Sidney Ponson, 2005 Donruss #114

Last night was one of the dog-ugliest Oriole games I've ever had the misfortune of seeing in person, which is saying a lot. I've lived through the days of Sidney Ponson, Daniel Cabrera, Radhames Liz, and the rest. But rarely have I seen the O's carry a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, only to lose 10-2. Back-to-back four-run innings will do that. Overall, the home team had as many miscues as hits (five of each). Three errors, a passed ball, and a wild pitch. Oh, and two hit batters. Thankfully, neither of them was Jose Bautista, so there weren't any fisticuffs or shouted profanities. I'll say one thing: traffic leaving the stadium was incredibly light, so I guess I'll thank the Birds for getting me home by bedtime.

The merciful thing about baseball is that you get 162 chances to play each season. Tonight's game is looking more like the Orioles I expect to see, as they're up 6-1 on Toronto with three outs left to get. Two out of three ain't bad.

Luis Matos, 2005 Donruss #109

I hope that I never run out of cards with distinctive photos like this. I can't tell you why Donruss selected a picture of Luis Matos trudging back to the dugout after a strikeout, but I'm glad that they gave me a puzzle to solve. The opposing catcher is wearing Detroit Tigers duds and has a name ending in "Z". Baseball-Reference tells me that Matos played three games for the O's in Detroit in 2004: a May 28-30 weekend series. He didn't strike out on Friday, and Brandon Inge was behind the plate on Saturday, with Ivan Rodriguez serving as designated hitter. Sunday afternoon "Pudge" was catching for the Tigers, and Matos went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles, a run scored, and a strikeout looking. Bingo.

So this picture was taken on May 30, 2004. Mike Maroth took the mound for the Tigers, with Erik Bedard toeing the rubber for the Birds. After a scoreless first inning, Luis batted with one out in the second and was called out on a 2-2 pitch, which immediately preceded the moment captured above. Detroit eventually took a 2-0 lead on a pair of RBI singles by Rodriguez, but the O's broke through in the top of the sixth. Brian Roberts and Jerry Hairston had back-to-back hits, and B-Rob scored on an errant pickoff throw by Maroth. The score held at 2-1 until the top of the ninth, when Motown closer Ugueth Urbina ran into some trouble. The first four Baltimore batters reached safely, with Javy Lopez, Matos, and B. J. Surhoff all singling and Rafael Palmeiro drawing a walk. With the game tied and the bases loaded, Robert Machado struck out. Roberts then walked on five pitches to give the Orioles their first lead of the day, and Hairston followed with a two-run single. Future Oriole Jamie Walker replaced Urbina and got Melvin Mora to strike out, then intentionally walked Miguel Tejada to reload the bases. Manager Alan Trammell's strategy backfired, as Larry Bigbie (who had pinch-run for Lopez) drove in a pair with a single. Matos grounded out to end the inning at last, but that was of little consequence. In all, the O's scored six runs on five singles and three walks.

Jorge Julio came in to wrap up the win for the visitors, but walked the first two batters with a five-run cushion. (That sounds about right.) He got a big break when Rodriguez bounced into a double play, then allowed an RBI single to Rondell White. It was too little, too late for the Tigers, as Craig Monroe flew out to Matos to bring about the 7-3 final. So even though the Donruss photographer caught Luis in a moment of frustration, things worked out for the best...at least for one day.

Rodrigo Lopez, 2005 Donruss #113

Time for another quick round of "When Was This Card?", America's favorite baseball card guessing game. This is an easy one. As the photo was taken in 2004 (evidenced by the Orioles' 50th anniversary patch on Rodrigo Lopez's left sleeve), and assuming that the blurry first base coach in the background belongs to the Chicago White Sox, this had to be the afternoon of Thursday, May 13, 2004. It was the middle game of a three-game series at the new Comiskey Park, and the hastily rescheduled first half of a day-night doubleheader. The previous night's game had been rained out, and the O's made only the one visit to the Windy City that year.

This was an especially eventful game. Needing an emergency starter, the Birds recalled hard-throwing Daniel Cabrera from AA Bowie to make his big league debut. The tall youngster frustrated the White Sox for six innings, permitting only two singles and three walks and working in a streak of eleven straight batters retired. He was matched by Chicago's Jon Garland, who allowed a run on singles by Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora in the first inning but nothing else in his seven innings of work.

Rodrigo Lopez, pitching out of the bullpen despite a 15-win rookie campaign in 2003 2002, was up to the task of protecting a one-run lead. He stranded the tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh and tacked on a 1-2-3 eighth to earn a hold. Jorge Julio stepped in for a breezy ninth-inning save to deliver the first win of Cabrera's career, 1-0.

This card offers it up for posterity. A shutout win by the slimmest of margins, delivered by a trio of pitchers that caused loads of frustration for O's fans.

Brian Roberts, 2005 Donruss #105

At times I feel like this blog is in danger of switching to an all-Brian Roberts format. But I can't help it if card companies have been churning out dozens of his cards every year, thereby tempting me to spend even more time talking about my favorite player. I'm a victim, here.

I don't actually have anything to say specifically about Brian tonight, but there was just too much going on in this picture for me to pass it by. You've got our second baseman in his 1975 throwback uniform, rocking the high stirrups. I'm the kind of guy that prefers the old-school high socks, and it bothers me that the few players who still wear high socks only wear solid colors instead of stirrups with white sanitaries. At least when the O's turn back the clock, Brian does it right.

I also enjoy the sideways glance on Roberts' face. I'm imagining that the two young ladies seated in the first row behind the Baltimore dugout are shouting marriage proposals to him, causing him to turn to the umpire and say, "Did you hear that?".

Finally we have maligned manager Lee Mazzilli standing attentively at the dugout railing. His arms are very intensely folded on top of the rail and he is gazing fiercely out at his young hitter. He's recalling the advice that he gave Roberts before he stepped to the plate - "Get a hit" - and he hopes that this advice goes heeded. Only then will people realize what a tactical genius the Great Mazz is. That'll be pretty sweet.

Miguel Tejada, 2005 Donruss #111

So, who wants to play shortstop for the Orioles? While the position has been a revolving door of offensive and defensive futility for this year's team (five different players have started at short, led by Freddie Bynum's 32 games and sparkling .443 OPS), I watched Miguel Tejada shine on a very public stage last night in the All-Star Game. He played one of the greatest games of his career, singling twice, walking, wreaking havoc on the base paths, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and fielding his position with a flair and competence not seen for the past few years. But then, Miggie has always had a penchant for the dramatic at All-Star Games. His first two years in Baltimore (2004 and 2005), he won the Home Run Derby and the ASG Most Valuable Player award, respectively. So as I observed his success last night, I was torn between wanting him to do well and not wanting him to be the reason for a National League victory.

I still realize that it was for the best that the Birds and Tejada parted ways when they did. They avoided the headaches that came with his appearance in the Mitchell Report and the revelation that he was two years older than he had claimed to be. He was beyond frustrated with losing in Baltimore (aren't we all?), and it was affecting his personality. Besides, three of the five players we received in return for him have made big contributions to a team that has shown signs of life. But it's beyond painful watching the O's shuffle through a thin deck of below-replacement-value impostors at the position that Tejada vacated. My kingdom for an adequate, a mediocre shortstop!