Hearing from Hunter and Lindstrom

Tommy Hunter started Game 2 tonight and allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. Matt Lindstrom relieved him and allowed three runs (two earned) and three hits in one inning. "I felt real good. I was down in the zone. It was a lot better than what it was the last start," Hunter said. "It's a good lineup. Of course, it does help when the ball lands in a spot the only place it could land on the entire field and he (Mike Napoli) ends up getting a triple on it with no outs. That was unfortunate. He practically threw the bat at it. It comes down to that. Sometimes the ball lands a few inches farther than what it should, I guess." It's been a strange week for Hunter, who was optioned but never reported to Triple-A Norfolk. "That's baseball," he said. "That's what this sport is, a whirlwind. You get sent down, you get called up. You got a sellout crowd in Indianapolis, my hometown, and I'm not going to be there. It is what it is. You've got a job to do at the end of the day. I gave up four runs today. I've got to go back, keep going after people, get back in the swing of things and start winning again. "I'm just going to take it one day at a time. If they give me the baseball, I'm going to throw it. That's what baseball players do." Did Josh Hamilton hit a good pitch in the first inning? "He hit a baseball," Hunter said. "The dude's on fire. What do you want me to say?" The Orioles are 6-4 since beginning their last road trip in New York, but they lost three of four to the Rangers. "No one's happy about losing," Hunter said. "Hell, we don't play this game to lose. For anybody to be happy about losing a series at any point in the season is definitely in the wrong sport. This is what we do for a living. To come out here and get wins is what we're supposed to do. To be happy about losing is horse (crap), to be honest with you. If anybody's happy about it, I couldn't tell you who is. No, we don't like losing. Losing sucks. You've got to find a way." Lindstrom gave up his first earned runs of the season. "Those guys are good hitters," he said. "They slapped it through the hole. If I was a goalie, they'd all be out. I was trying to get ground balls. I got them. It just so happened they were up the middle. First pitch to Napoli, I jammed him. He had a single on that too. It was just kind of one of those things. That's why they are well-known as one of the best-hitting teams in the American League. "I'm not going to change anything. I made some good pitches, so I'm not going to change anything. But it just goes to show you why they are a tough team. I just wish I had kept it a little closer there at the end for our guys to battle back at the end." It's been a draining week for everyone, including Lindstrom. "I still walk in every day, and I wonder how position players do it. I really do," he said. "Relievers and stuff have got to be ready to pitch every day, but it's amazing how much resiliency these guys have. I don't think it's taking a toll on us. We're battling hard right now. We have a tough opponent in Tampa tomorrow, so we're just going to come in here tomorrow and get ready to play and take it to them too. We're looking to continue our success, but today was a tough one. I'm glad we got that first one, too, but I just wish I had kept it closer."