BALTIMORE - Outfielder Lou Montanez and relief pitcher George Sherrill have struggled mightily this season. The Baltimore Orioles have struggled right along with them.
Montanez entered last night's game hitting .174 while Sherrill owned a 4.63 ERA and had lost his job as the team's primary closer. Their problems - and plenty of others - had helped send the Orioles to 15 losses in their previous 20 games. But Montanez and Sherrill came up big last night, leading the Orioles to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The win gave Baltimore a modest two-game sweep of the visitors and offered some hope that the reversal of fortune might continue through the weekend as the reeling New York Yankees visit.
Montanez drove in the game-winner with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, his third RBI of the season. The beleaguered Sherrill made the run stand up by retiring three of the four batters he faced in the ninth, earning his fifth save.
Montanez came up with two on and two out in the eighth after Melvin Mora and Ty Wigginton had singled. At that point, the young left fielder must have wondered if he'd ever get another hit. He'd struck the ball hard in all three of his earlier at-bats, with nothing to show for it. But in his fourth chance, he dumped a modest single into left field that brought Mora around with what proved to be the decisive run.
"For me, it's great," he said. "But all the guys in here - they just care that we won."
Montanez was entitled to be a bit more selfish in his desires. He hasn't been in the lineup regularly because of a thumb injury and because the organization wants to see what Felix Pie might contribute as the regular left-fielder.
So far, Pie hasn't hit. Montanez hasn't either, but at least he has a track record of success. In fact, this year's struggles are something completely new for Montanez. Last year, he won the Eastern League Triple Crown (.335-26-97) while playing at Class AA Bowie and then hit .295 in a 38-game trial in Baltimore late in the year.
"Right now, I'm not finding the holes, but it evens out," Montanez said. "Whenever I get a chance (to play), I've got to take advantage of it."
"I think everyone has seen that he can handle the bat," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "He's earning the opportunity to play and I have no problem putting him out there."
Sherrill, meanwhile, had lost Trembley's confidence. Opposing hitters were batting .320 against him and he'd blown four of his six save opportunities this season.
In the ninth, Sherrill got Twins leadoff man Denard Span on a called third strike and Matt Tolbert on a harmless fly to center. Sherrill walked Joe Mauer (who's hitting .476) after a 3-2 pitch just missed, then induced Justin Morneau to fly out to Montanez in left for the final out. No drama, no problem.
"Everything felt real good and I was able to get some guys out," Sherrill said.
Orioles 5, Twins 4
Minnesota Baltimore
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Span cf-lf 5 2 2 0 BRorts 2b 4 0 0 0
Tolbert 2b 4 0 2 0 AdJons cf 4 0 0 0
Mauer c 4 0 3 1 Markks rf 3 1 0 0
Mornea 1b 3 0 0 1 Mora 3b 4 2 2 1
Kubel dh 4 1 1 0 Huff dh 2 2 1 2
Crede 3b 4 1 2 0 Wggntn 1b 4 0 1 0
Cuddyr rf 4 0 1 1 Montnz lf 4 0 1 1
DlmYn lf 4 0 3 1 Zaun c 3 0 3 0
Gomez pr-cf 0 0 0 0 CIzturs ss 3 0 1 1
Punto ss 4 0 0 0
Totals 36 4 14 4 Totals 31 5 9 5
Minnesota 011 001 100-4
Baltimore 022 000 01x-5
E-C.Ray (1). DP-Minnesota 1, Baltimore 2. LOB-Minnesota 9, Baltimore 5. 2B-Crede (6). HR-Mora (2), Huff (4). CS-Delm.Young (2). S-Tolbert. SF-Morneau.
IP H R ER BB SO
Minnesota
Perkins 6 5 4 4 2 2
Guerrier 1 1 0 0 0 0
Mijares L,0-1 1 3 1 1 0 0
Baltimore
Bergesen 6 11 3 3 1 3
C.Ray BS,1-1 2-3 2 1 1 0 0
Walker 1-3 0 0 0 0 0
Ji.Johnson W,2-0 1 1 0 0 0 0
Sherrill S,5-7 1 0 0 0 1 1
HBP-by Perkins (Markakis).
T-2:47. A-11,399 (48,290).
