3rdCoast
05-31-2005, 03:18 AM
LINK (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20050530&content_id=1068497&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)
BOSTON -- When you are the central figure in the Orioles' reclamation project, then a sore shoulder is nothing compared to a hard-earned victory over the defending World Series champions.
Miguel Tejada walked into the Orioles' cramped clubhouse at Fenway Park on Monday night having just iced his left shoulder that was banged in a collision with rugged Boston catcher Jason Varitek. He is in obvious pain, of course, but there is no way he is not going to take the field Tuesday for his 807th consecutive game.
His club will enter that game in first place in the American League East, four games ahead of the Red Sox almost one-third into the season. The Orioles gained a game on their longtime foes with an impressive 8-1 win behind eight stellar innings from Rodrigo Lopez.
Tejada, who had two home-plate collisions with Varitek, was tired.
"I feel OK," he kept repeating. "I feel fine."
The aching shoulder was an afterthought. Tejada was more focused on his team's effort Monday. They scored seven times in the first three innings to hush a crowd that was ignited after the Sox took the final two games from the Yankees this weekend in dominant fashion. The Orioles limped into this series after getting swept by the fourth-place AL Central dwelling Detroit Tigers. There was a definite question whether the Orioles were ready to fold.
Tejada helped make it clear that the Orioles -- despite a plethora of injuries -- have the ability to be a frontrunner in this race for the next several months.
"We won today because we played hard," he said. "And when we play hard, we're a better team. I think the more runs we can get against those guys, the better team we can show them we are. We know that sometimes we're going to get swept, but the Yankees get swept and the [Red Sox] get swept sometimes. But we still keep playing hard every day, like a first-place team."
The Orioles quickly made it clear that those bitter memories from the Detroit series had dissipated. Brian Roberts set the tone with a leadoff double off the Green Monster off Bronson Arroyo to begin the game. He would score on a Tejada single and the Orioles would never trail.
Later in that inning, B.J. Surhoff laced a single to right field and third-base coach Ton Trebelhorn sent Tejada home. He was pegged by Trot Nixon, although television replays showed Tejada slid his hand under Varitek's leg and touched the plate before he was tagged. No sweat, however, because the Orioles scored another run in the second and then five in the third, four of those on a grand slam by David Newhan, the first of his Major League career.
Arroyo (4-2) had a streak of 17 starts without a loss before he was beaten at Toronto last week. On Monday, everything he threw was high in the strike zone.
Tejada began the third with a triple into the center-field triangle. One out later, Rafael Palmeiro hit a sinking liner to left field and Tejada froze. It short hopped Manny Ramirez's glove and Tejada was headed for another home-plate showdown with Varitek. He landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while sliding beyond Varitek for a 3-0 lead. He stayed on the dirt for several seconds to regain his composure.
"I think my offspeed pitches were working good and that gave me a lot of relief to go all the way to the eighth inning."
-- Rodrigo Lopez
"We've got in our mind that we lost one game and we can't lose two," he said. "We've got to play like a first-place team. We have to keep playing hard."
Tejada's intensity in the first three innings exemplified his team's effort as a whole. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third, Newhan crushed a 3-2 fastball deep into the right-field seats for the slam and a 7-0 lead.
Newhan knocked in a career-high five runs as five Orioles had at least two hits.
"It definitely feels good to have a couple of quality at-bats to help us win and remain in first," said Newhan, who also made a nice catch against the center-field wall in the first inning. "I had better pitch selection [Monday] and was able to lay off some pitches I usually try to hit. It's a good feeling to contribute."
The cushion was plenty for Lopez, who improved to 6-1 lifetime at Fenway Park and 9-4 overall against Boston. With little command of his fastball, Lopez relied on his offspeed pitches and all of them were working. He allowed six hits in his eight frames and only one runner reached third base.
"I think my offspeed pitches were working good and that gave me a lot of relief to go all the way to the eighth inning," he said. "I just hit my spots with the offspeed pitches. I just wanted to make those guys swing the bat."
With Lopez's slider, curveball and changeup working, the Red Sox hitters couldn't sit on anything. He struck out Ramirez looking twice and the trio of Ramirez, David Ortiz and Edgar Renteria went a combined 1-for-11.
"I don't think he's really pitched like that before, but he was effective tonight," Nixon said. "He just had a lot of offspeed stuff tonight, a little bit more than in the past. He threw the ball where he wanted to, and if you're a pitcher, you have all your pitches and you're pitching where you want to, then you're going to be pretty effective."
