O's rock the Yankees in 6-0 win
The Orioles host the Yankees live from Oriole Park, Sunday at 1:30pm on MASN and MASN HD. Coverage begins with O's XTRA at 1:00pm. [Find MASN HD on your system]
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Brian Burres pitches shutout ball for 5.2 innings. Birds three-run third knocks Ian Kennedy from the game. Ramon Hernandez snaps 5-38 slide with two doubles and two RBI. Kevin Millar adds solo homer. Brandon Fahey has an RBI double. O's looking for an 11-7 start.
O'S ROCK THE YANKEES AND THE YARD !!!!
Brian Burres, in his 20th career big-league start, pitched shutout ball thru 5.2 innings as the Orioles blanked the Yankees, 6-0, at Camden Yards. Burres, 2-1, gave up five hits and four walks, but got key outs to keep New York scoreless. He lowered his ERA to 3.63.
Jim Johnson pitched shutout ball over the final 3.1 ip to complete the shutout. He has pitched 8.2 ip on the season without allowing a run.
The O's are 11-7 with three wins in a row. New York, 9-10, has its first three-game losing streak of 2008.
Tonight's attendance topped last night and was 41,776.
The Orioles knocked Yankees starter Ian Kennedy out during a three-run third. He gave up four runs in just 2.2 ip.
Ramon Hernandez and Brandon Fahey hit back to back doubles in the second for a 1-0 lead.
In the Birds third, Kevin Millar hit a solo HR to make it 2-0. After Kennedy walked two, Ramon Hernandez made him pay with a booming two-run double for a 4-0 lead.
Aubrey Huff's two-run double in the 7th ended the scoring. Luke Scott went 1-3 to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
The O's go for a three-game sweep Sunday at 1:35p when Steve Trachsel faces Andy Pettitte.
NYY 0-6-1
Balt 6-9-0
POST GAME NEWS AND NOTES
WHITEWASH
This was the Orioles first shutout of the year and first since 9-13-07 vs. Los Angeles. Their last shutout vs. the Yankees was a 12-0 win on August 14, 2007 at New York. New York had just six hits, five singles and a triple. They went 6-31 at bat. The Yankees had scored 35 runs their previous five games.
MORE ON THE PITCHING
The Yankees have scored two runs in two games vs. Orioles pitching, going 14-65 at bat for an average of .215. They have not scored in their last 11 innings. O's starters, Burres and Cabrera have allowed two runs in 11.2 ip and the bullpen has not been scored upon in 6.1 ip this weekend.
JIM DID GOOD
Jim Johnson pitched scoreless ball over 3.1 ip for his first major-league save. He had one in the minors, with Frederick in 2005. He retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced and has not given up a run all season, now, in 8.2 innings.
RAMON AND HUFF BREAK OUT
Ramon Hernandez was 2-3, with two doubles and two RBI. He began the day with just 1 hit in his last 13 at bats and 5 in 38. Aubrey Huff was 3 for his last 19 before picking up a two-run double in the 7th. Huff, who had just one RBI his past 9 games, now has a team-leading 14 on the year.
STARTING POORLY
Yankees starters, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have allowed 9er in 8ip this weekend. That's an ERA of 10.13. The O's combo of Cabrera-Burres allowed just 2 runs over 11.2ip for an ERA of 1.54.
HOME COOKING
The O's improve to 4-2 on this homestand and are now 9-3 at home on the season. To this point they have played more home games than any other AL club.
QUOTABLE
Trembley on Burres
"You gotta tip your hat to Burres. He pitched aggessive. In the past he would get to two strikes and nibble. Tonight he attacked. That set the tone for the game.........And, Johnson, this guy is the most improved guy. He's been special for us, coming up with movement on his fastball and very good poise."
Trembley on taking Burres out when he did
"He had enough. Last thing we we're going to do is let them get back in the game with one swing of the bat."
Burres on his outing
"It's nice to get a win, especially vs. that great lineup. You've got to do your homework.......I felt good when I really beared down out there."
Ramon Hernandez on ending his slump
"Just trying to get good pitches and hit it hard.........I worked with Crow on staying short with my swing and not chasing pitches."
MELEWSKI'S IN-GAME BLOG LIVE FROM CAMDEN YARDS
HUFFIN AND PUFFIN
O's 6 NYY 0.....end of seven
Aubrey Huff rips a two-run double down the RF line off Billy Traber to make it 6-0. His team-leading 13th and 14th RBI's. It scored Markakis and Millar.
The O's have eight hits tonight, 5 for extra bases with four doubles and a homer.
Texas leads Boston, 3-2 in the 8th. If both results hold, the O's are back in first.
