The 10-year anniversary of 30-3 loss (Orioles down 6-4)

There's been a lot of focus today on the 10-year anniversary of the 30-3 loss to the Rangers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Camden Yards. I was there and lived every pitch. It didn't look any better from the press box.

The oddities include how the Orioles actually led 3-0 before the Rangers tallied five runs in the fourth. Thirty unanswered runs to end it. Hard to fathom.

The Rangers only scored in four innings, also getting nine runs in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six in the ninth.

No team had allowed that many runs since the Louisville Colonels, who lost 36-7 to the Chicago Colts on June 29, 1897. I have an old Colts pennant in my bedroom closet, but I'm pretty sure it isn't Chicago.

The Orioles used only four pitchers and they didn't resort to sending a position player to the mound. Also hard to fathom.

Starter Daniel Cabrera was charged with six runs in five innings, Brian Burres was tattooed for eight in two-thirds of an inning, Rob Bell allowed seven in 1 1/3 and veteran Paul Shuey allowed nine in two innings.

Shuey was a late-inning reliever whose arm was being held together with paper clips and chewing gum. He was left in the game to throw 68 pitches, the ultimate "wear it" performance. The poor guy made one more appearance in the majors and was done.

Earlier in the day, the Orioles removed the interim tag from manager Dave Trembley. Wonderful timing. And they introduced first-round draft pick Matt Wieters to the crowd and made him available to the media.

Wieters probably watched what unfolded in Game 1 and thought, 'Heck, I could play right now.'"

Rangers reliever Wes Littleton worked the last three innings and was credited with a save. In a 30-3 win. It's in the rules.

The last three batters in the Rangers' order scored 14 runs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez each drove in seven.

Is that a lot?

The Rangers fired manager Buck Showalter after the 2006 season with three years remaining on his contract and replaced him with Ron Washington. Showalter just missed all the fun.

"People are really talking about that today, talking about the anniversary of it? Really?" Showalter asked. "That's a little scary."

So is managing a team that's surrendering 30 runs and making history.

"As a manager from afar, you're looking at it and you go, 'Thank goodness that's just one loss.' And you know there's some pitching that you're going to have to bring in and out," Showalter said.

"Playing these games and doing what these guys do, you've got to put yesterday's successes and failures behind you. Not many things snowball very long because the ability level is so high. Does that mean that a team is 27 runs better than that other team? Of course not. But you just know there's a lot of ...

"Those types of games will affect a team physically as far as the things you have the do with the pitching for a long time."

The Orioles also lost the nightcap of the doubleheader 9-7 after allowing three runs in the top of the eighth inning. Jim Hoey gave it up after relieving Chad Bradford, who replaced starter Garrett Olson.

The second game lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes - seven minutes more than Game 1. Because it was just a weird day.

Update: Jed Lowrie hit a two-run homer off Ubaldo Jiménez in the top of the first inning and Ryon Healy added a solo shot with two outs to give the Athletics a 3-0 lead. Jiménez threw 28 pitches.

Update II: Healy homered again, his two-run shot in the fifth giving Oakland a 5-0 lead.

Paul Blackburn left the game in the bottom of the fifth after Trey Mancini's line drive slammed into his right arm.

Update III: Manny Machado hit a two-run homer off Simon Castro with two outs in the sixth to reduce the lead to 5-2. Machado and Jonathan Schoop are tied for the team lead with 27 home runs.

Update IV: Schoop's bases-loaded single off Blake Treinen with two outs in the eighth scored two runs to reduce the lead to 5-4. Schoop has 93 RBIs.

Update V: Khris Davis homered off Darren O'Day in the ninth to increase the lead to 6-4.