For the O's, usually the first is the worst

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

June 20, 2011, 3:42pm

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The Orioles, who took a 5-0 lead in the first inning tonight at Pittsburgh, began this game as major league's lowest-scoring first inning team. They come in averaging just 0.26 first-inning runs per game to rank last in the majors. 0.26 - Orioles 0.29 - Seattle 0.32 - Oakland 0.36 - Kansas City and Washington The Yankees lead the majors in scoring with 0.76 first inning runs per game. The O's got five runs on six hits in the big inning as Adam Jones delivered a two-run single and they got RBI singles by Derrek Lee, Robert Andino and pitcher Jake Arrieta. The last two hits came with two outs. The first-inning has been the Orioles' worst of the year as they have been outscored 35-18 in the opening inning on the year coming into this series. Maybe the Orioles are getting better in the inning. They have now scored at least one run in the first in eight of the last 14 games after going 16 straight games without a run in the first.