Moon Jocks

 Fellow O's fans, please take a moment to rejoice with me.  I think most of us were still in elementary school the last time there was a buzz like this around the Orange and Black.  Despite all the odds, this team just keeps on winning with each win more exciting than the next (and this is without "Mr. Excitement" George Sherrill on the roster!). In a season full of extra innings wins (13 straight wins, to be exact) and late-game comebacks (ESPN actually did a Top-10 Orioles moments Thursday on Sportscenter), the O's added another instant classic to the books Thursday night.

It was a beautiful evening at a sold out Camden Yards; for the first time in ages 46,298 mostly Orioles fans flocked for Cal Ripken night-the 17th anniversary of the night Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record of consecutive games played.  On this night of all nights, the surging Orioles took to the skies in a 10-6 series opening victory against the rival Yankees, claiming a share of the AL East lead in the process.  If you've been to any O's games against AL East rivals over the past decade, you all know the story: Camden turns into either Yankee Stadium or Fenway "south" with few scattered O's fans perched among the away team's fan base.  I can't even tell you the last time I was at an O's game where it actually felt like a home game.  But last night's atmosphere was playoff electric, as the team put on quite the show for the Orioles' faithful.

The O's came charging out of the gate, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning off of a three-run moon-shot by catcher Matt Wieters.  Pitcher Jason Hammel, who the O's traded for this offseason took the mound for the first time in two months and made everyone remember how important he's been to this team.  Hammel was the teams unquestioned ace heading into the All-Star break, but he was downed in mid July with a knee injury and has been sidelined ever since.  In his first game back from the DL, Hammel looked like his first-half self going five strong innings, giving up one run while striking out six.  The O's added a couple of insurance home runs in the fourth and sixth innings from Robert Andino and Mark Reynolds, respectively, giving them a cushy 6-1 lead headed into the eighth inning.  For an Orioles bullpen that has been nothing short of dominant this season, this should have made for an easy victory, but then the experienced Yankees decided to power on their bats.

In what was easily the most exciting and dramatic inning of the game, the memorable eighth started out just as it should have: two-up, two-down. Newly acquired starter-turned-reliever Randy Wolf came in for Hammel in the 6th inning and was headed for his third scoreless inning of the night before things started to unravel.  With two outs, Wolf walked Nick Swisher, then allowed a double to Alex Rodriguez, scoring swisher.  After another walk, Wolf allowed an RBI single to Curtis Granderson to pull the Yanks within three runs.  "So what?" I thought,they just needed one more out and then it was time to bring out All-Star closer Jim Johnson in the ninth to notch the save.  The Yankees still had a ways to go.  After allowing three runs in the bottom third of the inning, Wolf was pulled for Pedro Strop, a wily young reliever who, like the rest of the bullpen, has been lights out all season.  I started in my head "OK, here we go, one out Strop, you can do this." Not so fast.  Strop uncharacteristically issued back to back walks including a bases-loaded walk to bring the Yanks with in two. The next batter was Ichiro, who singled and tied the game at six apiece.  I was furious, how could this have happened?  How could the Orioles have blown a five run lead in the eighth inning? This was a team that had compiled a 60-0 record when leading after seven innings, was that all about to change?

Not so fast.  Much like the first inning, the Orioles would not be quieted. Adam Jones, the first batter of the inning sent the crowd into a frenzy as he launched a ball over the left field wall to break the tie: 7-6 O's (He was even rewarded with the customary post-game pie to the face).  A wave of relief came over me, then joy as I realized the O's may have just pulled yet another rabbit out of this hat that is the 2012 MLB season, but it wasn't over yet.  Matt Wieters singled on the first pitch he saw and then the ridiculously streaking Mark Reynolds hit another home run to give the birds a 9-6 lead, his second of the night. Reynolds might be the hottest hitter in baseball right now.  He has 8 home runs in his last seven games including three straight multi-homer games against the Yankees. After Reynold's late-game heroics, Chris Davis hit a first pitch bomb to the right field stands to cap off a four run inning and gave the O's their cushy lead right back.  It was the Orioles' sixth home run of the night and first six-homer game since August 28, 2007 against the Rays.  Jim Johnson came in to close out the ninth and give the O's the victory.

Baltimore (77-60) has won 10 of their past 13 games, including three of four over the rival Yankees. They can taste the playoffs on the tip of their tongues, and with their next six games against the Yankees and Rays, the O's can get themselves into the drivers seat heading into the final stretch of the season. I can hardly believe I'm even writing this, I mean, it's almost mid-September and the Orioles are in first place in arguably the toughest division in baseball.  This is a team that has spent the last decade and a half in the basement of the League, who was picked by many to finish at the bottom once again this season, but Buck Showalter has proven why he is hands down the best manager in baseball right now and has taken a young, inexperienced, hodge-podge of a team and turned them into serious contenders.  This has to be the most excited I have ever been as an O's fan, lets' keep the momentum going and look forward to an October that no one in Baltimore should ever forget.