On Saturday, Kevin Millwood pitched the O's to a 5-0 win over the Angels. Jeremy Guthrie matched him on Sunday afternoon, pitching into the ninth inning as the Birds held on for a 1-0 victory.
This marked the first time the Orioles had ever swept the Angels on the road, and was the team's first winning road trip of the season (4-2 on the trip). It was also the first three-game road sweep this year (the O's swept Texas in four games before the All-Star break) and the first time since 2007 the O's posted back-to-back shutouts. In fact, if not for the run that Bergesen allowed on a balk on Friday, the Birds would have blanked the Angels in three straight contests.
Are you noticing a pattern here? A whole lot of firsts, thanks mainly to new skipper Buck Showalter. In Buck's first month at the helm, the O's have gone from laughing stock of the league to a team that poses a real threat to any club in contention. The Birds have a 16-11 record in August (16-10 under Buck's command), marking their first winning month in over two years and their first winning August since 1997 (their last winning season).
The Orioles enjoyed a well-deserved day off on Monday, and now battle the visiting Red Sox starting Tuesday night. Win or lose, the Birds have one of the best records in baseball for the month.
September doesn't look nearly as welcoming....the O's play just five teams all month, and only one isn't in the AL East. The Birds play 27 games in September, and 21 of them are against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays. Detroit is the only non-divisional foe the O's will face...all five teams are over .500, and most are playing for the postseason.
It will be tough, but I can't wait to see how the O's handle this stretch of the season. After a stellar August, I have no reason to believe that the Orioles can't keep up the performance against their divisional rivals. If nothing else, at least Buck will get to experience first-hand what he has to look forward to next season...
Brian Matusz starts it all off on Tuesday night...Let's Go O's!
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