THE STARTERS
Charting the starting pitching in this series:
Cabrera-Burres: 11.2ip, 11h, 2r-er.........1.54 ERA
Hughes-Kennedy: 8ip, 13h, 9r-er..........10.13 ERA
SHUTOUT BALL
Jim Johnson got the last out of the 6th with the O's still leading, 4-0.
Brian Burres line: 5.2ip, 5h, 0runs, 4b, 2k......88 pitches, 50 strikes.
He lowered his ERA from 5.40 to 3.63. He could pick up his second career win vs. the Yankees.
O's lead 4-0, end of six innings
BURRES MAGIC
Brian Burres has a 4-hit shutout and 4-0 lead thru 4 and a half frames. He's somehow managed to keep NY off the board despite the leadoff hitter reaching base in three innings and he's walked four. Still he's getting clutch outs, like striking out Jeter on a 2-2 slider to end the 5th.
The O's have turned two double plays behind him and NY has stranded six.
THE CROWD
Os 4 NYY 0........end of 4th.
Looks to be maybe even a little bigger than last night. There seem to be more Yankee fans here tonight, but when they started to chant in the third they were drowned out by a loud, loud chorus of boos.
So at least we've got that going for us.
IAN'S OUT
Ian Kenndy did not throw enough strikes here tonight and is out before the third is done.
Kennedy's line: 2.2ip, 5h, 4r-er, 5b, 4k, 1 HR......85 pitches, just 42 strikes.
MILLAR TIME
O's 4 NYY 0.........end of the third
Kevin Millar hits a solo homer in the 3rd to make it 2-0 O's. He took an 0-1 pitch from Kennedy out of here, 390-feet, to left center. Kennedy missed his spot. The catcher set up on the outside corner, but the pitch was inside. It's Millar's second HR of this homestand and 3rd on the season.
It's Millar's 16th career homer vs. NY pitching in 333 at bats.
After the homer, Kennedy walked Scott and Huff. With two outs, Ramon Hernandez crushed his second double of the game to center, to score two, and its 4-0 Orioles.
Hernandez entered in a 5-38 drought with an average of just .163.
GREAT SCOTT
Luke Scott is the American League's leading hitter. His average is .389. He also tops the AL with 9 doubles and in home batting average, at .471. He is 3rd in OBP (.459) and 5th in slugging (.611).
He is hitting .409 during his current six-game batting streak, with 9 hits in 22 at bats. He has a team-leading 7 multi-hit games.
SUPRISE RBI
O's 1 NYY 0.....end of second.
With one out in the last of the second, Ramon Hernandez crushed a double to deep center. Brandon Fahey followed with a ground ball, RBI double, down the RF line for his first RBI of the year. Fahey later got picked off second base, but he gave the O's the lead from an unlikely source. He entered the game hitting just .071.
Burres has stranded three runners in the first two innings.
NICE CATCH
O's 0 NYY 0.....second inning
A nice running catch on the warning track by center fielder Melky Cabrera keeps the O's off the board in the first. With the bases loaded on a Mora bunt single and two walks, Huff drilled one to center, but Melky ran it down to save two runs minimum and probably three.
Huff is now 1-6 this year with the bases loaded and the O's as a team are 3 for 15.
IT'S GAME TIME IN BALTIMORE
First pitch was at 7:06pm and it's 82 degrees under partly cloudy skies in Baltimore.
The O's are looking to win their third in a row and hand NY its first 3-game slide of the season. Check back here all during tonight's game for news and updates.
PRE-GAME NOTES FROM CAMDEN YARDS
The O's improved their home record to 8-3 with last night's 8-2 romp over the Yankees. The O's had 12 hits and scored seven runs in the 6th inning to break a 1-1 tie. Nick Markakis had three hits, while Jay Payton and Melvin Mora had two RBI each.
It's just the second time in ten games the O's offense produced ten hits or more and the eight runs were the most in ten games, since an 8-1 win at Texas on April 8th.
The attendance of 40,653 was the second largest of the year.
The Yankees record fell to 9-9. They are 4-5 in road games.
