Matusz

The Orioles avoided a three-game sweep tonight with a victory over the Rays. The previous two losses felt like the last twelve years. Bats go to sleep and pitching disappears. Brian Matusz pitched two-hit ball and the birds are coming home tomorrow for the opener against the Jays. The kid handled the Tampa Bay line-up. The new closer sent a chill into the bones by putting runners on in the ninth but managed to end it with a fly ball. In 40 years of watching baseball, I've never seen a pitcher deliver the ball to the plate like Mike Gonzalez does. It's strange.

It's nice to be back in Birdland again--home after thirty years.