Tell Richie B to order hernias all around.
I hope I never see Millar hitting #4 ever again.
BRoberts, Markakis, Scott, Jones...pretty good building blocks.
If they only had a couple of position players on line from AAA for next year.

OMG a save situation and Sherrill isn't in the game! Did out beloved manager get ejected or something?

0 Walks Complete game.

Bullpen was rested a bit.

Cabrera for President! (ok just one game, but great effort)

Today's lineup ended with 7 guys over .250 for the first time. At one point there were only four or five guys over that level.
Now there are five guys over .270.

Roch,

Let's be honest. Do you ever get annoyed when Dave T cuts you, and everyone else, off during your post-game interview sessions? I love Trembley, but man is that irritating... and I'm not even in the room.

Anyway, great job tonight by DCab. If he could only pitch against the Royals every day...

Still haunted by Sunday and Monday, but I will definitely take 43-40. Orioles magic forever.

I noted a while back when Huff started to heat up, that the key was he was waiting on balls and hitting them to the opposite field. Trembley said the same thing tonight. That's what got Aubrey's bat back in the groove. Now he's driving the ball to the gaps and continuing to come through in the clutch.

The other nice dimension--at third and at first, Huff is playing good defense.

Huff, the magic dragon!

Not a bad line-up but you aren't going to far when your third baseman is hitting .228. How long does this go on?

Hey Roch, Hasn't Huff also hit a homerun in the suspended game, so once that game resumes won't he have another homerun?
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Those stats have already been included. - Roch

Really, really impressive stuff from Daniel Cabrera tonight from the fourth inning on; overall, one of his most dominant performances (73 strikes, 32 balls, 21 of the last 23 batters retired).

Since Brandon Fahey he's been starting, it's painful for me to watch him bat. Even those rare occasions when he gets a hit, it's usually a flare just eluding an infielder's reach.

With this in mind, I'd like to see Bud Selig give Brandon an exemption from the ban on performance enhancing drugs. Steroids, HGH or anything else in that group of substances, should be allowed.

Seriously.

When Barry Bonds used them, it's an unfair advantage, but with Brandon it's called a fighting chance!

meanwhile, in the bronx, the pontoon has come unmoored

So, I guess I need to rag on DCab in this blog more often. Or, he needs to pitch against KC more often. Anyhow, tonight was just what the doctor ordered.

The delusional part of me wonders whether if we had those two tough losses back and were 45-38, we would be looking at .500 in the rear-view mirror for good. The realist in me knows we wouldn't. Awesome to be a winner by 9:30 nonetheless.

we should trade Mora for Hanley Ramirez and move Huff to 3rd. What is MacPhail doing? Pull the trigger already!

Great game by dcab. We needed that one big time.

Dcab pwn'd those n00bs.

DCAB 4 lyfe.

Ok this is coming from a lifetime Os fan; I am so happy (if it is not the Os in 1st place) the Rays are leading the division. This is a real feel good story. They just scored 4 in the 7th inning to take a 5-4 lead. I would take them above anyone other than the Os in the east any day. Lets Go Os and Rays to lead the East.

jesse. I like the numbers Huff is putting up too but let's not get carried away by mentioning him in the same sentence/comparing him with Eddie Murray. I presume you were doing so in jest/tongue in cheek(3 times at that!!).
Anyway, great win tonight, good job by Dan Cab and 'pen gets a much needed rest.
I'm not an orthopaedic specialist but as trying to rehab an arm injury like Albers has usually doesn't prevent surgery down the road.

Now that I'm no longer the anonymous guy who says "Hey Roch!" when I pass in front of the Lower Press Box let me tell ya...
We got us a pretty decent ball club, yup, we do indeed, We have our ups and downs, but the fact that we are .518 (even though we are still in our good old 4th place slot in the AL East)- who'd a thunk...right?
Cabrera pitched a great game and made most of us forget about that homer in the first and the balk-oh yeah...that balk...what was that?
Thanks for the photo Roch-bo and see ya tomorrow night!
Hasta Banana!

Missed the game tonight on MLBTV.com because I was in a World Civilization I class...UG (I'm too old for this stuff), but great game by DCAB. I like this lineup too (even more when Mora comes out of his funk!). As long as Fahey plays good solid defense up the middle they will survive the rest of the year with him hitting around .200. GO O's! The Red Sux and Yanks suck!

