The 14-year-old that impressed the Orioles

Sometimes when a teenager meets Major League Baseball players, he can learn a lot from them. Sometimes, it can happen the other way.

On Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles learned a lot about an inspiring young man. He is 14-year-old Luke Terry. An eighth-grade catcher from Cornersville, Tenn., Terry had his right arm amputated as an infant. Through perseverance and hard work, he overcame physical challenges on the field and inspired supporters from around the world with his determination.

Orioles bench coach and catching instructor John Russell watched his inspiring story on YouTube videos and the Orioles invited Terry and his family to the ballpark yesterday.

Prior to last night's game, Terry participated in a special ceremonial first catch thrown by Hall of Famer and Orioles legend Jim Palmer.

Terry has not let having one arm keep him from playing baseball. And not just baseball. But he is a left-handed catcher and he is good. He has developed a technique where he drops his glove and quickly catches and throws the ball with his left hand.

"I used to catch the ball and take my glove off and put it on the ground. But that was too slow. I was in the backyard trying to figure it out one day and I did that and I was like, 'OK, I'll try that.' Over the years I just perfected it and it comes easy now," said Terry. He has been using his technique for six or seven years.

"It was pretty hard at first, but not really anymore," he said.

Does he realize how many people he has impressed and inspired?

"Yes, sir," he said very politely and with modesty to a reporter's question.

Before the game, Terry joined Russell and O's catchers Caleb Joseph and Welington Castillo for his own personal lesson and clinic.

Joseph, like Terry, a Nashville native, came away incredibly impressed with this young man.

"Really amazing," he said. "I had seen it on YouTube, but to see it in real life is really cool. It is so seamless and you can't really tell he has only one arm. It is nothing short of amazing. Meeting him has been the highlight of my day."

With the Joseph and Terry both from Tennessee, Joseph plans to keep up with Terry and his baseball career. One of the best players on his middle school team and a middle of the order hitter, Terry will try out for his high school team next season.

"He probably comes here thinking we are inspirational types but it often works the other way around and it has again in this scenario. To see him do that live is spectacular. Really talented kid. Kid is a baller for sure," Joseph said.

The latest loss: To say the least the Orioles offense is inconsistent. Last week in Chicago during a four-game series they scored in order seven, one, 10 and two runs. They scored 23 runs and hit nine homers over a two-game stretch on Saturday and Sunday versus St. Louis. But they scored two runs in the game right before that and got shutout in the game right after.

The Orioles lost 5-1 to Cleveland last night and were held to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. That included coming up empty in the last of the seventh after they had loaded the bases with no outs.

Meawhile, the O's pitching staff extended their streak of allowing five runs or more to 18 games on Wednesday night. Orioles starting pitchers have thrown fewer than six innings in 11 of their last 12 and 13 of their past 15 games.

So the pitchers are struggling and the hitters are inconsistent.

Needing a win to split a four-game series with Cleveland tonight, the Orioles have lost 10 of their past 14 games. Over a longer stretch they have lost 12 of 18 and 20 of the last 30.