Radhamas Liz pitched into the sixth inning today and scored a run, helping the Orioles beat the Chicago Cubs in the series rubber match. He got quite a bit of help from the birds’ lineup, too, including a 4 for 5 performance from Conan O’Brien doppelganger Aubrey Huff.

Birds Strike First…

Liz was wildn’out in the second, walking a batter and hitting Mark DeRosa (on an 0-2 pitch, no less), but he got out of the inning unscathed. Cubs starter Jason Marquis, perhaps jealous of young Liz’s reputation for throwing the ball anywhere but in the strike zone, walked in a run, then surrendered two consecutive doubles, one to Aubrey Huff and one to grumpy gargoyle Jay Payton. The O’s combined for a huge third inning, putting up five runs.

The Orioles added two more runs in the fourth when a Nick Markakis double drove in Radhamas Liz and Brian Roberts. Liz is in good shape, but he looked like a confused AL pitcher on the base path, first bunting awkwardly, then stopping and starting several times as he rounded the bases.

In the fifth, Aubrey Huff, who’s been hitting the ball hard lately, clubbed a leadoff double. He scored on a Guillermo Quiroz single, and the Wrigley faithful watched their Cubs go down quietly in the bottom of the inning, falling behind 8-0.

…And Often

The Orioles tacked on three more runs in the sixth, getting hits from Millar, Huff, Payton, Quiroz, Ripken, Murray, and Robinson. Ok, maybe not those last three. But the 2008 bodies and reflexes of those guys could have hit the Cubs’ pitching today. The girls on your softball league could have ripped a double off the Cubs’ pitchers today. The Babe Ruth statue could have driven a few in on the Cubs' staff today. What I’m saying is the Cubs looked bad.

Belly Itcher

Brian Burres, scratched from Wednesday’s game with stomach problems, came on to relieve Liz in the sixth. The lefty looked like his tummy might still be hurting as he gave up three runs. Orioles 11, Cubs 3 after six innings. After that, the Cubs could only muster one more run from the rest of the relief crew, and the Orioles took the game 11-4.

This was an impressive win for the Orioles, who were playing the NL’s leading team and starting a young pitcher coming off a shaky outing. It’s too bad the O’s don’t play in the NL, because they look like they’d be in the hunt in the more pitcher-friendly division if they keep plugging away. As luck would have it, they are competing against the Boston and New York behemoths and a talented Tampa Bay squad. They’ll need to take several more big series or hope for a few of the aforementioned teams to fall off if they are going to climb into the race.

Bold Predictions

I don’t know if I’ll be able to blog any of the weekend matchups against the Nationals, so let me offer you my summary/analysis of the O’s final interleague series.

Look for the O’s to take two out of three when they travel a few miles down the interstate for this alleged rivalry. The birds will win the first two, getting a strong seven inning performance from Daniel Cabrera in the game one and earning a come from behind victory in game two with clutch hits from Markakis and Millar.

Their Sunday woes will continue in our nation’s capital, when Jeremy Guthrie gets two runs from his hitters, pitches well into the fifth, but gives up a three run home run to Elijah Dukes on a 3-1 breaking ball that drops right into the middle of the plate.

Or something like that.

Injury Update

After leaving last night’s game early, Matt Albers was place on the 15 day DL. The official injury is shoulder inflammation. No word on whether or not said inflammation is pizza related. Taking his place on the roster is Fernando Cabrera, who has been tearing up the minors with a 0.69 ERA this season.

Score: 11-4

Next Series: @ Nationals

Friday, June 27 – Cabrera (5-3, 4.46 ERA) vs. Perez (2-5, 4.09 ERA)

Saturday, June 28 – Olson (5-3, 5.01 ERA) vs. Lannan (4-8. 3.34 ERA)

Sunday, June 29 - Guthrie (4-7, 3.64 ERA) vs. Bergman (1-5, 4.60 ERA)

Record: 40-37, 7GB (as of Thurs, June 26)