In the second inning, Millar took a foul ball hard off of his knee and had to leave the game during his first at bat.  Oscar Salazar stepped in to fill his role in the clean up spot.  Why not? He was hitting 1.000 on the year before today (1 for 1). 

 Early in the game, the O’s had trouble getting anything going against Lester.  Adam Jones worked a no out walk in the fifth only to get caught stealing during Jay Payton’s subsequent at bat.

Guthrie looked pretty strong through 4.1 innings, but surrendered a grand slam to Mike Lowell in the fifth.  The O’s walked the bases loaded, giving an intentional pass to Manny in the previous at bat.  Manny runs like he’s in a vat of pudding, so with one out and men on second and third, Trembley was looking for the double play.  Not a bad strategy, if it works.  Since it didn’t, Guthrie is pulled with two outs in the fourth, his shortest outing of the season.

Chad Bradford steps in to retire the only batter he had to face in the fifth, stranding one of the Sox’s 19^th century strong men, Kevin Youkilis, on third, where he seemed to be lingering all day.   

The Orioles get on the board in the top of the sixth, thanks to Salazar’s two out double that drives in Brian Roberts, who hit his own double and advanced to third on a Markakis ground out.  Huff hits the third double of the inning to drive in Salazar and make it a 5-2 game.  But Lester induces an Adam Jones pop up with Huff on third and Hernandez on first to squelch a potential rally. 

Continuing a strong performance, Youkilis hits a two run homer off of Sarfate in the seventh, once again putting a five run distance between the teams. 

Salazar then pulls a muscle legging out up the first base line.  He is replaced in the game by Freddie Bynum.  At the top of the eighth, Alex Cintron shifts to first base and Bynum takes over at short.  Cintron is thus the third Oriole of the day to play first.  Is Eddie Murray still hanging out around the broadcast booth?

JD Drew hit another two run dinger in the eighth, widening the Sox lead to 9-2.  After that, the deficit was too great for the O’s, who head back to Camden Yards for an interleague homestand.  First up, a reunion with utility man Chris Gomez.  No word on whether his former teammates will finally teach Gomez their secret handshake.   

So the birds finish a 5-4 road trip, taking two of three from Minnesota and Toronto and losing the last two of three in Boston.  The team currently stands at 32-33, eight behind the East-leading Red Sox.  They’ll face the Pirates and Astros at home, then travel to face the Brewers, Cubs, and Nationals. 

Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey were insisting after today’s game that a winning road trip foreshadows a strong performance in the team’s next stretch, but how do you feel?   Was this a successful road trip?  The team seamed to have a chance to win most of their recent games, with today’s being the most one sided.  Where do you see the team’s record after interleague matchups?  Hopefully, the team can get some more strong pitching performances from their young arms and timely hits from the middle of the lineup, or we’ll be talking about trade deadline maneuvers by the All-Star break.

Score: 2-9 Red Sox, (Box Score)

Next Game: Pittsburgh 7:05pm, Burres vs. Dumatrait (3-3)

Record: 32-33, 8 GB

(Youkilis: AP Photo, Orioles: Getty Images)

Fifteen days of rest did not rejuvenate the 37 year old veteran as hoped resulting in an 11-4 loss Saturday night at Tampa Bay. 

The struggling workhorse couldn’t get out of the second inning before surrendering 9 runs and giving up 2 home runs, both to Evan Longoria.

Give the Rays credit, they brought their A game, but apparently Trachsel brought his golf game and that’s exactly where Trax looks like he belongs – on the golf course. 

In better times this would be the last we see of Steve Trachsel in an Orioles uniform, but without a choice of viable options, he’ll likely be a throwaway fifth starter at least until the all-star break. 

Trachsel and Albers will combine to be something of a fifth starter by committee and hope that the O’s can score in bunches when it’s their turn.

Oriole bats were relatively subdued again, though Luke Scott has been quietly finding his power swing.  Scott hit his fifth homer of the season and his fourth in the month of May.

The O’s are back to .500 and only a half game ahead of the last place Yankees who are rallying in a 4 game winning streak of their own and take on Seattle Sunday.

(Saturday Box Score)

Cabrera the Stopper

Hopes of breaking this 4-game losing streak are pinned to Daniel Cabrera (5-1) who will start Sunday against James Shields (4-3) in the final game of the road trip.

Cabrera is on a 3-game winning streak, holds a 2.23 ERA on the road this season, and is 6-0 lifetime against the Rays – all signs pointing to a streak-stopping situation.

After Saturday’s lineup shakeup that featured Freddie Bynum (0 for 4) leading off, Millar (0 for 1, 3 walks) back at DH behind Huff (0 for 4), Markakis sitting, and Cintron (1 for 4) at second base, Sunday is back to normal.

The lineup for Sunday afternoon will have Brian Roberts back leading off and playing second, Markakis back in right, Huff cleaning up, and Ramon Hernandez, for better or worse, behind the plate.

The Birds will have the Yankees waiting for them when they return to the yard for a Memorial Day afternoon home stand kickoff and the Red Sox starting Friday. 

Sure would be nice to have a win going into those series.

 (Photo: A/P)

The Orioles snapped their five-game losing streak Thursday night with a 4-1 win behind a sparkling performance by Daniel Cabrera. 

Allowing only 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7 in a full 9 innings of work, the new and improved Cabrera’s record goes to 3 wins and 1 loss. 

This is the fifth complete game in the young hurlers five year career; a career that has seen domination of the Kansas City Royals with a 2.25 ERA and 4-0 record. 

Nick Markakis was the offensive spark in the third with his seventh homerun of the season; this one a three run shot off of rookie Luke Hochevar. 

The first run came in the first on a Hochevar wild pitch with Millar at the plate, allowing Markakis to score. 

The Orioles made the most of their offensive spots only needing six hits for their four runs, something they have struggled with as they lost eight of their last eleven games.

(Thursday Box Score)

(AP Photo: Charlie Riedel)

Bynum In, L. Hernandez Out, Torres Down, Cintron Who

Dave Trembley started the newly rehabbed Freddy Bynum at shortstop last night, where he promptly went 2 for 4 with a run scored.  The Coach confirmed that Bynum is now the everyday shortstop and Luis Hernandez has been relegated to the bench utility role.

It’s no surprise that this move sends Eider Torres back to the minors with his line of two hits in nine major league at-bats and three errors on thirteen chances still intact. 

Alex Cintron, veteran shortstop who singed a minor league deal after the beginning of the season, now seems to be left out of the party.  His .302 BA and ten RBI with the Tides weren’t enough to earn this 2000 post-season all-star a major league contract. 

Cintron can opt-out of his minor league deal to test the free agent market as of 5/15.

Bierd was formally place on the 15-day DL retroactive to 4/30, but all indication is that he won't be back for a month and a half.

Bynum Rehabbing

Freddie Bynum is active for his first rehab appearance tonight with AA Bowie since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in March.