I am curious - maybe it's just me...but is there ANYTHING about a baseball broadcast more annoying than hearing about a "2 RBI homer"? Why can't it just be a 2-run homer like it is everywhere els? He might just as well scratch a chalboard with his fingernails. It is so annoying - but again, maybe it's just me?

Awesome job by Cabrera - but unfortunately we don't play the Royals every time he pitches. Regardless, it was a big inning eating performance that rested the bullpen.

5 games out from wild card! As for the shortstop, I'd actually rather see Uribe here vs. Lopez. Trade deadline sure is gonna be interesting. The series in Boston is going to be huge! Who'd have thunk it?

A question for the masses:

Why does everyone go to bed so early aruund here?

And by the way, I stand happily corrected about Cabrera making his correction. He saved Trembley from another night of questions about Sherrill.

what would it take to get Kalil Greene from SD to play SS. they are doing bad and may thin k to rebuild- who knows just a thaught. also if Matt Holiday becomes available is that the kind of guy you consider trading for as well? What about Sabathia- i know were rebuilding as well, but a bona fide veteran pitcher cant hurt... not that that particular trade would be high on my list but if its a right player right price type of deal, you gotta consider it. we do have a lot of young pitching. why not add some key veterns while subtracting some as well. the O's could play both buyer and seller this year.

Who says you can't cry over spilled milk.......2 strikes from being 7 games over .500.
But 3 games over in July certainly is not bad though.

GO O'S!!

After several nights of long games and a couple extra inning stingers it was great to be on the road and heading home before 10pm. Thanks Daniel!!

I hope the Texas bullpen gives us a couple of 9 run innings when they come to town this weekend! Dayum Yankees, why won't they just fall into 4th place already.

Dude - what kind of crack do you think the Marlins would have to be smoking to make that trade? You'd have to get pictures of the entire front office, plus the owner, in a compromising position with hookers, dope dealers, and possibly a goat, to get them to trade Mora for Ramirez. Why not just follow up that trade with Fahey to the Yankees for A-Rod so he can play 3B and we can leave Huff at first? Heck, we can even throw in Cintron and Bynum, one to each team to help balance it out. I don't know why Cashman would turn that down.

Hey, Dude, why in the world would Florida want Mora? Let's be realistic here.

Roch,
When will David Hernandez get his first start? The O's have no one at AAA to help. Hayden Penn needs a Heimlick specialist on his payroll for all the choking he does.
What about Reimold? It seems like we are now like a lot of teams that keep their best talent at 2A. I think its actually better to skip AAA.
Oh, and whats with the GCL Orioles, they cannot buy a win, and having some of our new draft picks down there. Cris Salberg and Elvin Polanco are amazing!!

It is amusing to see 3 or 4 individuals continue to talk about trading for Hanley Ramirez as if the Marlins would ever consider doing such a thing. This guy is one of the top 3 players in the entire game, just signed an extension, and on top of that the O's couldn't come up with a package enticing enough to make it happen without completely gutting their minor league organization.

I trust that emails suggesting that we trade a 37 year old 3rd baseman hitting .228 straightup for the best shortstop in the game is a complete joke.

Hanley Ramirez is not coming here for a minimum of 4 more years.

But if the O's are contenders 4years from now and still need a shortstop, then maybe you can package a realistic deal to Florida if they are struggling and still have no stadium and no fan support.

So, "Dude for Life" your dream of pulling the trigger on a Hanley Ramirez deal may come true, just not anytime soon, dude.

Nice job Dcab. We needed it. and Ramon finally getting in a groove, hopefully he has a solid 2nd half.

Whats up with Cormier and why hasn't he pitched all week? They could have used him instead of Sarfate on both occasions.
Sarfate has nasty stuff, he just needs some control.

w is for lenn sakata

Roch,
One more thing. Who was doing the drafting in 2005 and 2006? I am really starting to get concerned about Billy Rowell and Brandon Snyder. Watching Matt Weiters and how fast Markakis got to OPAC puts them in perspective. Rowell has been terrible. I know is he just 19, but I have read scouting reports that say he is sooooo lazy. One scout said " I just wanted to yell out to him, MOVE!!!".
The main reason the Rays are where they are, and the O's are where we are has been that they have drafed well. Wren got us what 5 1st round picks in 99? Of our draft picks since 1998, how many have made the Majors or are performing well? It is a sad state of affairs if you think about it. The benifit of losing means you get the higher picks. Rowell went 9th, Lincecum was 10th!!!! Tyler Colvin 11th.
Wowsers.

