Nolan Reimold, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL3

Here's a thing that I didn't think I would say in 2015: Nolan Reimold made some major contributions as the Orioles completed a sweep of the Red Sox with a 6-5 win. The 31-year-old outfielder, who was promoted from AAA Norfolk earlier this week, chased down eight fly balls in left (and later right) field, and added a solo home run. It was his first round-tripper in an O's uniform since July 10, 2013. It's been a very uneven couple of months in Baltimore, but the Birds are riding their first four-game win streak of the year and are back within a game of .500. This weekend, they can take their best shot at the first-place Yankees. It's anybody's game right now.

Tommy Hunter, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT10

In a season full of unlikely outcomes, it only makes sense that I passed through the gates of Oriole Park at Camden Yards early yesterday evening with every confidence that the team would win and clinch the American League East division crown for the first time since ER and Seinfeld were prime time TV staples. This despite the fact that the team was trotting out Ubaldo Jimenez for his first appearance since he bombed out of a mop-up relief appearance on August 31. Toronto's starting pitcher was none other than Drew Hutchison, who had flummoxed the O's in each of his previous six starts against them. It was a "reverse lock", I told my sister, only half-joking. Any matchup that seemed that lopsided couldn't turn out the way that everyone expected. Not in baseball...not for this team.

There was a palpable energy in the ballpark long before the first pitch was thrown. 35,297 fans filled Oriole Park to three-quarters capacity, quite a strong showing for a Tuesday night game in mid-September against a so-so Blue Jay squad. The Baltimore faithful bought over 10,000 walkup tickets in the 21 hours between Monday's final out and Tuesday's potential clincher. Everyone was yearning to celebrate, especially since the home-clincher scenario hadn't played out in Charm City in 45 years. On Twitter and Facebook, handfuls of my friends and acquaintances also acknowledged their own presence at the game. I saw friend and fellow card collector Ed out on Eutaw Street, trying to give away his extra seats. On the first-level concourse, my sister and I ran into our cousin, her father, and their significant others. More than any other game I've ever attended, this one put the "small" in "Smalltimore". We took our customary seats in Section 340, high above home plate with an excellent view of the entire field. As the lineups were introduced, Jose Reyes was lustily booed for inciting the Monday night fracas that led to Caleb Joseph ducking out of the way of a head-seeking Marcus Stroman fastball. I knew it would be a good, loud, engaged crowd; rarely do you hear loud fan response during pregame activities. Everyone in the Orioles' starting ten received a strong ovation, even the much-maligned Ubaldo. We were determined to wipe the slate clean and provide encouragement. A good performance in this high-stakes game, and much would be forgiven. The fan feedback continued through both national anthems, with loud cries of "O!" punctuating those interjections in "O, Canada" as well as "The Star-Spangled Banner". Baltimore was ready.

Jimenez, however, did not seem ready. Whether it was nerves, rust, or the familiar mechanical problems that have marked his rough first season in Birdland, the O's starter put the team in an early hole. It took him 30 pitches to dispatch the Jays in the first inning, with a Jose Bautista walk and an Edwin Encarnacion double plating that first Toronto run and leading to displeased murmurs from the crowd. The momentum seemed to swing as Ubaldo rallied to strike out Adam Lind and Danny Valencia, and the good vibes were flowing again when Steve Pearce solved Hutchison with a two-out, three-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the inning (coincidentally, his first-ever opposite-field shot in the majors). We cheered and clapped rhythmically as the Orioles' bargain-basement hero crossed home plate after his Earl Weaver special. It didn't seem like three runs would be enough, but it was a good start.

The top-of-the-first murmurs devolved into groans and scattered boos as Ubaldo's control completely abandoned him in the second inning. Three walks and a Reyes single sliced the Oriole lead to 3-2, and the O's righthander was approaching 60 pitches with the bases loaded, two outs, and the dangerous Encarnacion standing at bat. T. J. McFarland hurried to get ready in the bullpen, but Jimenez got EE to hit a harmless grounder to Jimmy Paredes at third base, and the lefty reliever sat back down. He wouldn't be needed until the sixth inning, because somehow our starting pitcher retired the last ten batters he faced and bowed out with 97 total pitches thrown. I had gone from restraining myself against my baser instincts to complain and boo to giving the man a standing ovation and joining in the fledgling chants of "U-BAL-DO!". Yet another surprise from the 2014 Orioles.

