Orioles Come Up Big

Several Orioles came up huge last night. None of them more so than Matt Wieters. The big catcher set the tone tonight and the Orioles never looked back. Way back in the top of the 1st, Wieters hit an RBI single with two outs to put the Orioles up 1-0. The single broke an 0-22 streak with RISP for the O's recently (I am convinced Reynolds had half of those at bats). He also called a terrific game behind the plate. The Orioles pitchers combined for a shutout under Wieters direction. Finally, Wieters decided to be a speed demon last night, stealing two bases. The steals were Wieters 2nd and 3rd of the season. He now has 4 steals for his career.

So about that pitching staff....They threw a shutout, so who do you think the starter was? That's right, it was Wei Yin Chen. The team's most consistent starter continues to dominate opponents. He threw seven brilliant innings and only gave up 5 hits. Chen only had 4 strikeouts, but who cares? A shutout is a shutout. His ERA dropped to 3.46, and his record improved to (10-6). A tremendous performance for him. The last two innings were handled by Johnson and Strop, enough said.

Nick Markakis continues to excel in his leadoff role as well. Markakis got the Orioles started last night getting on base early. He was the person who scored on Wieters hit in the 1st. Markakis scored twice and drove in one yesterday. He went 1-3 for the game and rose his average to .289.

Chris Davis was the only Oriole with multiple RBIs (2) as he went 2-5. Hardy also collected 2 hits for the Orioles. Hardy seems to be swinging the bat better lately too.

Finally, the Orioles made a huge roster move yesterday. They designated Endy Chavez for assignment, and brought up Nate McLouth. McLouth also made his Oriole debut last night and played left field. He went 2-4 with a double and scored a run in his debut. What a wonderful debut for McLouth. Welcome aboard!

-Noland