First Start

There is no running back controversy with the Ravens, but Mike Anderson showed flashes of his former self last night. Anderson, who is listed second on the team's depth chart behind Willis McGahee, displayed power and field vision in gashing the New York Giants for 37 yards on three carries in the Giants' 13-12 win at M&T Bank Stadium. "I felt fresh," said Anderson, who did not carry the ball in last week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "It's easy to get camp legs after 2 1/2 weeks of camp, but I felt good.

Injured quarterback Steve McNair threw for the first time since Monday's game, but backup Kyle Boller continued to practice with the Ravens' first-team offense yesterday. Because McNair might not know whether he can play with an injured groin muscle until game time, Boller said he has to be mentally prepared to make his first start in 20 months. "I'm ready to get back on the field and hopefully get a win," Boller said. "It'll be different not knowing [if he will start], but I'll be prepared either way if I get the call or I don't."

1 The Ravens have to control quarterback Doug Flutie as both a passer and a rusher. He has big-play potential from anywhere on the field.2 The Ravens have to stop the Bills' running game early. Buffalo hasn't had success establishing one this season and could be quick to abandon it.3 The Ravens must run the football, which would take a lot of pressure off quarterback Tony Banks, making his first start of 1999.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The first day off in more than a year for one player and the first major-league start for another gave the Orioles a new look last night against the Oakland Athletics.And, according to manager Ray Miller, the tinkering may continue today as he searches for ways to freshen his team during a concentrated run of road games.His 15-game hitting streak now a memory, left fielder B. J. Surhoff was absent from the starting lineup after appearing in the Orioles' previous 47 games this season and all 162 games last season.

Time for a dose of perspective. The 1998 New York Yankees lost four of their first five games and went on to set an American League record with 114 regular-season victories.The 1998 Orioles, you might recall, won 10 of their first 12 games but were out of contention for the division title by mid-May. It's too early to draw any hard-and-fast conclusions.Now, time for a dose of reality. The 1999 Orioles are not the 1998 Yankees, so last night's rain-delayed 7-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards -- their third defeat in four games -- created cause for some early-season concern and spoiled Cal Ripken's return to the starting lineup.

BOSTON -- To find the only time the Orioles were at .500, you have to go back to the second game of the season. Back to early April, when Heathcliff Slocumb was a heat-seeker in a flammable bullpen. When a shelling of Juan Guzman wiped out the good vibes from Opening Day, and the club's only winning record to this point.So many of the names have changed since then. But the Orioles' existence remains below sea level.Ramon Martinez wouldn't let them see light yesterday. Returning from shoulder surgery that cost him more than a full season, he made short work of the Orioles while Boston was playing long ball with Doug Linton in the Red Sox's 4-1 victory at Fenway Park.

Astros: Paul Bako has hits in all 12 starts since his April 26 minor-league call-up.Cardinals: Lance Painter made his first start since 1996, when he was with the Rockies. He allowed two runs and four hits in four innings. He had gone 127 relief outings before making the start.Cubs: With Mark McGwire in town, there were nearly 250 media representatives covering the game, three times the normal turnout.Marlins: Cliff Floyd picked a proper night in which to homer. It was a give-away night at the ballpark, with fans getting Cliff Floyd pins.

Quote: "He wanted to go back out. He offered me everything but a Mercedes. He was upset. I kept my glasses on so he wouldn't punch me." -- Marlins manager John Boles, who removed Alex Fernandez after 69 pitches in his first start. It's a fact: Raul Mondesi's steal was the Dodgers' major-league-leading 32nd. They didn't have that many last year until May 25.Who's hot: The Expos' Rondell White has an 11-game hitting streak.Who's not: The Braves' Tom Glavine is 0-3 with a 5.61 ERA in 25 2/3 innings.

Quote: "The fans reacted the way they reacted and then it was back to business." -- Mo Vaughn, who got a standing ovation before his first Fenway Park as an Angel, then heard Pedro Martinez cheered when he struck Vaughn outIt's a fact: The Yankees have a 2.67 ERA at home, 5.72 on the road.Who's hot: The Royals have 19 home runs in their past 10 games after hitting 16 in the season's first 17 games.Who's not: The Angels' Andy Sheets has seven hits in his past 65 at-bats.On deck: Former Oriole Esteban Yan moves from the bullpen into the rotation, with his first start for the Devil Rays scheduled for today at Cleveland.

With two straight games lost to rain and at least one day off on the horizon, Orioles manager Ray Miller is faced with some decisions regarding his rotation.He already knows that Scott Erickson, Sidney Ponson and Mike Mussina will take their regular turns, working the three-game series in Anaheim that begins tomorrow. The club is off on Monday before playing two games in Texas and most likely a make-up doubleheader next Thursday against Oakland at Camden Yards.Matt Riley had his home debut washed out last night, and Miller said the left-hander probably will go to the bullpen until a spot opens in the rotation.

