Orioles sweep Seattle, hit the road

Veteran clubhouse leader Kevin Millar reiterated his preseason prediction after the Orioles extended their winning streak to five games.

“We?re going to win the World Series this year,” he said. “I told you guys that in spring training. We?re in here to win baseball games. Every day is a different day and a different game, and you go out there and try to win that game. That?s it. That?s the season. You?ve got a long way to go.”

The Orioles have 156 games to go, to be exact.

The Orioles? win was consistent with the others in the series against Seattle (2-5), as it was unspectacular, but it combined a good outing from starter Daniel Cabrera, a great performance from the bullpen, and a scrappy offense that comes through in the clutch.

Cabrera had a 32-pitch first inning, during which he allowed home runs to Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez. But Cabrera played escape artist on a couple of occasions, leaving five Mariners on base before slipping into the dugout after scattering five hits, four runs and 58 strikes in six innings.

He gave way to the bullpen, including young right-hander Dennis Sarfate (2-0), who blew a 99-mph fastball past pinch hitter Mike Morse to strand two runners on base in the seventh. George Sherrill threw a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

The Orioles took lead in the eighth inning when designated hitter Aubrey Huff, who was booed throughout much of the homestand for his negative comments about the City uttered on an offseason radio show, smacked the game-winning home run over the right-center field fence.

Now, the Orioles must prove they can win on the road, as they have a three-game series in Texas beginning this afternoon at 2:05 before a three-game set in Tampa Bay. The Orioles return home to face Toronto on April 14.

But for now, the Orioles have given the 126,554 fans to come through the turnstiles at Camden Yards have plenty of optimism.

Sean Welsh is the Orioles beat writer for The Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected]