Brooks Robinson, 2009 Topps Legends of the Game #LG-BR

Tonight the Orioles returned to Camden Yards for the first time since playing in an empty stadium on a Wednesday afternoon two weeks ago. They wore special white home jerseys with "Baltimore" emblazoned across the front in orange script. P. A. announcer Ryan Wagner announced each player on the home team as batting or pitching for "Baltimore", instead of for "the Orioles". There were 20,468 fans in attendance, more than you might expect for a Monday night in mid-May against the Blue Jays. The O's won in satisfying fashion, 5-2, thanks to their usual power display - Manny Machado, Chris Davis, and Adam Jones each hit a home run - and another encouraging outing from Ubaldo Jimenez, who whiffed nine Toronto batters in seven innings.

I'm not so naive as to think that one baseball game, or a dozen, or 81, can heal the ills and iniquity in this city. But I'm grateful for the images and sounds that came from Oriole Park this evening.