Un-Slumping

For a minute, anyway. Swisher, Brantley, Reynolds all with hits tonight. Swisher and Brantley with 2 apiece! On the other hand, Bourn was shut down and Kipnis "only" got a double.

Ubaldo Jiminez was the starter. He got the win but he still didn't go long - only 5 1/3 innings today. He did only give up 2 runs in those 5 1/3 innings so that's cool, and struck out 6 to boot. The two runs he gave up were on homers. He actually does NOT lead the team in homers given up - that would be Brett Myers with 1 ever 2.1 innings pitched. Gross! He is third, though, after Kazmir.

The Orioles do have the most home runs in the league.

Anyway, Ubaldo could have done worse. Could have done better and gone more innings, but I guess the least we can ask anymore is that he doesn't let shit get away from him.

Dare I say it - the bullpen wasn't half bad, either. In fact they were near PERFECT for 3 2/3 innings, save for one hit. This includes Oh No Not Rich Hill!! Wow! This is against the team with the most homers, the second most runs scored and the second highest average in the league. And our knuckleheads held them to just 2 runs and no runs off relief. Unbelieveable!

After Hill it was Shaw, Smith and Pestano. Vinnie apparently had one hell of a slider working, according to Tom Hamilton, but he still gave up both a walk and a hit. It was thanks to Aviles being Asdrubal-y again that the buck stopped there.  Man - look at how sweaty Vinnie is in that video. The Baltimore/DC region seems like a horrible, horrible place (in the summer).

Even though we scored 5 runs it was only on 9 hits and 4 walks, so for the most part the hits were productive. Also, they only had 2 hits going in to the 6th. But in the 6th they broke out with 4 hits in a row, and a walk, for 3 runs. Then they tacked on a couple more in the 8th!

Kipnis got his 19th double, tying him at the top of the team along with Santana who ALSO got a double tonight. Neither guy got an RBI but both came in to score. Santana safe on a play at the plate!

Swisher went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Good, do more of that Nick Swisher. Every day.

Michael Brantley was really the hero of this story (aside from the bullpen!) He went 2 for 4 with FOUR RBI! That's 4 of the team's 5, yo! He got a 2-run homer, giving him 3 homers and 7 RBI in his last 5 games. Except the 3 games in the middle of those 5 games, he did zip. Uhm...impressive two games, Cousin Michael! He also got a 2-run single because why not?

Really awesome that Brantley could be "on it" when Bourn is shut down. Now, if only the two of them were hot together! Look out! Maybe that's what we've got to look forward to tomorrow?

Speaking of hot did you know that Drew Stubbs has gotten hits in 13 of his last 15 games? He's hitting over .300 in that stretch (most of June). Tonight he went 2 for 3 with a walk, and his average skyrocketed up past his usual .240 to .245! If only Bourn were solid tonight we may have seen a few more runs.

So maybe tomorrow we'll have Bourn "on" again, Brantley staying on it, Kipnis with more hits and Stubbs staying Stubbs. And Swisher doing what he's paid to do. I think poor Mike Aviles needs a break, though - he hasn't had a hit in 4 games now. Perhaps it's time for a little Johnny Mac? Also - Asdrubal needs to come back. Hearing great stuff about his return! Any day now!

Tomorrow is Masterson looking for his 10th win (wait what? Before the break? Puts him on pace for 20! And his highest wins in the Majors is 12!) versus RHP 3.71. In hot, sticky Baltimore.

See you there!

No Radio Chatter tonight cuz I was busy power washing a playset. Power washing + baseball on the headphones - I could have gone all night.