Usually these are for me the worst four days of the summer—all-star break, no ballgames—but I find that last home series against the Orioles is operating on me like an analgesic. No one wishes for the return of the sensation of flesh being torn.
The Orioles, however! (Twins look so bad I'm reduced to feeling attracted to their opponents.) Why aren't more people talking about them—or am I just missing the chatter? Two years ago, they lost 110 games. Then, last year, they improved to 83-79, but, probably because in their division that was only good for fourth place (of five teams), few noticed. This year, at the all-star break, they stand 54-35, two games behind the Rays in the AL East. Of 30 major league teams, only the Rays and Braves have better records than the Orioles.
The Orioles! Last time they were good, Cal Ripken was their shortstop, and for fun I could play in pick-up basketball games. They just beat the crap out of us on Saturday and Sunday, but it was Friday night's game that made me think it would be fun to be a Baltimore fan. The score was 1-1 when in a middle inning the first two Twin batters reached. Byron Buxton then hit what looked like a 3-run homer to left center, but the O's centerfielder raced back, leaped just as he got to the fence, brought the ball back into the ballpark in his glove for the inning's first out. The runner on second tagged and advanced to third, so we still had runners at the corners and just one out, but of course the next batter struck out and the one after that made the last out of the inning. Another zero in the line score for the home team.
Sometimes, you're watching the game, the count might be 1-1, the batter takes a close pitch, the umpire calls it either a ball or a strike, and the color commentator goes on a jag about the tremendous difference between a count of 2-1 versus 1-2. Okay, cool, but maybe leave something in reserve for the difference between a 3-run homer and an out. The score was still tied 1-1 when the Orioles came to bat in the top of the tenth, the gifted runner on second base. First batter muscles one out into right center, looks like an RBI single. But the guy hauls ass right out of the batter's box, our right-handed centerfielder has to run toward right field to get the ball, then twirl, and the Oriole beats the throw to second base: an RBI, yes, but also a hustle double. The next batter advances him to third with a sacrifice bunt. The next batter scores him with a medium-deep fly. Two run lead, ball game.
Fun to win a game like that. The Twins do not win games like that.
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