Seemingly every few days this early season, young Orioles center fielder Adam Jones does something to highlight his continuing maturation as a baseball player.
It happened in a big way Tuesday, when the 23-year-old had his first career multi-homer game in a 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
His solo home run in the first was on a dipping curveball from Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine (1-4) that he yanked 396 feet. Jones came back in the second with a three-run blast - his eighth of the season - in a five-run inning that essentially gave the Orioles the win.
"I have confidence every single day," said Jones, who is batting .363 this season.
"The results, I'd just say, are on my side right now."
In six games this homestand, Jones is batting .416 with three homers and six RBIs.
"His power numbers are coming a lot quicker than we all anticipated," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said.
"But I'm not surprised because of the potential that the young man has."
The Orioles (14-19) have beaten Tampa Bay (15-19) in four of six meetings this season; that's one more win than in 18 tries against the Rays last year.
But it wasn't easy.
They had to overcome a four-run deficit in the second inning.
They had to overcome a dropped routine fly by the normally sure-handed Jones.
They had to overcome the bizarre departure of starting left fielder Felix Pie, who suffered sudden "stomach discomfort" and didn't come out to the field in the fourth, causing a delay of several minutes and forcing Ty Wigginton to the outfield for the first time this season. Pie was taken to the hospital for observation.
They also needed seven scoreless innings from the bullpen - including four from Brian Bass (2-1) and one from closer George Sherrill (sixth save) - to overcome the worst performance of the season by Mark Hendrickson, who might have lost his spot in the rotation.
Hendrickson pitched a scoreless first but was hammered for five runs in the second, allowing three singles, two doubles and a walk as the Rays sent nine batters to the plate.
"Actually I felt really good; I just didn't finish the hitters," said Hendrickson, who hasn't won since his Orioles debut April 10.
"I got a couple strikes on a couple of the hitters, and in the second inning I had two outs and couldn't finish the inning, so case in point. I need three outs, not two."