Rob B - I agree with you on Tampa, but only to a certain extent. I know I'm off in fantasy land talking about the playoffs, but in my opinion we have NO chance of making the post season if the Rays stay hot. NONE. ZIP. ZILCH. If we're being honest, Boston IS going to win this division. We all know it. So the longer Tampa hangs around and beats teams like the Sox, the more difficult it's going to be on us. I know, fantasy world...

Gary- Nope, you aren't alone. I cringe every time I see, hear, or think about Gary Thorne. The "2-RBI dinger" calls could possibly be the worst calls in the history of professional sports broadcasting. I am dumber after listening to every broadcast he does. I award him zero points and may god have mercy on his soul.

So after 10 years of losing and producing an extraordinarily small number of good players on the farm you have started to question our drafts, Ryan? Thats brilliant. Fans have been talking about that for a decade. We'll wait while you catch up. Oh yeah, Cal retired too.

In the last 2 drafts we have done alot to build our team with actual prospects that may eventually graduate to become actual players in the majors. We should start seeing the benefits maybe a little in 2009 but 2010 for sure.

Um, folks, I think the Mora for Ramirez trade was sarcasm, although it doesn't seem to have gone over as such. You know how folks on here often say trade veteran X (who is stinking) for stud Y... the dreamers. My guess is that post was a play on those other posts that think we can get value for Mora.

Nice year for the O's so far. I hope they keep it up. Please don't trade for vets.. build the youth!

Ok Dude of Life....see all the above posts about why Mora for Rameriz will never happen.

Was at last nights game..wow, that went fast. First time I got to sit in the first row. It was pretty awesome..only slightly annoying that Mark Teahen wears his pants sooooooo damn tight!
Just an overall great game minus a balk.. who was umping? Bob Davidson?..

One of my predictions for this season? Aubrey Huff would be the most disappointing player. Ha ha. I’m glad I’m wrong a lot in good ways. I don’t know what happened with that hernia surgery nor will I ask any questions. Apparently, hernia surgery trumps oblique injury.

It seems like, as many have already suggested, Albers will probably end up having surgery, but at least he’s going along with the medical opinions he’s been given and not going against them. Perhaps there’s some hope in that. Maybe the medical professionals know what they’re talking about.

As for the trade proposals that have surfaced, some I assume are satirical, playing up the giving up your bad-performing players for the league’s best in hopes that delirium prevails on the other end stance that some times hometown fans are guilty of. In that view, they are appropriate, even comically delightful. Others are just unrealistic, like acquiring Holliday or Sabathia. The O’s would have to give up too much for either, negating the gains they made in offseason trades and aborting the rebuilding that has been started, for what would have to be a faint hope at the wildcard for this season.

Perhaps in a couple years, the O’s will be in a better position to ponder such trades, when hopefully they become contenders/buyers and not noncontenders/sellers. The record so far this season is good, but they are still as an organization in the latter group.

How about a round of applause for the Rays ? They just swept the Red Sux out of Tropicana Field .

Seeing all those Red Sux fans trying to 'take over' Tropicana , sitting on their hands ,their faces expressionless -PRICELESS

it is incredible how bad our scouting and drafting was in the past dozen years. who was in charge of it, shirley macclain? a dead raccoon could have drafted better.

thank God those days are behind us. let's all be patient, keep the o's recent success in perspective and build for a future dynasty.

go o's.

Ryan - The main reason that the Rays are doing well is that they are finally benefitting from all of their last place finishes. They have never finished out of last place in the division and have often had the worst record in baseball. Recently, baseball changed it's rules on the draft which allowed them to have the first pick overall in the last two drafts. This is a first in the history of the draft. They have had the first pick in four of the past ten years. The Orioles have never picked higher than fourth.

I'm certain that if you would examine the Rays draft history you would find that they have had some good, bad and downright ugly selections, just like the Orioles and everyone else in baseball.

Their use of those selections would be debatable as well. For instance, they released Josh Hamilton, yet traded Delmon Young recently for Matt Garza and Bartlett, their starting shortstop. Rocco Baldelli, a solid player, but has rarely been healthy was another high pick.

To label Rowell as terrible at age 19 is a real stretch. Their are 29 other teams in baseball who would take him right now if the O's would let him walk. Your comment about him being lazy may be correct. I saw him play last year over the fourth in Hagerstown. Just by his walk(very much up on his toes), my first impression, maybe incorrect, was that he was very full of himself. Hopefully, struggling a little in A ball will get him to focus more.

