Chris Hoiles

SEATTLE -- When Cal Ripken arrived at the visitors clubhouse yesterday, his manager was waiting for him.Before Ripken glanced at the lineup card, Ray Miller wanted to notify the third baseman that he was batting seventh and why."I didn't feel like I needed his permission. But when he came through the door today, I told him, 'Cal, you're hitting seventh. I just wanted to give you a heads up because the writers will look at the lineup and probably come ask you about it,' " said Miller. "It's out of respect to him."

SEATTLE -- When Cal Ripken arrived at the visitors clubhouse yesterday, his manager was waiting for him.Before Ripken glanced at the lineup card, Ray Miller wanted to notify the third baseman that he was batting seventh and the reasons for it."I didn't feel like I needed his permission. But when he came through the door today, I told him, 'Cal, you're hitting seventh. I just wanted to give you a heads up because the writers will look at the lineup and probably come ask you about it,' " said Miller.

No. 8 at No. 7 -- UP -- Cal Ripken bats seventh for four straight games -- one more than in his previous 15 seasons -- and goes 7-for-15 with a jack and three RBIs. Had been 9-for-44 in his previous 12 games batting fifth and sixth.Doug Drabek -- UP -- Followed April washout with a stand-up May. Without Drabek performing as de facto No. 2 starter, Orioles would be out of it for good. As it is, recovery is possible.Chris Hoiles -- DOWN -- Ray Miller looks to have anointed Lenny Webster as his starting catcher.

To say that one is playing with pain in the pinkie is enough to inspire laughter. Unless the subject is Roberto Alomar and his performance during the Orioles' 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers yesterday at Camden Yards.Because while the All-Star second baseman is still suffering from a sprained pinkie, he made Tigers pitcher Justin Thompson hurt even more."It hurt," Alomar said after driving in two runs, collecting two hits and making a pair of fine plays in the infield. "It's going to hurt for a while."

Nothing could have been more appropriate than a local bank announcing it will donate $1,000 to Shock Trauma for every Orioles save. Last night before 43,039 at Camden Yards, Armando Benitez provided plenty of each -- shock and trauma but no cash -- in a 4-3 escape against the Chicago White Soxthat bordered on disastrous but compromised for the simply bizarre.The Orioles began the ninth inning with a two-run lead and their de facto closer Benitez pitching.They left 35 pitches or what seemed like an eternity later, with the bases loaded and the team's eldest player, Jesse Orosco, having rescued its youngest member for the second time in 10 days.

Cal Ripken -- UP -- Hits in 10 straight games, passes Brooks Robinson for the franchise hit record and extends his streak of reaching base to 45 games in a row. Oh, yeah, The Streak hit No. 2,600 eight days ago. Shut up about range. He leads AL third basemen in fielding percentage.Chris Hoiles -- UP -- Two grand slams in the same game earned his jersey a ticket to Cooperstown. Only Harold Baines and Eric Davis have been better with runners in scoring position. Give him at-bats, the RBIs will come.

Opposing base stealers are 17-for-18, and the Orioles are 5-1.The Detroit Tigers stole five bases yesterday, and the Orioles won, 6-3.Is it an issue, or isn't it?Not yet. And maybe not all season.But can the Orioles win a World Series this way?That's the question they need to answer."You've got to be concerned," general manager Pat Gillick said. "We're just going to see how it goes for a while. Maybe it will get better."The manager, players and coaches insist it will get better, and the months ahead will determine whether their forecast was accurate.

CLEVELAND -- The Orioles barely survived one of closer Armando Benitez's scariest rides of the season yesterday to topple the Cleveland Indians, 9-8, in 10 innings at Jacobs Field. What came within 90 feet of a traumatic ninth-inning loss instead ended well as a fourth consecutive win that brought the Orioles within seven games of Boston in the wild-card race. Near tears following his ninth-inning collapse, Benitez emerged with the win.An 8-6 ninth-inning lead slipped through Benitez's fingers when he issued three walks and a base hit before getting his first out to end the inning.

SEATTLE -- As long as Chris Hoiles is a major-league catcher, he knows that baseball people will first see what he doesn't possess. He's heard the whispers and been asked the questions for too long to believe it will ever change."

On the field: The bottom third of the lineup continues to struggle. Jeffrey Hammonds, Chris Hoiles and Mike Bordick went a combined 2-for-12 with four strikeouts yesterday. Hoiles has six strikeouts in his last 10 at-bats. Hammonds, Hoiles and Bordick are a combined 8-for-63 .127 with two RBIs.In the dugout: Alomar sacrificed in his first plate appearance, advancing Brady Anderson to third base. The order did not come from manager Davey Johnson, who has consistently said he's against Alomar wasting at-bats.

