Former Oriole Brian Roberts didn't waste a moment Friday in punctuating his return to Camden Yards for the first time since signing with the New York Yankees.
After a muted reception from Orioles fans when he stepped to the plate for the first time, Roberts jumped on the first pitch he saw from Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez and launched it onto the flag court for his fifth home run of the season.
That woke up the substantial Yankees presence in the stands, and he got a big ovation as he rounded the bases.
Perhaps his homecoming didn't really register because he already had played the Orioles in spring training and in two series at Yankee Stadium. It has been seven months since he jumped to the Yankees and told the YES Network that he was a big Yankees fan as a kid.
Roberts said before the game that he didn't know what to expect from Orioles fans. There were some boos mixed in with the cheers when he came to the plate, especially after the home run, but the only thing notable about his reception was that it wasn't particularly notable.