"Orioles blank Yankees Burres, Johnson combine for six-hit shutout; Millar homers, Huff and Hernandez drive in two runs apiece"





Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott (30) celebrate after scoring on a double by Ramon Hernandez in the O's 6-0 win over the Yankees.

Overwinning

Kevin Millar (15) celebrates with Aubrey Huff (17) and Brian Roberts (1) after scoring the winning run on a single by Adam Jones against Chicago White Sox during the tenth inning. The O's beat the White Sox, 6-5

Going in the right direction

Forget .500. Why think about .500? Who said anything about .500? We don't need no stinkin' .500.
Nice little comeback at the Yard tonight, and it was full of interesting sub-plots.
How about the bench being emptied and Melvin Mora having to play shortstop, Aubrey Huff replacing him at third base and the Orioles losing their designated hitter?
As they mounted another rally in the 10th inning, the pitcher's spot was approaching. But closer George Sherrill wouldn't have batted. Manager Dave Trembley was getting Steve Trachsel and Adam Loewen ready in the indoor cage. He wanted experience in that situation, and Trachsel has done plenty of hitting in the National League. Loewen, meanwhile, would have been drafted as a hitter by some other organizations if the Orioles hadn't taken him with the fourth pick in 2002.
We never got that far. Adam Jones lined a single to left to score Kevin Millar for a thrilling 6-5 victory.
"We might be outmanned from the standpoint of position players," Trembley said, "but we certainly are not going to back down."
We shouldn't forget that nine-pitch at-bat for Luke Scott that ended with a walk, after Millar had led off with a walk of his own. Aubrey Huff almost ended the game, but his line drive to left field didn't quite carry enough.
No matter. The Orioles weren't going to be denied. They already rallied from 5-2 down in the eighth, scoring once in the bottom half after Kevin Millar struck out and reached first base on catcher A.J. Pierzynski's error. He scored on Scott's double, which gave you the feeling that something special was going to happen.
Millar should have been the final out, but not on this night.
Not for a team that had no interest in .500.

Millar

The Red Sox's Alex Cora gets back to first base before the tag from Kevin Millar. The Orioles won, 12-2.

Millar

"I'm guaranteeing a 2008 World Series. Everybody else is"

Kevin Millar said while standing at this locker before today's first full-squad workout.