Sunday?s game was the type that dictates the path of a season.
With an 8-7 win over the defending World Champion Chicago White Sox, the Orioles established themselves as a spoiler to be reckoned with.
With one out in the ninth inning, Javy Lopez lined a single to center past a drawn-in infield for a walk-off win, bringing to an end a wild game that featured six lead changes.
“In that particular at bat, I was 100 percent looking for a fastball,” Lopez said.
Lopez?s bases-loaded single off Chicago closer Bobby Jenks scored Jay Gibbons from third.
“It was a good day, even better how we finished,” said Gibbons, who hit his 11th homer of the season in the sixth inning. “It was looking pretty bleak there with Jenks coming in. He?s pretty filthy. Better to be lucky than good in the last inning.”
Lopez said the win gives the team hope, and perhaps a spark towards success in the spoiler role.
“A game like that keeps everybody happy … just knowing that a game like that can hurt the other team, because they?re battling for the wild card,” Lopez said. With the loss, Chicago went from a half-game up in the wild card standings, to a half-game behind the Yankees.
Before Sunday?s contest, O?s manager Sam Perlozzo hoped Bruce Chen would give him five solid innings.
The left-hander responded with 5.1 innings, drawing praise from the understanding crowd and an overworked bullpen upon his exit.
“Bruce was key,” Perlozzo said after the win. “He pitched like he did last year and put us in a position deep in the game.”
Chen struck out four and walked none in his 84-pitch outing.
While the relievers that followed let the lead slip, the offense was able to keep the team in it.
The Orioles rattled out 13 hits, including four from Jay Gibbons and two each from Lopez and rookies Nick Markakis and Brandon Fahey. It was the sixth time in Gibbons? career that he has reached four hits in one game.
“I wanted to try to help the team at least,” said Gibbons, who was activated from the disabled list before Saturday?s game. “It was a good day, I had a couple fall for me, and I hit a couple good.”
The Orioles also made a few roster changes prior to Sunday?s game.
Reliever LaTroy Hawkins was placed on the bereavement list, and his place on the roster was taken by recently-demoted reliever Eddy Rodriguez. Saturday?s starter James Johnson was sent back to Bowie, and left-hander Tim Byrdak was activated from the disabled list.
Kris Benson, who missed a scheduled start this weekend with elbow tendonitis, is unsure of when he will return. Benson said he plans to start throwing today in hopes of loosening his pitching arm.
“I don?t think Kris Benson is going to be ready until sometime in the Yankees series at best,” Perlozzo said. The Yankees come to town for a three-game series starting Friday.
“We?ll wait and see what happens the next couple of days,” Perlozzo said.