I'll never forget the big old buck with a hairy eyeball that used to stare down at me from above the mantel at my great-uncle Walter's fishing and hunting cabin. Or the eggs fried in 30-weight oil and coffee from the Mister Mud Machine that jump-started every morning. Or the copperhead snakes that used to hide in the outhouse or under the rickety dock that hung out over the Susquehanna River. Good thing the bats kept them from getting too comfortable. Memories. I have them. You have them.

I'll assume that the speeches given at yesterday's Orioles Hall of Fame ceremony were quite moving. I can only imagine, since the PA system here is so bad, you can't understand a single word in the press box. Now that Chris Hoiles and Doug DeCinces have been inducted, I'm wondering which former Orioles are next in line? Mike Bordick? B.J. Surhoff? Will all be forgiven after Mike Mussina retires? It's hard to imagine an Orioles Hall of Fame without Moose. I'm going to assume that there's not enough forgiveness for Rafael Palmeiro, but I'd be interested in your opinion.

BOTTOM of the ninth, and the Orioles are three runs behind. First batter, easy out; second batter, out. Stomach-knot despair. But then Alomar walks, and Bonilla doubles. Ripken works the pitcher for another walk. Bases loaded! Hoiles at bat, and he can hit. All over the park, people are standing. Slowly, the count reaches three and two; then -- Blam! Into the left field stands. Game over. In the broadcasting booth, Jon Miller goes upper-register, polysyllabic bananas. As Chris Hoiles rounds third, home plate becomes a mob scene.

Cal Ripken -- UP -- Hits in 10 straight games, passes Brooks Robinson for the franchise hit record and extends his streak of reaching base to 45 games in a row. Oh, yeah, The Streak hit No. 2,600 eight days ago. Shut up about range. He leads AL third basemen in fielding percentage.Chris Hoiles -- UP -- Two grand slams in the same game earned his jersey a ticket to Cooperstown. Only Harold Baines and Eric Davis have been better with runners in scoring position. Give him at-bats, the RBIs will come.

CLEVELAND -- The Orioles barely survived one of closer Armando Benitez's scariest rides of the season yesterday to topple the Cleveland Indians, 9-8, in 10 innings at Jacobs Field. What came within 90 feet of a traumatic ninth-inning loss instead ended well as a fourth consecutive win that brought the Orioles within seven games of Boston in the wild-card race. Near tears following his ninth-inning collapse, Benitez emerged with the win.An 8-6 ninth-inning lead slipped through Benitez's fingers when he issued three walks and a base hit before getting his first out to end the inning.

To say that one is playing with pain in the pinkie is enough to inspire laughter. Unless the subject is Roberto Alomar and his performance during the Orioles' 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers yesterday at Camden Yards.Because while the All-Star second baseman is still suffering from a sprained pinkie, he made Tigers pitcher Justin Thompson hurt even more."It hurt," Alomar said after driving in two runs, collecting two hits and making a pair of fine plays in the infield. "It's going to hurt for a while."

No. 8 at No. 7 -- UP -- Cal Ripken bats seventh for four straight games -- one more than in his previous 15 seasons -- and goes 7-for-15 with a jack and three RBIs. Had been 9-for-44 in his previous 12 games batting fifth and sixth.Doug Drabek -- UP -- Followed April washout with a stand-up May. Without Drabek performing as de facto No. 2 starter, Orioles would be out of it for good. As it is, recovery is possible.Chris Hoiles -- DOWN -- Ray Miller looks to have anointed Lenny Webster as his starting catcher.

SEATTLE -- When Cal Ripken arrived at the visitors clubhouse yesterday, his manager was waiting for him.Before Ripken glanced at the lineup card, Ray Miller wanted to notify the third baseman that he was batting seventh and why."I didn't feel like I needed his permission. But when he came through the door today, I told him, 'Cal, you're hitting seventh. I just wanted to give you a heads up because the writers will look at the lineup and probably come ask you about it,' " said Miller. "It's out of respect to him."

SEATTLE -- When Cal Ripken arrived at the visitors clubhouse yesterday, his manager was waiting for him.Before Ripken glanced at the lineup card, Ray Miller wanted to notify the third baseman that he was batting seventh and the reasons for it."I didn't feel like I needed his permission. But when he came through the door today, I told him, 'Cal, you're hitting seventh. I just wanted to give you a heads up because the writers will look at the lineup and probably come ask you about it,' " said Miller.

Nothing could have been more appropriate than a local bank announcing it will donate $1,000 to Shock Trauma for every Orioles save. Last night before 43,039 at Camden Yards, Armando Benitez provided plenty of each -- shock and trauma but no cash -- in a 4-3 escape against the Chicago White Soxthat bordered on disastrous but compromised for the simply bizarre.The Orioles began the ninth inning with a two-run lead and their de facto closer Benitez pitching.They left 35 pitches or what seemed like an eternity later, with the bases loaded and the team's eldest player, Jesse Orosco, having rescued its youngest member for the second time in 10 days.