Meanwhile, substitute third baseman Paredes powered a solo homer just out of the reach of left fielder Kevin Pillar in the bottom of the second inning to push the advantage back to two runs at 4-2, but the O's bats went quiet for a while afterward. Since neither team was scoring, I maintained a good deal of confidence, but I felt anxious knowing that a walk and a big swing could tie the game. As each defensive inning came to a close, I turned to my sister and updated the outs-to-go countdown. Eighteen...fifteen...twelve...when there were ten outs remaining, I began counting down one-by-one on my fingers, much to the mingled amusement and annoyance of Liz.

The atmosphere became decidedly more celebratory after the seventh-inning stretch. (Thank God I'm a Country Boy!) Hutchison finally ran out of gas, allowing a Paredes single that took a bad hop on second baseman Ryan Goins. Ryan Flaherty hit a comebacker and the Jays pitcher hastily went for the out at second, throwing the ball wildly into center field. With runners on the corners, Nick Hundley struck out, but Toronto manager John Gibbons called for the bullpen. Reliever Aaron Loup's first pitch drilled Nick Markakis between the shoulder blades, much to the anger and dismay of everyone in orange and black. Nick shook it off and took his base, bringing up late-season acquisition Alejandro de Aza with the bases loaded. After working the count full, de Aza roped a line drive down the first base line and into the right field corner for a bases-clearing triple. 7-2, and suddenly victory was a near-certainty.

Darren O'Day, who was serenaded with the trademark "O-Dayyyyyy, O-Daaaaayyyyyy O-Daaaaayyyyy O-Daaaaaaaaayyyyyyy" chant both during and after his work on the mound (in my experience, the fans usually wait until he's done pitching) aimed a breaking ball squarely at Bautista's rear end in the top of the eighth inning, settling the score for Caleb Joseph and Markakis and earning warnings to both teams from the home plate umpire. He then got back to work, teaming with Andrew Miller to strike out the side. The O's loaded the bases again in the bottom of the eighth and settled for a Hundley sac fly that pushed the lead to 8-2. I tried to savor every moment, taking measured sips of my Natty Boh tallboy can so that I'd still have something left to drink after the final out was recorded. A family in the front row of our section had a clinching-themed banner and an oversized bottle of champagne made of cardboard and aluminum foil, complete with white balloons as bubbles. Speaking of balloons, black and orange ones started appearing in the section below us, as if conjured out of thin air.

Tommy Hunter shuffled in from the Orioles 'pen to get the last three outs. We rose to our feet, cameras and cell phones at the ready to record a historical moment. Valencia grounded a ball to Flaherty, now playing third base, on the first pitch.

One out.

John Mayberry, Jr. looped a ball into shallow right field, out of the reach of Steve Pearce. Delayed gratification.

Pinch hitter Dalton Pompey hit it down the left field line, and de Aza ranged over to make the grab.

Two outs. The noise swelled. The chants of "Let's Go O's!", which had been peppered throughout the game, took on an inevitable, fevered pitch.

Ryan Goins fell behind 1-2, then topped a Hunter pitch over first base. Pearce scooped it up, jogged forward, and stepped on the bag.

Bedlam. Balloons. Streamers. Fireworks. "2014 AL East Division Champions" in bold capital letters on the scoreboard. The players, coaches, staff, and families raced onto the field. The rest of us jumped, clapped, raised our hands to the air, screamed, cheered, hooted, embraced.

And that was just the beginning of the celebration.

Jim Johnson, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT13

Wow, the Orioles sure got out while the getting was good with Jim Johnson. Last night, the ex-Orioles closer faced his old teammates for the second time this season. For the second time, he allowed a home run that extended an O's lead, as Chris Davis led off the ninth inning in Oakland with a no-doubt blast to right field to push the Baltimore lead to 8-4. Johnson only saved two games for the A's before getting demoted from the closer role, and here in mid-July his earned run average sits at an unsightly 6.25. He's allowed 56 hits in 40.1 innings, with 23 walks, 28 strikeouts, and five homers. His WHIP is 1.96, and whenever he pitches at home (where he's got a 10.29 ERA and 2.79 WHIP in 16 games) the fans are ready to jeer him at the drop of a hat. All that, and he's making $10 million dollars for a cash-strapped team. I'm actually starting to feel bad for Dirty Jim, but I'm glad that he's not our problem.

