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06-11-2006, 04:15 PM
John Halama almost gave it away, but they got the win, despite numerous walks from Daniel Cabrera.
This was one of the "WHEW" games.
Orioles 9, Twins 7
Cabrera and O's hold on in wild one
Starter shuts out Twins for six; 8-run lead nearly blown
By Dan Connolly
Sun Reporter
Originally published June 11, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS // Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera keeps preaching that he can walk batters and still pitch effectively enough to win.
He did both last night, and his Orioles teammates bashed Minnesota pitching in a shaky 9-7 victory over the Twins before 24,478 at the Metrodome.
Cabrera set the tone for the game: bend. Hey, bend a lot. But don't break.
He allowed 11 base runners, but none scored. His teammates took an 8-0 lead and almost gave it back. Their closer had to escape his own bases-loaded, no-out jam.
Eventually, however, the Orioles (29-34) sweated to the win.
"I've had plenty of dental visits less painful than that," joked manager Sam Perlozzo.
It all started with Cabrera, who loaded the bases on two walks and a single to start the first. Pitching coach Leo Mazzone rushed out to Cabrera and had an animated discussion with his young starter.
Catcher Ramon Hernandez said Mazzone told Cabrera to stop worrying about throwing balls and just pitch. Cabrera and Mazzone, though, had temporary amnesia after the game.
"I don't remember," Mazzone said with a smirk. "It's between pitcher and coach."
"I can't say what he said," Cabrera said, before acknowledging that the mystery advice worked. A pop-up and a double play ended the threat.
"He did a good job getting out of the first inning, it got him going," Mazzone said. "Then, every once in a while, he was off target, but his stuff is so good that he was able to recover."
In four of the six innings he pitched, Cabrera allowed at least two runners. He twice walked two batters in an inning. He never set down the Twins in order while tossing an uneconomical 106 pitches.
Still, the immensely talented but wildly inconsistent Cabrera (4-2) picked up his second straight win since returning from the disabled list (shoulder inflammation). His slider and sinker were especially sharp last night.
"I feel great," Cabrera said. "All my pitches are working."
He got the win while putting up another vintage Cabrera pitching line: six innings, five hits, six walks, five strikeouts and one wild pitch.
"He's conveniently wild, which makes it even more tough," said Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar , who had three hits and two RBIs. "He is definitely one of the young, [up-and-coming] arms in the league. I'll tell you that."
Cabrera never pitched without a lead, buoyed by an offense that jumped all over Twins struggling starter Carlos Silva (2-8) and underachieving reliever Kyle Lohse. The Orioles scored three runs in the first, two on Miguel Tejada 's 15th homer.
With a three-run seventh - paced by Tejada's third RBI and a two-run double by Hernandez - the Orioles built an 8-0 lead, only to watch John Halama unravel in the bottom of the seventh.
Halama, whose ERA has ballooned to 6.14 and could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot, allowed three singles and a 414-foot grand slam to Michael Cuddyer.
Former Twin LaTroy Hawkins entered and gave up immediate back-to-back doubles, including one that just eluded diving left fielder Brandon Fahey.
With a runner on second and the Orioles suddenly up by only three, Mazzone visited Hawkins, spoke sternly and shook the right-hander's shoulder - almost as if he were trying to wake him up. Again, Mazzone's words are forever lost to the public.
"I don't remember that either," Mazzone said.
Again, though, Mazzone's troops rallied.
Hawkins wriggled out of the inning without allowing any more damage and Kurt Birkins pitched a scoreless eighth.
After Millar gave the Orioles an insurance run in the ninth, the door finally seemed shut. A four-run lead with lights out closer Chris Ray coming in.
Not so fast.
Ray allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases with no outs, and two of the runs scored on a groundout and flyout.
Remarkably, the Twins had the tying run at the plate in the ninth. But Ray induced former Oriole Tony Batista to hit a come-backer for the final out.
Finally, it was time to exhale.
"My stomach's still jumping, I'll tell you that," Perlozzo said.
With his frustration, there were also positives for Perlozzo. His team bounced back after a deflating 7-5, 12-inning loss Friday night. Cabrera looks healthy. And the club as a whole played excellent defense.
Shortstop Tejada and second baseman Brian Roberts turned two impressive double plays, including one in which Tejada gloved a bouncer up the middle and flipped backward to Roberts, who made a quick throw to get the speedy Torii Hunter at first.
Fahey had a diving catch in the fifth and right fielder Nick Markakis barehanded a ball off the wall and uncorked his best throw of the season to nab Justin Morneau at second on what looked like a routine double.
Lots of bending. No breaking.
"The win's in the column and, no matter what, you take it," Perlozzo said. "Because they are too hard to come by that you can't be [unhappy] with a win."
Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun
This was one of the "WHEW" games.
Orioles 9, Twins 7
Cabrera and O's hold on in wild one
Starter shuts out Twins for six; 8-run lead nearly blown
By Dan Connolly
Sun Reporter
Originally published June 11, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS // Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera keeps preaching that he can walk batters and still pitch effectively enough to win.
He did both last night, and his Orioles teammates bashed Minnesota pitching in a shaky 9-7 victory over the Twins before 24,478 at the Metrodome.
Cabrera set the tone for the game: bend. Hey, bend a lot. But don't break.
He allowed 11 base runners, but none scored. His teammates took an 8-0 lead and almost gave it back. Their closer had to escape his own bases-loaded, no-out jam.
Eventually, however, the Orioles (29-34) sweated to the win.
"I've had plenty of dental visits less painful than that," joked manager Sam Perlozzo.
It all started with Cabrera, who loaded the bases on two walks and a single to start the first. Pitching coach Leo Mazzone rushed out to Cabrera and had an animated discussion with his young starter.
Catcher Ramon Hernandez said Mazzone told Cabrera to stop worrying about throwing balls and just pitch. Cabrera and Mazzone, though, had temporary amnesia after the game.
"I don't remember," Mazzone said with a smirk. "It's between pitcher and coach."
"I can't say what he said," Cabrera said, before acknowledging that the mystery advice worked. A pop-up and a double play ended the threat.
"He did a good job getting out of the first inning, it got him going," Mazzone said. "Then, every once in a while, he was off target, but his stuff is so good that he was able to recover."
In four of the six innings he pitched, Cabrera allowed at least two runners. He twice walked two batters in an inning. He never set down the Twins in order while tossing an uneconomical 106 pitches.
Still, the immensely talented but wildly inconsistent Cabrera (4-2) picked up his second straight win since returning from the disabled list (shoulder inflammation). His slider and sinker were especially sharp last night.
"I feel great," Cabrera said. "All my pitches are working."
He got the win while putting up another vintage Cabrera pitching line: six innings, five hits, six walks, five strikeouts and one wild pitch.
"He's conveniently wild, which makes it even more tough," said Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar , who had three hits and two RBIs. "He is definitely one of the young, [up-and-coming] arms in the league. I'll tell you that."
Cabrera never pitched without a lead, buoyed by an offense that jumped all over Twins struggling starter Carlos Silva (2-8) and underachieving reliever Kyle Lohse. The Orioles scored three runs in the first, two on Miguel Tejada 's 15th homer.
With a three-run seventh - paced by Tejada's third RBI and a two-run double by Hernandez - the Orioles built an 8-0 lead, only to watch John Halama unravel in the bottom of the seventh.
Halama, whose ERA has ballooned to 6.14 and could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot, allowed three singles and a 414-foot grand slam to Michael Cuddyer.
Former Twin LaTroy Hawkins entered and gave up immediate back-to-back doubles, including one that just eluded diving left fielder Brandon Fahey.
With a runner on second and the Orioles suddenly up by only three, Mazzone visited Hawkins, spoke sternly and shook the right-hander's shoulder - almost as if he were trying to wake him up. Again, Mazzone's words are forever lost to the public.
"I don't remember that either," Mazzone said.
Again, though, Mazzone's troops rallied.
Hawkins wriggled out of the inning without allowing any more damage and Kurt Birkins pitched a scoreless eighth.
After Millar gave the Orioles an insurance run in the ninth, the door finally seemed shut. A four-run lead with lights out closer Chris Ray coming in.
Not so fast.
Ray allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases with no outs, and two of the runs scored on a groundout and flyout.
Remarkably, the Twins had the tying run at the plate in the ninth. But Ray induced former Oriole Tony Batista to hit a come-backer for the final out.
Finally, it was time to exhale.
"My stomach's still jumping, I'll tell you that," Perlozzo said.
With his frustration, there were also positives for Perlozzo. His team bounced back after a deflating 7-5, 12-inning loss Friday night. Cabrera looks healthy. And the club as a whole played excellent defense.
Shortstop Tejada and second baseman Brian Roberts turned two impressive double plays, including one in which Tejada gloved a bouncer up the middle and flipped backward to Roberts, who made a quick throw to get the speedy Torii Hunter at first.
Fahey had a diving catch in the fifth and right fielder Nick Markakis barehanded a ball off the wall and uncorked his best throw of the season to nab Justin Morneau at second on what looked like a routine double.
Lots of bending. No breaking.
"The win's in the column and, no matter what, you take it," Perlozzo said. "Because they are too hard to come by that you can't be [unhappy] with a win."
Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun