On the road again...

The Orioles are back on the Left Coast tonight in Seattle in which Adam Jones and George Sherrill will make their return to the Emerald City and Safeco Field.

It's been a pretty solid season so far from Sherrill. He's given up a few runs in his last appearances but Sunday's appearance was just to get some work in so it was expected he'd be a little rusty and Derek Jeter is an Oriole killer. Jones is also having the up and down season like we all expected. He's shown that he still needs some seasoning with his 0-4 with 4 Ks showing on the 13th, and he's also shown those flashes of brilliance and what is to come with a 3-3 game on he 14th and then belting his first Orioles HR on the 15th. With Bedard on the DL and rumors swirling about the seriousness of the injury, this trade is a win without even factoring the players such as Chris Tillman that are in the minors. Adam Jones alone is worth the price of admission with his exciting play. It's fun watching him and Markakis growing (albeit Markakis more advanced at the plate) into future stars.

****
LUUUUUUUUUKE!

Seriously, has there been an Oriole that was loved more by the fans more than Luke Scott in the past few seasons? I don't remember anybody getting the reaction that he gets for each AB. This guy is a gamer and not since the days of BJ Surhoff, did the Orioles have a complete player like Scott roaming LF. Whether its the notes he keeps for each AB, or the fact that he works the pitcher almost everytime at the plate, there is tons to love about this guy. Thanks for Scott, Houston. The force is strong with this one...

****
Brandon Fahey and Luis Hernandez are still on the team somehow. Fahey has proven to be the more consistent of the two with Hernandez being more flashy yet wild in his throws. Neither however resembles a major league shortstop. Alex Cintron is basically playing his way back into baseball shape on the Norfolk Tides roster but I wouldn't be surprised to see Fahey sent down and Cintron called back up at the end of the month to take the SS job. Freddie Bynum could also return mid May to try to take a crack at the job if Cintron can't handle it. Scott Moore is also playing some SS in Norfolk to see if he might be a solution. The Orioles could really use his bat instead of our light hitting SS's.

These guys (minus Moore) are all bargain basement SS's though and the Orioles really do need to find a more permanent solution. Hopefully MacPhail has been working the phones to make something happen...

****
It's been a great start for the Orioles, although this is their third straight year of starting 11-7 only to lose the next game, nobody expected them to be this good. With a brutal schedule ahead though, I think we are about to find just how good they really are. I expect to see this team in 5th place by the end of May. It's not going to be boring however, as these guys battle their tails off to the last man. That should be credited to Trembley who has got this group to overachieve and believe in themselves.

We'll see if they can hold on and keep the Oriole Magic alive starting tonight in Seattle...