TONIGHT'S LINEUPS
The Orioles
2B Brian Roberts (.258-1-6)
3B Melvin Mora (.231-3-9)
RF Nick Markakis (.345-3-8)
1B Kevin Millar (.238-2-7)
LF Luke Scott (.389-1-8)
DH Aubrey Huff (.233-2-12)
CF Adam Jones (.259-1-5)
C Ramon Hernandez (.163-2-8)
SS Brandon Fahey (.071-0-0)
P Brian Burres
The Yankees
LF Johnny Damon (.203-1-5)
CF Melky Cabrera (.314-3-7)
SS Derek Jeter (.304-0-8)
DH Alex Rodriguez (.296-4-9)
1B Jorge Posada (.262-1-6)
RF Hideki Matsui (.328-3-8)
3B Morgan Ensberg (.385-1-1)
2B Robinson Cano (.171-1-5)
C Jose Molina (.364-0-2)
P Ian Kennedy
WHAT THE MANAGER SAID
When he met reporters before tonight's game, Dave Trembley said Brian Roberts came out today for early hitting and to watch some video. Roberts is just 1-17 his last four games. Of course the one hit was a big RBI double in the 9th inning Thursday vs. the White Sox.
Trembley talked at length and with some candor about Luis Hernandez, who has had some fielding lapses in recent days.
"I'm convinced that it's more physical than nerves. Last night on a groundball, his feet were too close together and he threw a ball off the wrong foot. He hasn't been the same guy we saw (early this season).
"I think he's in a fielding slump, I really do. You guys got a great view from upstairs, his feet are all cockeyed. We tried some different drills with him yesterday. We gotta get it right with Luis."
While Brandon Fahey is starting at SS tonight, It sounds like Hernandez is not in any danger of losing the shortstop job right now.
Trembley on Nick Markakis, who hit .403 vs. the Yankees last year and went 3-3 last night vs. the Bombers. Is he a Yankee killer ?
"I think he's just a very good player. He's hit in Yankee Stadium vs.the Yankees, he's hit vs. Boston. He's just a good player (vs everybody)."
Trembley was very impressed with Markakis hustle from home to second last night on a double. He says Nick has improved his base running.
You can tell Trembley appreciates Jay Payton as a player and how he's been a real team player this year even though he's not a regular.
"The contributions he's making are very appreicated. His attitude and work habits are great, he's helped out Adam Jones. When a guys hitting almost .400 and plays your spot, its hard to take him out. Jay understands that. You want guys on your club that want to play."
YANKEE DOODLES
The New Yorkers are one of three AL teams yet to have a three game losing streak along with the White Sox and Angels.........In their last five games NY has scored 35 runs, hit 9 homers and as a club, batted .301.........Yankees have used 17 different lineups in their 18 games on the season..........this series begins a 10-game, 11-day trip that will also take NY to Chicago and Cleveland.......Yankees number nine hitters are carrying an AL-high, .339 batting average, with 19 hits in 56 trips.
LUUUKKKKE !!!
The Luuukkke chant was out again last night. Luke Scott's RBI single in the 6th gave the O's the 2-1 lead and started the big inning's scoring. Scott went 2-4 in the win and is batting .409 during a six-game hitting streak. He has 9 hits in 22 at bats in that time and now has 7 multi-hit contests in 2008.
NICK VS NEW YORK
Last season, Nick Markakis batted .403 vs. the Yankees with 2HR's and 13 RBI. Last night, he went 3-3, with a double, run scored and an RBI. His hot smash off the glove of first sacker Jason Giambi was first scored a two-base error and later changed to a two-bagger.
Nick is 7-16 during a four-game hit streak and is batting .400 (12-30) his last ten games. He threw a runner out at the plate last night, for his 4th OF assist.
TOUGH DAY FOR THE SHOREBIRDS
In minor league ball this afternoon, Lakewood banged out 14 hits, all singles, in beating Delmarva, 9-2. The Shorebirds fall to 8-8.
Losing pitcher Cole McCurry gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings. Anthony Martinez had his first three-hit game of the season and Tyler Henson had two hits to up his average to .303.
Righty John Mariotti (1-1 2.12) pitches Sunday for Delmarva.
MOUND MATTERS
Lefty Brian Burres (1-1 5.40) makes the start tonight. In his last outing he took a no-hitter into the 5th last Sunday at Tampa, then was knocked out during a 6-run inning. He wound up allowing 6 runs and 5 hits in 4.2 ip.
This year, lefty batters are hitting .333 (6-18) vs. Burres while righties are hitting .269 (7-26).
In his career he is 1-2 4.64 in seven games vs. New York.
Ian Kennedy, a 23-year-old right-hander, pitches versus the O's. This year he is 0-1 8.74 in 3 games, covering 11.1 ip.
A lot of that damage came in his first start, April 4 vs. Tampa, when he gave up six runs in 2.1 ip.
Kennedy was a first-round pick, number 21 overall, in the 2006 draft. He was the Yankees minor-league pitcher of the year in 2007 when he advanced four levels, from the Florida State league to the American League.
Tonight he is making his 6th career major-league start. He's never faced the Orioles.
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