Following the Orioles? 15-1 drubbing against the Texas Rangers Thursday, many of the Baltimore players said it was important not to let a game like that fester in their memories too long.
Looking at how Baltimore?s pitchers have performed over the last three games, consider Thursday?s game a distant memory. Rodrigo Lopez battled in the 95-degree heat, but kept the Rangers lineup off-balance while the Orioles batters did the rest in a 4-0 win in front of 25,165 fans Sunday at Camden Yards. The win helped the Orioles salvage a split in the series, that included an 8-1 win Saturday.
Lopez (6-10) gave up no runs on five hits, struck out two and walked one while getting key outs with multiple runners on base over 5.2 innings before being relieved by Kurt Birkins. Birkins came in with runners on first and third in the sixth and got Texas third baseman Hank Blalock to ground out and end the threat. Birkins, along with Todd Williams and Chris Ray, did not allow a hit over the final 3.1 innings.
Orioles starters have now just given up three runs over the last three games, giving the team hope that the rotation ? which entered Sunday?s game 13th out of 14th American League teams with a 5.49 ERA ? has turned the corner.
“I think we needed it more than he did …” Orioles manager Sam Pelozzo said of Lopez, who entered the game with a 6.77 ERA. “Rodrigo?s got to be a guy who hits his spots with his pitches. Today he did that.
“The last three guys pitched great,” added Perlozzo on Lopez, along with Erik Bedard on Saturday and Kris Benson Friday. “We need to buy some time until Daniel [Cabrera] gets back on track and back up here, and hopefully Adam [Loewen] can come out and Russ [Ortiz] can come out and follow suit.”
Orioles catcher Javy Lopez expects to see similar starts from Rodrigo Lopez in the future.
“In the past, he would get runners on base and he would struggle,” Lopez said. “Now, he gets runners on base in scoring position and it doesn?t bother him. That?s the Rodrigo Lopez I like to see.”
In addition to the positive pitching performance, the Orioles saw some much-needed explosiveness from their lineup as three of their four runs came via the long ball. Miguel Tejada, who was the designated hitter, connected on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Right fielder Nick Markakis then hit his first home run since April 14 to lead off the fifth inning.
Melvin Mora capped Baltimore?s offense later that inning with an RBI single that drove in second baseman Brian Roberts. Mora finished the day 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. All of those runs came off Rangers starter John Wasdin (2-2), who lasted 4.1 innings.
“If you put some runs on the board, it takes a little pressure off the pitching staff, too, so the guy can relax a little more out there,” Perlozzo said. “I see some good signs from the offense and hopefully that will continue.”
