How often this year have you seen the Orioles chase a starting pitcher in the fourth inning of the rubber game of a three-game series on Sunday? I guess if I had an ounce of initiative, I'd look that up, but why over-analyze things. The Orioles just ran Texas Rangers starter Derek Holland off the mound, thanks in part to a couple of the Sunday lineup guys. Chad Moeller has two hits and two RBI and Jeff Fiorentino has a big hit and two runs.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Guthrie continues his stretch-run salvage project. He looks like a completely different pitcher since he bottomed out in mid-August, and he's got a shutout going in the sixth inning.
Here's a quick stat for you. If Guthrie can complete a scoreless sixth, his ERA will drop below 5.00 for the first time in two months.
There's no World Baseball Classic next spring, so maybe he'll be able to carry this momentum into 2010.
