14 batters.
"They pitched well," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Johnson came in and shut it down. We got beat today. I can't think of anything out there that we gave them."
Things looked good early for the Rangers as they scored three runs on Matusz before the Orioles' first at-bat. Matusz (4-2) then allowed only one run over his final six innings and faced the minimum over his final four frames. He struck out three of the final six batters he faced in winning his third straight decision.
"That's kind of how I've been my whole life, where I'll start off slow, where I don't feel like I'm pounding the strike zone where I want to be," Matusz said. "As the game goes on, I feel stronger. I feel like I have good command of all four of my pitches ... and I'm in that good, consistent groove. I was able to do that today. My changeup was the best that it has been all year. I was able to throw it for a strike, and it had good sink on it, and my curveball was a plus for me, too, at the end of the game."
The day started for Matusz with a pregame visit to the upper press box to meet former Chicago Cub and Arizona Diamondback Mark Grace, who broadcasted yesterday's game on Fox. Matusz grew up in Arizona and idolized Grace, who signed a jersey for the Orioles pitcher.
It ended with the 22-year-old left-hander settling in and not allowing a hit after David Murphy's two-out single in the third inning. Murphy did most of the damage in the Rangers' three-run first with an opposite-field two-run homer.
"I think confidence is the word," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I think we all saw it in spring training. He's got a little bit different look in his eye. He's got a little twinkle in his eye, and he's real confident about what he can do. The best thing about him is he does not get rattled. He does not get rattled at all."
Said Matusz: "Anytime you go out there and give up three runs in the first inning, it's tough to say, 'I'm going to have a good game today.' But deep down inside, I knew I had to just grind my way through and say, 'Hey, that's it, that's the only runs they're going to get today.' "
The Orioles had been beaten by Millwood seven straight times, but the veteran right-hander didn't have it Saturday. He allowed a run in the first on Nick Markakis' sacrifice fly and another in the second inning on Mora's homer.
In the third inning, Millwood surrendered a solo homer to Nolan Reimold and then walked three of the next four batters he faced. Mora tied the game with a bases-loaded, two-out single that hit off the glove of diving third baseman Esteban German.
Mora, who entered the game 2-for-16 against Millwood, got the game-winning hit in the fifth with a hard grounder up the middle that scored Markakis from second. Mora is 12-for-30 (.400) with three homers and seven RBIs on the 10-game homestand, which ends today.
"I know it's not my best year," Mora said. "It's difficult for me because I'm hitting seventh. It's not where I used to be. I try to get used to hitting there and try to get comfortable."
With the Orioles one loss away from clinching their 12th straight losing season, the two players at vastly different stages of their careers helped push aside the inevitable for one more day. Matusz, making his sixth career start, rebounded from a rocky first and turned in seven quality innings. Mora, the longest-tenured member of the club, homered and drove in both the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers before an announced 18,028 on Saturday at Camden Yards.
"My motivation is when you see the other team in the other clubhouse, they're contending for the playoffs," said Mora, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and made a diving catch on Ian Kinsler's bunt in the eighth inning. "When you see guys play like it's the playoffs, that comes into my body. I'm going to play like it's the playoffs, too. You have to go out there and play hard because you know they're trying to beat you."
Wearing the uniforms of the 1949 Baltimore Elite Giants, the winners of two Negro leagues championships, the Orioles broke their four-game losing streak and won for just the 15th time in 48 games since the All-Star break.
They also ended the four-game winning streak of the Rangers, who would have moved within a game of the Boston Red Sox for the American League wild card with a victory.
Mora gave the Orioles their first lead with a two-out RBI single off Kevin Millwood in the fifth, and Matusz and two Orioles relievers made the lead stand up. Matusz, Danys Baez and Jim Johnson retired the Rangers' final 14 batters.
"They pitched well," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Johnson came in and shut it down. We got beat today. I can't think of anything out there that we gave them."
Things looked good early for the Rangers as they scored three runs on Matusz before the Orioles' first at-bat. Matusz (4-2) then allowed only one run over his final six innings and faced the minimum over his final four frames. He struck out three of the final six batters he faced in winning his third straight decision.
"That's kind of how I've been my whole life, where I'll start off slow, where I don't feel like I'm pounding the strike zone where I want to be," Matusz said. "As the game goes on, I feel stronger. I feel like I have good command of all four of my pitches ... and I'm in that good, consistent groove. I was able to do that today. My changeup was the best that it has been all year. I was able to throw it for a strike, and it had good sink on it, and my curveball was a plus for me, too, at the end of the game."
The day started for Matusz with a pregame visit to the upper press box to meet former Chicago Cub and Arizona Diamondback Mark Grace, who broadcasted yesterday's game on Fox. Matusz grew up in Arizona and idolized Grace, who signed a jersey for the Orioles pitcher.
It ended with the 22-year-old left-hander settling in and not allowing a hit after David Murphy's two-out single in the third inning. Murphy did most of the damage in the Rangers' three-run first with an opposite-field two-run homer.
"I think confidence is the word," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I think we all saw it in spring training. He's got a little bit different look in his eye. He's got a little twinkle in his eye, and he's real confident about what he can do. The best thing about him is he does not get rattled. He does not get rattled at all."
Said Matusz: "Anytime you go out there and give up three runs in the first inning, it's tough to say, 'I'm going to have a good game today.' But deep down inside, I knew I had to just grind my way through and say, 'Hey, that's it, that's the only runs they're going to get today.' "
The Orioles had been beaten by Millwood seven straight times, but the veteran right-hander didn't have it Saturday. He allowed a run in the first on Nick Markakis' sacrifice fly and another in the second inning on Mora's homer.
In the third inning, Millwood surrendered a solo homer to Nolan Reimold and then walked three of the next four batters he faced. Mora tied the game with a bases-loaded, two-out single that hit off the glove of diving third baseman Esteban German.
Mora, who entered the game 2-for-16 against Millwood, got the game-winning hit in the fifth with a hard grounder up the middle that scored Markakis from second. Mora is 12-for-30 (.400) with three homers and seven RBIs on the 10-game homestand, which ends today.
"I know it's not my best year," Mora said. "It's difficult for me because I'm hitting seventh. It's not where I used to be. I try to get used to hitting there and try to get comfortable."
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Great job on the mound....and Melvin you go boy.....keeping it real and playing hard to the very end, I think Baltimore appreciates that alot. thanks again !
HitmanOC (09/06/2009, 3:54 AM )