Gary Washburn is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
BOSTON -- When you are the central figure in the Orioles' reclamation project, then a sore shoulder is nothing compared to a hard-earned victory over the defending World Series champions.
Miguel Tejada walked into the Orioles' cramped clubhouse at Fenway Park on Monday night having just iced his left shoulder that was banged in a collision with rugged Boston catcher Jason Varitek. He is in obvious pain, of course, but there is no way he is not going to take the field Tuesday for his 807th consecutive game.
His club will enter that game in first place in the American League East, four games ahead of the Red Sox almost one-third into the season. The Orioles gained a game on their longtime foes with an impressive 8-1 win behind eight stellar innings from Rodrigo Lopez.
Tejada, who had two home-plate collisions with Varitek, was tired.
"I feel OK," he kept repeating. "I feel fine."
The aching shoulder was an afterthought. Tejada was more focused on his team's effort Monday. They scored seven times in the first three innings to hush a crowd that was ignited after the Sox took the final two games from the Yankees this weekend in dominant fashion. The Orioles limped into this series after getting swept by the fourth-place AL Central dwelling Detroit Tigers. There was a definite question whether the Orioles were ready to fold.
Tejada helped make it clear that the Orioles -- despite a plethora of injuries -- have the ability to be a frontrunner in this race for the next several months.
"We won today because we played hard," he said. "And when we play hard, we're a better team. I think the more runs we can get against those guys, the better team we can show them we are. We know that sometimes we're going to get swept, but the Yankees get swept and the [Red Sox] get swept sometimes. But we still keep playing hard every day, like a first-place team."
The Orioles quickly made it clear that those bitter memories from the Detroit series had dissipated. Brian Roberts set the tone with a leadoff double off the Green Monster off Bronson Arroyo to begin the game. He would score on a Tejada single and the Orioles would never trail.
Later in that inning, B.J. Surhoff laced a single to right field and third-base coach Ton Trebelhorn sent Tejada home. He was pegged by Trot Nixon, although television replays showed Tejada slid his hand under Varitek's leg and touched the plate before he was tagged. No sweat, however, because the Orioles scored another run in the second and then five in the third, four of those on a grand slam by David Newhan, the first of his Major League career.
Arroyo (4-2) had a streak of 17 starts without a loss before he was beaten at Toronto last week. On Monday, everything he threw was high in the strike zone.
Tejada began the third with a triple into the center-field triangle. One out later, Rafael Palmeiro hit a sinking liner to left field and Tejada froze. It short hopped Manny Ramirez's glove and Tejada was headed for another home-plate showdown with Varitek. He landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while sliding beyond Varitek for a 3-0 lead. He stayed on the dirt for several seconds to regain his composure.
"I think my offspeed pitches were working good and that gave me a lot of relief to go all the way to the eighth inning."
-- Rodrigo Lopez
"We've got in our mind that we lost one game and we can't lose two," he said. "We've got to play like a first-place team. We have to keep playing hard."
Tejada's intensity in the first three innings exemplified his team's effort as a whole. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third, Newhan crushed a 3-2 fastball deep into the right-field seats for the slam and a 7-0 lead.
Newhan knocked in a career-high five runs as five Orioles had at least two hits.
"It definitely feels good to have a couple of quality at-bats to help us win and remain in first," said Newhan, who also made a nice catch against the center-field wall in the first inning. "I had better pitch selection [Monday] and was able to lay off some pitches I usually try to hit. It's a good feeling to contribute."
The cushion was plenty for Lopez, who improved to 6-1 lifetime at Fenway Park and 9-4 overall against Boston. With little command of his fastball, Lopez relied on his offspeed pitches and all of them were working. He allowed six hits in his eight frames and only one runner reached third base.
"I think my offspeed pitches were working good and that gave me a lot of relief to go all the way to the eighth inning," he said. "I just hit my spots with the offspeed pitches. I just wanted to make those guys swing the bat."
With Lopez's slider, curveball and changeup working, the Red Sox hitters couldn't sit on anything. He struck out Ramirez looking twice and the trio of Ramirez, David Ortiz and Edgar Renteria went a combined 1-for-11.
"I don't think he's really pitched like that before, but he was effective tonight," Nixon said. "He just had a lot of offspeed stuff tonight, a little bit more than in the past. He threw the ball where he wanted to, and if you're a pitcher, you have all your pitches and you're pitching where you want to, then you're going to be pretty effective."
Gary Washburn is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.