A recap of the Orioles' 6-1 victory over the Indians last night: WISH YOU WERE HERE When the Cleveland Indians drafted Jeremy Guthrie in the first round of the 2002 draft, they envisioned him developing into a top-of-the-rotation starter. He has done that, just not in an Indians uniform. In his first start against his former team, Guthrie went seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk. It was the fourth straight start in which Guthrie has allowed only one earned run, and the 10th time over the past 14 starts he has allowed two earned runs or fewer.

NEW YORK - Orioles manager Dave Trembley continued his juggling of his struggling starting rotation yesterday, demoting Brian Burres to the bullpen and inserting reliever Dennis Sarfate in his place. Sarfate, 27, has made 45 appearances this season, all in relief. The right-hander was primarily a starter coming up through the minor leagues until last season, when he made all but one of his 45 appearances for Nashville, the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, out of the bullpen. When he takes the mound tomorrow at Yankee Stadium, not far from where he grew up in Brooklyn, Sarfate will be making his first major league start.

Luke Scott lined a single into left field yesterday, his seventh hit in the past three games. Then he wrote about it to make sure he remembered every detail. Hearkening back to a lesson he learned in the Cleveland Indians' system after being drafted in 2001, Scott keeps a brown notepad in the Orioles' dugout during every game so he can record his at-bats for research purposes. He marks down the date and opponent, what the starting pitcher normally threw and what he saw each time he came to the plate.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Hayden Penn has already gone through this routine three times, but in some respects, he walked into the clubhouse this week feeling as if it were his first spring training. "I really think I do need to reprove myself to the organization," said Penn, the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher who is a candidate for the Orioles' fifth starter spot. "The last couple of years has been tough, and it almost feels like I'm starting over from where I was three years ago." It was a quick rise to the majors for Penn, who was taken by the Orioles in the fifth round of the 2002 draft and made his big league debut in 2005.

1. Patriots After tying 14-0 start of 1972 Dolphins, Pats should have no trouble with 2007 version. 2. Colts Clinched first-round bye with comeback win over Raiders. 3. Cowboys Tony Romo's thumb isn't as big a topic as his biggest fan. 4. Packers Brett Favre passed Dan Marino as NFL's all-time passing yardage leader. 5. Jaguars NFL's Rodney Dangerfield, with no players named to the Pro Bowl. 6. Steelers Willie Parker is out for the season with a broken leg. 7. Chargers Late-season surge has taken Norv Turner off the hot seat.

Injured quarterback Steve McNair threw for the first time since Monday's game, but backup Kyle Boller continued to practice with the Ravens' first-team offense yesterday. Because McNair might not know whether he can play with an injured groin muscle until game time, Boller said he has to be mentally prepared to make his first start in 20 months. "I'm ready to get back on the field and hopefully get a win," Boller said. "It'll be different not knowing [if he will start], but I'll be prepared either way if I get the call or I don't."

There is no running back controversy with the Ravens, but Mike Anderson showed flashes of his former self last night. Anderson, who is listed second on the team's depth chart behind Willis McGahee, displayed power and field vision in gashing the New York Giants for 37 yards on three carries in the Giants' 13-12 win at M&T Bank Stadium. "I felt fresh," said Anderson, who did not carry the ball in last week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "It's easy to get camp legs after 2 1/2 weeks of camp, but I felt good.

The words suggested that Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts could play yesterday. The pale coloring in his face and droopy eyes told a different story. Soon after Roberts declared that he might return to the lineup, he slouched on a clubhouse sofa and gave in to the sickness that also caused him to miss Saturday's game. The flu-like symptoms hadn't subsided enough for Roberts to return to the field, so Chris Gomez took over at second again, as he did the previous night, and Jay Payton batted leadoff in his first start with the Orioles.

Hayden Penn isn't letting his first start with the Orioles this season eat away at him. Penn chooses to put that outing behind him and move forward, a good idea when you're scheduled to pitch against the New York Yankees today at Camden Yards. In his previous start, his first after being recalled from Triple-A Ottawa, Penn was charged with eight runs in two-thirds of an inning in Oakland. A game was lost shortly after it began. "It was just one day, one of those games," Penn said. "There's not much you can do about it now."

You had to love Melvin Mora tilting back his head and shouting, "Thank you, Chicago," while sitting at a table in the clubhouse after Tuesday's win. The Cubs appear to have done the Orioles a huge favor. Maybe they still felt bad about that whole Sammy Sosa thing. LaTroy Hawkins, sitting in the bullpen, said he didn't see Corey Patterson until his glove appeared over the fence, snatching a fly ball that would have tied the game. Everyone I talked to, players and reporters, thought it would be a routine catch near the warning track, but the ball kept carrying.