Like others have mentioned here I am happy to see the Rays do so well.

It was so good to see Tampa Bay pull a little magic of it's own to come back and beat the mighty Red Sox! It shows that if you are patient in building your team you can compete in the AL East! Pay attention O's management.
"Tampa Bay Magic, feel it happen.....T-A-M-P-A-B-A-Y.......Magic.....Magic.....Magic......Magic......Something magic happens.........."

Ryan - Ease up on Rowell. As you said, the kid is 19 and he's still trying to adjust to learning a new position. Shortstop and 3rd base are nothing alike in terms of playing the ball, so I'm not surprised that he's having some trouble. If we're still saying the same thing when he's 22 then perhaps we can start to get a little concerned. Until then it's just silly.

Ryan - you might be right that the main reason the Rays are where they are and the O's are where they are is drafting. But when you made that statement, did you consider that the Orioles have NEVER, drafted ahead of the Rays. So all those first round picks that are helping the Rays, were never available to the brass from Baltimore. Just a thought.

Hey Roch, I happened to be glancing at our now growing dl and I noticed some names I haven't heard about in a while. What's going on with Hoey and Baez?

Can you give us an update on the status of the negotiations with Brian Matusz? I thought he was supposed to sign quickly.

If we are going to trade for a SS, how about a package around George Sherrill for Rays prospect Reid Brignac? He is playing well at triple A now that his bat has caught up and they need a late inning guy with Reyes and Percival hurting. If we are rebuilding why care about trading in the division?

I had been a bit concerned over Sherrill's perceived overuse, but in looking at his innings pitched this season, his total is very consistent with closers in the rest of the league. Perhaps we should give Trembley a break on that issue.

also, I am not sure people realize Huff's value right now. He is the 2nd best primary DH in all of baseball and is really smoking the ball. Timing is everything. I think his hot first half should land us some very nice prospects from a team that is one solid bat away from the playoffs. We'll see. I really can't wait for the deadline. It really has been a nice season.

It is now 8:43pm and I have been taken hostage and I have been taken hostage. Looks as if you'll have to jog over to you closest 1st Mariner & get a copy of Pressbox to see if the O's win this game, and Cabrerra gets his 2nd complete game of the season.
Roch
PS Could someone please tell Anita that I may not be able to make it.

Roch, as a guy blessed with a sense of humor, do you find it a little discouraging that perhaps a third of your readers are missing every joke you post?

Case in point: Everyone who took the Dude's "Mora For Hanley Ramirez" suggestion seriously. I'm sorry to rip on my fellow readers, but if you couldn't tell that was a joke, you're approaching cyborg levels. Lighten up people.

Come on folks. The Dude is thinking ahead. Each time the Marlins won the World Series, they traded away the whole team for youth. Trading for Mora makes sense. That might give them the inside track at signing his six kids! And don't tell me some of them are girls. Not all prospects work out.

Curious, Roch. When you write a piece for the Sun with Jeff Zrebiec, do you sit down together and hash it out in front of the computer or do you each contribute a section to the article?
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I'm glad you didn't ask if we shared an apartment. It depends. For the notebook that ran today, he wrote the draft update item and e-mailed it to me. I wrote the rest. We sit next to each other in the press box and formulate a plan. - Roch

Being in MA and in the Red Sox NESN market, I'd like to add a few tidbits to the Ray's sweep. The RS games are so slow I got to watch the last few innings after the O's games ended.

Rays fans have come back to take the Trop back. Best of all, after last night's sweep, while the Rays were greeting each other on the field & Sox fans moped, they blasted "Sweet Caroline" from the speakers. Man, the look on a few of the RS players' faces...

Roch, I've read Jim Johnson's name mentioned along the lines of the All-Star game. Do you think there is even a snowball's chance of this actually happening?

Personally, I think he deserves it. But i fear that he is in a role that is very overlooked in terms of All-Stars.
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I don't think there's a chance. Brian Roberts is the likely rep. George Sherrill has an outside chance, though those two blown saves didn't help. - Roch

JPA - So you are on the side of trading Huff. I'm kind of surprised to hear you say that. What's your opinion on Sherrill and Roberts being traded?

Just catching up on some of yesterday's posts. Ray do you seriously believe that their is a manager in baseball who doesn't use his closer on back to back days? Maybe if you are going to post such stuff you should change your name.