Wieters has gone through his struggles, but the past two nights have certainly marked the high point of his rookie season. In Tuesday's victory, he drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single and tacked on a three-run, eighth-inning homer to give him a career-high five RBIs.
Wednesday night, in what amounted to a pitching duel between Orioles rookie Chris Tillman and Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine, Wieters brought in a run with a second-inning sacrifice fly and then made sure the Orioles' 2-0 lead held up by twice throwing out the speedy Carl Crawford stealing. Crawford had been thrown out stealing twice in the same game just once in his big league career.
It appeared that Crawford was going to have a chance to get some revenge on Wieters by catching the game-winning home run. But he ran out of room as the ball bounced a couple of rows up into the barren left-field stands.
"I knew I hit it pretty well, but with the way the ball was carrying earlier in the night, I didn't know," said Wieters, who has seven homers. "Before the rain delay, I don't think that ball carries out there."
Before the delay, the story had been the performance of Tillman, who continues to pitch as if he's not ready for his rookie season to end. Tillman allowed just one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Sticking to their plan of being patient with their rookie starters, the Orioles are expected to shut down Tillman after one or two more starts.
Wednesday night, the 21-year-old looked strong throughout, allowing one run on five hits and a walk in the finest start of his young career. Tillman carried a shutout bid into the sixth inning before former Oriole Gregg Zaun, who caught the rookie's major league debut a month and a half earlier, deposited a pitch into the right-field seats to cut the Orioles' lead to 2-1.
"I felt like I located my fastball a little bit better," Tillman said. "When I needed it, I had my off-speed stuff, too, curveball and changeup. I could have thrown my changeup a little better, could have used it a little better. But I felt good tonight."
It took a little longer than they had hoped, but so did the rest of the Orioles.
"The good ones are going to find a way to get it done," Trembley said.
Box score
for Wednesday's game PG 4
RAYS@ ORIOLES
Tonight, 7:05
TV: MASN2
Radio: 105.7 FM
Inside: Hendrickson wants to return PG 5
