Game 83 Recap-
RH SP Daniel Cabrera won for the 1st time since May 20th and 1b Aubrey Huff homered, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards Wednesday night. The win allows the Os to take 2 of the first three in the series and has them at a pleasantly surprising 43-40.
Cabrera was plain and simply the story of this game, on a night when his team needed a long outing, he pitched a complete game and used only 105 pitches. After a very tough June in which he did not get past the 7th inning, had a 7.06 era while going 0-3, July looks more promising, after a complete game 7 hitter with 2 runs allowed and 2 Ks. Plus no walks! Cabrera was excited post game,”It’s great. It’s a new month,” Cabrera said. “It’s good to have a good game. It’s been a long time since I had one like that.”
Cabrera allowed a home run in the 1st as CF David DeJesus led off the game with a solo shot. Huff answered with a 2 run shot in the bottom of the inning. A ground out double play in then 2nd plated the final KC run. In the home 3rd, DH Luke Scott singled in a run for a 3-2 score. In the 5th, RF Nick Markakis tripled to put the lead at two, 4-2. C Ramon Hernandez followed with a single scoring Markakis.
Royals starter, veteran RH Gil Meche(6-9,4.74), was not bad, he just pitched on a bad night and against the wrong guy. Meche went 6 while allowing 9 hits and 5 runs.(4 earned) He walked 2 and struck out none. DeJesus had 3 of the Royals 7 hits to lead the team.
Star of the Game-
Cabrera- Let his Manager, Dave Trembley sum it up, “Well, you’re probably not going to see Cabrera pitch any better than he did tonight,” Trembley said. “He had command. He got groundballs and he got great defense behind him. His poise was outstanding.”
Orioles Notes-
Cabrera is 5-0 with a 2.21 era in 8 career starts vs the Royals, Os are 8-0 in those games…. Hernandez led the team with 3 hits… RHP Matt Albers(3-3,3.49) has decided to rehab his injured right shoulder rather than face surgery. “I’m still optimistic I’ll be able to pitch this year,” Albers said last week. “I don’t really want to have surgery. I don’t think anyone really wants to.” The Os front office was pleased with the news, “This was the course that both our orthopedic doctor and Dr. Andrews thought was the proper course,” said Andy MacPhail, the team president for baseball operations. “It’s the course that Matt believes is the right course, so it’s the course we take.”
Next Game-
Thursday, 7:05 Camden Yards- series finale
Orioles LH Garrett Olson(6-3,4.76) vs Royals RH Kyle Davies(3-1,3.34)
