Early Innings

The Orioles obviously are suffering from some kind of delayed jet lag, because they had a team brain cramp during the early innings of Saturday night's game against the Oakland A's at whatever that stadium is called now. It started in the second inning when Buck Showalter allowed Manny Machado to swing 3-0 with Mark Reynolds on second base and the Orioles leading by a run. Machado grounded a ball to shortstop and Reynolds somehow found himself in...

MONTREAL -- When Tommy Greene took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday afternoon, there was no way in the world he could throw a no-hitter.Yet, somehow, from a wonderful list of reasons he couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't, rose baseball's most improbable thrill.The 24-year-old righthander had only six career victories before yesterday. He had not yet spent a full season in the major leagues. He was making his second start of the season, only the 15th of his career. And his own club described his start an "emergency" because the scheduled starting pitcher, Danny Cox, was injured.

When Francis Scott Key last faced Walkersville pitcher Bronson McLain, the Eagles knocked him out of the game in the second inning.Yesterday, coach Rob Caples' team got another shot at McLain. Only this time, the results were far less satisfying.McLain used his four-pitch repertoire to slow Key's offense, going the distance and giving up just two hits to lead Walkersville past the host Eagles, 6-2, in a Monocacy Valley Athletic League game.McLain threw 97 pitches, mostly relying on fastballs and changeups but also throwing in occasional sliders and curves.

Pitcher Ken Pumphrey was just one of several players on the No. 4 Old Mill baseball team who arrived at school early yesterday morning to help revive a drowning infield.They took turns raking dirt, pushing away standing water and applying drying compound in an effort to save their afternoon game against No. 8 North County.Later in the day, the lanky right-hander made the hard work pay off.After looking unhittable through the early innings, Pumphrey went on to allow six hits and one unearned run in his six innings of work, striking out 10 en route to a 4-1 win in a county 4A league game.

The Orioles were halfway to heaven, or so they thought. They were just four outs away from a quick two-game lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series when the Cleveland Indians offered a not-so-subtle reminder that it's never over until it's over.Center fielder Marquis Grissom launched a three-run home run to the deepest part of Camden Yards to shock the usually dependable Orioles bullpen and quiet the sellout crowd of 49,131. The Indians held on to score a 5-4 victory in Game 2 and headed home on the upbeat side of a much-needed split in Baltimore.

O's Scott Erickson (*1-0, 0.00) vs. Indians' Jaret Wright (8-3, 4.38)* ALCS statsWhat Wright throws: Young power pitcher who depends heavily on a good, hard fastball that he isn't afraid to throw up in the strike zone. He also throws a slider and a changeup.Wright of late: The rookie right-hander was the hero of the Division Series, coming up big in Game 2 and again in Game 5 as the Indians came from behind to advance to the ALCS.Something to look for: Wright pitched like a veteran in his two pressure-packed Division Series starts, which should diminish concern that he'll fall victim to nerves in Game 4. Still, manager Davey Johnson may try to rattle him by pushing some buttons in the early innings.

Old Mill's Lee Haney has developed an affection for whirlpools, ice packs and off days.It's not that the left-hander doesn't enjoy his job pitching for the No. 9 Patriots.It's just that throwing more than 100 pitches in his last three starts -- the latest in his team's 14-7 win over visiting and No. 7Loyola yesterday -- has given the senior a better appreciation for the one-two-three inning.Haney didn't get one yesterday, but with his team's offensive barrage, it wasn't really necessary. He threw 110 pitches, allowing 10 hits and six earned runs, yet still improved his record to 4-0."

TORONTO -- It was an evening of sudden turnabouts, so the last one Friday night at SkyDome should not have come as a great surprise to the Baltimore Orioles.Reliever Gregg Olson has been struggling. His arm has not been 100 percent. His team does not have quite as much to play for as the contending Toronto Blue Jays.Still, Olson and two-run leads seldom are seen parting company, so the Blue Jays' three-run rally in the ninth inning that dealt the Orioles an 8-7 loss had to be discouraging.

TORONTO -- It was an evening of sudden turnabouts, so the last one last night at SkyDome should not have come as a great surprise to the Baltimore Orioles.Reliever Gregg Olson has been struggling. His arm has not been 100 percent. His team does not have quite as much to play for as the contending Toronto Blue Jays.Still, Olson and two-run leads seldom are seen parting company, so the Blue Jays' three-run rally in the ninth inning that dealt the Orioles an 8-7 loss had to be discouraging.But it was that kind of night.

ST. LOUIS - The National League Championship Series could hinge on that one simple question that has beguiled virtually every manager in the National League over the past two years: Do you pitch to Barry Bonds or don't you? St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa found out in the course of last night's 9-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants that there may not be a correct answer. Bonds delivered a two-run triple as the Giants scored four times in the second inning and took control of the opening game of the NLCS at sold-out Busch Stadium.