Milacki

Baseball managers sometimes say the darndest things at the darndest moments and in the darndest places.It certainly appeared to all 45,472 gathered at Oriole Park last night that Johnny Oates was simply making a pitching change in the fourth inning, bringing in Storm Davis to replace Bob Milacki in the midst of a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.It even seemed that way to Davis, who pitched 5 1/3 effective innings, giving up one run and four hits. That is, until Oates was about to leave the mound.

Storm Davis came in from the bullpen last night and found out right then and there that he would not be going back.Right-hander Bob Milacki had just self-destructed again. The Milwaukee Brewers were well on their way to a 5-3 victory over the Orioles. Manager Johnny Oates was in no mood to be either coy or conservative when he went to the mound to change pitchers in the fourth inning."I told Storm, 'I don't know if you've ever been told this on the mound before, but you're in the starting rotation starting right now,' " Oates said.

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers were gunning for the Orioles this week. They had climbed through the ranks of the American League East to stand just a handful of victories away from a legitimate place among the division front-runners.Today, they stand on the brink of a disheartening three-game sweep, needing to salvage this afternoon's series finale to bridge the credibility gap that developed when they could not defeat either of the Orioles slumping starters.Right-hander Bob Milacki did not get credit for last night's 8-4 victory at Milwaukee County Stadium, but he pitched well enough to keep the Brewers at bay for 5 2/3 innings and set up reliever Alan Mills for his fifth victory in six decisions.

Gomez's stiff shoulder is exception, not ruleAvoiding injuries aids team's successDuring the course of a season, any baseball team suffers its share of nagging bumps and bruises.The Orioles are no different, and third baseman Leo Gomez, who was scratched from last night's lineup with a stiff right shoulder, was the latest victim.But manager Johnny Oates considers himself fortunate that the Orioles haven't had a more serious run of major ailments.So far, the Orioles have placed three players, pitchers Jim Poole and Mark Williamson and first baseman Glenn Davis, on the disabled list.

The Orioles found a short-term solution for their recent pitching problems last night. They buried them under a pile of runs and beat the New York Yankees, 10-7, in the opener of a four-game series at Camden Yards.Right-hander Bob Milacki again had trouble in the early innings, but he was bailed out of a tough loss with a barrage of home runs that moved the Orioles back into first place in the American League East. The Orioles (39-26) lead the Toronto Blue Jays (40-27) by three percentage points (.600 to .597)

DETROIT -- The Orioles were getting comfortable in the cozy confines of Tiger Stadium, but they were reminded last night that it can be a dangerous place for a struggling pitcher.Right-hander Bob Milacki wasn't struggling when he got there, but he gave up two home runs in the first inning and got bounced in the third on the way to a 15-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Reliever Mike Flanagan had it even rougher, giving up eight runs in an ugly eighth inning that turned it into one of the most lopsided defeats in Orioles history.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Three years ago, about the time Ben McDonald was signed with the hope he would eventually take the job, Bob Milacki became the workhorse of the Orioles' pitching staff.Although Jeff Ballard was 18-8 that year, it was Milacki who stepped up as the No. 1 stopper late in the season. He went 9-3 during the last two months of that magical 1989 season.The big righthander won his last five decisions and the Orioles won each of his last seven outings. In the process, Milacki became the first rookie in 71 years to lead the American League in starts (tied with Dave Stewart and Mark Gubicza with 36)

Face it. There are certain pitchers who thrive out on the tightrope, and for whom the 1-2-3 inning is as foreign a concept as splitting the atom.The Orioles' Bob Milacki is that kind of pitcher, and yesterday's 6-4 win over the California Angels was testament to Milacki's prowess for working near the edge of danger."

NEW YORK -- When the Orioles streaked up the standings in the American League East with seven straight victories, they got solid performances from their starting pitchers and timely hitting throughout the lineup.When the streak stalled last night against the New York Yankees, those two things were in consort again. This time, they conspired against the Orioles, who lost, 5-0, on a combined five-hitter by two New York pitchers.Baltimore starter Bob Milacki (1-2) saw his reputation as a Yankees-killer take a beating as well.