Adam Jones, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT1

Yesterday I witnessed an Orioles loss live and in person for the first time in 2014, as the team looked listless throughout a nondescript 5-2 loss to the Astros that snapped a five-game winning streak. But it takes a lot more than an 'L' to ruin my day...most of the time.

What's to complain about in this case? It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and the entire family was together for Mother's Day: my parents, my sister, and my wife Janet and me. We had a good view and plenty of shade in the left field lower box seats, and we even got to see Adam Jones' 500th and 501st career RBI. There were other highlights if you looked hard enough (Nick Markakis extending his hitting streak to 18 games, Chris Davis returning from the 15-day DL with a single and a double, David Lough making a great leaping catch in left field to save a couple runs), but everybody is a sucker for a round number.

It seems hard to believe, but Jonesy is already in his ninth big league season, and while 500 RBI might not seem so impressive when you consider that it doesn't even crack the top 1,000 of MLB's career leader board, especially if you take a gander at the Jay Paytons and Larry Bowas loitering at the bottom of that list. But he'll be there by season's end, and his career numbers mean more in the context of Orioles team history. Adam has collected 489 of his 501 career RBI in Baltimore orange and black, which leaves him 15th on the Birds' leader board. Up next is Gus Triandos with 517. His 141 homers are 12th among all O's, and his next big fly will tie Triandos for 11th on that account. With good health and fortune, he'll be top-ten and beyond.

Alfredo Simon, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT6

Things have been going pretty well for Alfredo Simon since the Reds selected him off of waivers from the Orioles two years ago. In 99 relief appearances he has a 2.78 ERA (142 ERA+). What's more, he hasn't been accused of murdering anyone since 2011!

Kevin Gregg, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT7

Sorry, everyone. I spent the day suffering with allergies (stupid pollen) and watching in horror as the Orioles lost an immensely aggravating 10-inning game in Oakland. I offer up Kevin Gregg as a sacrifice. I guess that's my attempt at taking out my frustration on others. Misdirected anger, if you will. At least this goggled goon is the Chicago Cubs' problem now.

Zach Britton, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT16

Here's another autograph that I snagged on Saturday at FanFest. I don't know that Zach Britton's signature is the most legible I've ever seen, but I appreciate the flair with which he looped the "Z" and the "B". And considering that Zach is a lefty, I'm grateful that he didn't smear the ink with his hand as he went.

Chris Davis, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT5

I want to write about the euphoria I felt at the conclusion of yesterday's 17-inning cavalcade of the bizarre, but I don't know if it will make any sense. If it comes across as disjointed, that's probably fitting; I turned the game on and off and on and off again throughout the afternoon and evening. I still kept tabs by watching MLB Network's whip-around coverage, figuring that they would show anything pertinent either live or on a slight delay. In the 15th, Ed called to ask if I was watching and I told him disgustedly that every time I switched over to MASN, it seemed like the Orioles were hitting into a double play. But I kept hoping, seemingly in vain, that this team that had blown a 5-0 lead and repeatedly come up empty against an army of Boston relievers, would scratch across a single run so that they could get out of town before their own excellent bullpen (add that to the list of things you never thought you'd hear) finally cracked or ran out of pitchers. A loss in such a marathon game would be disappointing, but wouldn't tarnish the team's first back-to-back series wins in New York and Boston since 1992. However, a win would bring their first three-game road sweep of the Red Sox since 1994, a return to first place in the American League East, and another reminder that the Orioles are no longer an easy 'W' on the schedule.

When it became apparent that designated hitter Chris Davis, who to that point in the game was 0-for-7 with five strikeouts and a double-play grounder, would take the mound in the bottom of the 16th, I flipped back to MASN and set down the remote. There's always a special delight in the absurd when a position player is called upon to pitch, and it's an especially rare treat in Baltimore. Only five other non-pitchers had toed the rubber in team history, and the last of those was Manny Alexander in 1996. Manny was predictably horrible, but that game had already been lost. Were the O's throwing in the towel by trotting out Davis? Not quite, as it happened.

