On short notice and low expectations Radhames Liz joined the Orioles in Minnesota and led them to a 5-3 win - his first major league victory.

We will need to see a few more performances like this one to say anything stronger about his performance than pleasantly surprising, but I know my expectations were very low going into the night.

Liz looked comfortable pitching 5 scoreless innings before giving up a pair of runs in the sixth. 

The 24-year old righty’s history with the Orioles has been rocky.  He joined the club for 9 games in 2007, 4 of them starts.  Over his 24 innings he logged 24 strikeouts and 23 walks (not the ideal ratio), and a whopping 19 earned runs.

Johnson had a bounce-back relief outing giving up only 1 hit and 1 walk in an otherwise quiet eighth, which he needed after recent shakiness.

The Orioles spread out their 13 hits and 5 runs with 2 solo shots, 3 doubles (2 from the struggling Ramon Hernandez), and a triple from Brian Roberts.

Adam Jones recorded his 5^th stolen base of the season and his first since May 14^th.

After two blowouts, one in each direction, who would have predicted a 1-1 nail-biter going to the final frame.

Jim Johnson, Mr. Rock-Solid-So-Far finished the eighth for Burres without incident, but after Mariano Rivera dominated the top of the ninth, Johnson stopped hitting his spots.

The young right hander gave up a walk and a single and got Jason Giambi on a strange caught foul tip off the handle of the bat that resulted in a Joe Girardi fit and ejection.

It was a pretty good coach tirade with a few hat tosses and kicks.  He even walked away and then came back for some more.

I wonder if Girardi is still letting out all the aggression from bad calls when he was catching and couldn’t say anything.  Making up for lost time.  In any case, it made for some good entertainment in an otherwise disappointing inning.

The deciding run came off the bat of the slumping Cano.  Hideki Matsui had a giant lead off second and came around to score easily on the single.

Fahey seemed to be giving the lead to Matsui for some reason.  The slugger isn’t all that quick so you would assume he couldn’t score on a hit to left if he was held on the base, but Jay Payton doesn’t exactly have a canon.

The Orioles’ only run came in the third on a Bynum RBI triple to score Adam Jones.  The O’s then wasted a bases loaded situation in the same inning and wouldn’t get as good a chance for the rest of the game.  Otherwise the offense showed no life, with Markakis striking out 3 times in an 0 for 4 effort.

Melvin Mora was out of the lineup with his cut finger with Huff playing a solid third base in his stead and Luke Scott DH-ing.

The loss is Johnson’s second on the year, though the guy still hasn’t given us anything to complain about. 

With the loss, the O’s drop the series at Yankee stadium before heading to Tampa Bay (second in the division, 2.5 games up on the Orioles) for a weekend trip and then coming back for a Yankees - Red Sox back-to-back home stand.

Guthrie (2-4) will take on Garza (1-2) in a 6pm start Friday, but remember, television coverage won’t start until 7 due to a network legal agreement.

 (Thursday Box Score) 

 (Photo: AP)

A ball off Huff’s glove at third.  A ball between Millar’s legs at first.  3 runs in.  Given credit for 2.  Really only earned 1.  Many starting pitchers would pack it in after a first inning like that.  Not Jeremy Guthrie.  Not Tuesday night in Baltimore against Josh Beckett and the Sox.

The Orioles number 1 has seen his share of tough losses this season, evidenced by the 2-3 record and 4.18 ERA despite how well he has actually pitched.  When Guthrie came back onto the field in the second, he looked like a kid who decided he just had to get tougher.

And so he did, striking out 7 over 6 innings and not giving up another run, allowing the O’s to win it 5-4.  

Guthrie was looking so smooth Trembley sent him back out in the 7^th with over 100 pitches under his belt.  The break from conventional managing wisdom turned out to be a mistake.

Guthrie had clearly lost his pop allowing the first 2 batters of the inning to reach base, followed by the struggling Walker walking Ortiz to load up the bases.

With no one out, O’s up 5-3, the young Jim Johnson was summoned from the pen to face Manny Ramirez in just the type of situation Manny has made a living on for nearly 16 seasons.

Seemingly by sheer will, in a Camden Yards pressure cooker situation, Jim Johnson delivered an unhittable, but irresistible, inside slider to the slugger that bounced in front of the plate back to the pitcher. 

Toss home, throw to first, double play, and with Mike Lowell’s lazy fly ball to left field, Jim Johnson was a magician for a night making a sure Red Sox comeback disappear.

“He worked a pitching miracle right there,” said a grateful Guthrie.

Johnson would give up a run before Sherrill locked it down in the 8th and 9th, but the kid showed signs of a deadly combination- poise and talent.

Luke Scott’s 3-run homerun in a 4-run third off Beckett was Scott’s first in Camden Yards and second on the season.  Given the Success the young left fielder/DH has had at home, his power numbers will likely spike as he gets more comfortable.

Adam Jones took a small step toward breaking out of a 4 for 35 May by going 2 for four Tuesday night.

Melvin Mora was hit in the shoulder by a ball during batting practice and is listed as day to day.  He will get x-rays and will be more thoroughly evaluated.  Don’t expect to see him until this weekend at the earliest.

Ramon Hernandez is worse than Trembley had originally let on.  He took a cortisone shot in the ailing wrist but still reports difficult swinging the bat.  Don’t be surprised if he goes on the 15-day DL.

Tampa Bay beat the Yankees to secure first place for the first time in franchise history this late in the season.

Steve Trachsel will be skipped this time through the rotation, as expected.  He will be used in relief only in "emergency situations."

 (Tuesday Box Score)

(AP Photo: Nick Wass)