Millwood Wins Again Behind Offensive Outburst

Be honest...were you cheering for the O's on Thursday night? I know I was.

The Orioles busted out of a slump in a BIG way, crushing the visiting Florida Marlins 11-5 at Camden Yards.

After starter Kevin Millwood allowed two runs in the first inning and another one in the second, it looked as if the Birds were doomed and Millwood would lose yet again.

But this time, something happened.

Signs of life, a spark, something different...whatever it was (and I'm not calling it Orioles Magic this year) put a smile on my face and of any Oriole fan that has been dreading every game, yet watching and hoping and waiting...

The Orioles offense simply EXPLODED. Six straight hits (O's hadn't done that since 2008) in the third inning resulted in five runs, giving Millwood some breathing room. At one point, the O's went 5-for-5 with runners in scoring position...honestly, this game was unreal.

Millwood lasted just five innings and gave up four runs, but the offense never let up...Adam Jones went deep in the fifth inning (his second solo shot in as many games) and the Birds just kept tacking on runs...another run in the sixth, three in the seventh (Miguel Tejada's three-run blast gave him four RBIs for the game) and another run in the eighth...

The 17 hits tied a season-high from April, when the Birds took down the Boston Red Sox and we all still believed the best was yet to come...

Still, this was nice. The Birds won their 20th game of the year, the fans left happy, and Kevin Millwood finally got another win.

The O's take on the Washington Nationals over the weekend...Jake Arrieta tries to push the win streak to "2"...here's hoping the bats still have some heat left in them...