Davis, who did some pitching in high school and also dabbled in it at junior college, looked like a natural...other than his frequently changing arm slot. He sat around 90 mph with his fastball in the 16th inning, and struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia by getting him to chase a wicked changeup. Rookie Will Middlebrooks (who hours earlier had tied the game with a fifth-inning grand slam over the Green Monster) put a charge into one, but Adam Jones tracked it down in center field for out number two. It looked like Chris' big league pitching debut would feature a 1-2-3 inning, but Wilson Betemit muffed a Marlon Byrd grounder to give the Sox a second chance. When Mike Aviles followed with a ringing double to left-center field, I was certain that Chris Davis would unjustly be hung with a loss. But Adam Jones fired off a strong throw to cutoff man J. J. Hardy, and Hardy's relay throw beat Byrd to the plate. The runner collided with Matt Wieters, who hung on and casually showed the ball to Byrd and the umpire with a sly grin. There would be a 17th inning.

Not wanting to be left out, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine called upon a position player of his own to pitch the 17th: outfielder Darnell McDonald, who was of course the Orioles' first-round draft pick in 1997. McDonald had pinch run for designated hitter David Ortiz in the eighth inning, meaning that both teams forfeited their DH without making a substitution. McDonald actually pitched an inning for Boston last season, giving up a pair of runs on two walks and a hit in one inning. Let's just say that he's not nearly the pitcher that Chris Davis is. Topping out at 83 mph, Darnell walked Wilson Betemit to lead off. With Hardy (4-for-7 with two homers at that point) at bat, Betemit inexplicably tried to steal second base and was out by a mile. Hardy doubled to left, Markakis walked on four pitches, and then Adam Jones launched a batting practice-caliber fastball over the Monster. It started to sink in: Chris Davis was in line for the win. First he grounded out to second base, leaving him at 0-for-8 on the day.

Davis flirted with disaster in his second inning of work, as he couldn't field a line drive comebacker from Ryan Sweeney and walked Dustin Pedroia on five pitches. That brought powerful first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the plate as the potential tying run with nobody out. Incredibly, Chris struck out Gonzalez on three pitches, saddling Boston's cleanup hitter with an 0-for-8 of his own. Now he faced his counterpart, Darnell McDonald. Capping his rough inning, Darnell grounded the second pitch he saw to Hardy, who started the game-ending double play. That's five straight wins for the Orioles, and we just won't mention what happened with the Rangers tonight.

So, to sum up: Chris Davis pitched two scoreless innings to become:

1. The first position player to earn a win in an American League game since Rocky Colavito in 1968.
2. The first position player to start at another position and earn a win since Babe Ruth in 1925.
3. The first pitcher to earn a win while going 0-for-8 at bat since Rube Waddell in 1905.

Sometimes baseball is just too much fun.

Endy Chavez, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT9

I wanted to tip my cap to pitcher Jason Hammel, who earned the win in a 5-3 squeaker today by pushing through bases-loaded situations in the first and third inning and hanging on to complete six innings of two-run ball. He also tied his career high by striking out 10 White Sox batters. Hammel won't soon make Orioles fans forget Jeremy Guthrie, the man he was traded for, but he's making a good first impression. Unfortunately, I don't have any Hammel cards yet, so he has to share space with another of today's key players, outfielder Endy Chavez.

Chavez, seen here hastily Photoshopped from a Rangers uniform to O's threads, was a surprise starter in left field thanks to Nolan Reimold's neck discomfort. Despite entering the game with just a pair of hits in 18 at-bats, the one-time Expo reached base three times from the leadoff spot in the order (single, walk, hit-by-pitch) and scored twice. He also made a running over-the-shoulder catch in the sixth inning to save at least a run. It was one of those under-the-radar performances that can get lost in the drone of a 162-game season, but for today it helped keep the Orioles in first place in the American League East. Yep, you read that right. There's 149 games left to go, but I didn't even expect the Birds to be atop the division at this point, a couple weeks into the season. Savor it.

Robert Andino, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BALT12

Sorry to do a link dump, but Deadspin's Tom Scocca wrote a long, thoughtful, bittersweet, yet ultimately somewhat heartening article about what it means to be an Orioles fan. You can read it here, though you should be forewarned of salty language if that's one of your hang-ups. The framing device used is Robert Andino's game-winning hit last September 28, the one that ultimately cost the Red Sox a trip to the postseason. If you're a fan of some other major league team, you might have noticed that we O's fans are awfully proud of that one shining moment of spoilerdom at the end of our 15th straight losing season. That's kind of the point. We mattered. For one more night, everyone else's attention was focused on Baltimore, and our guys didn't embarrass themselves. I'd like to think it was a sign of things to come. But I won't dare allow myself to expect that.