Rbis

So many times we have seen a late-season game between the Orioles and the Boston Red Soxend in a bloodbath. The sides couldn't be more flipped this year. On the one-year anniversary of Boston falling out of playoff contention thanks to Robert Andino and company, the playoff-chasing Orioles hammered Boston, 9-1. They outhit them 12-1. The Red Sox, for once, were the team that looked like it was counting down the days. At least one New Englander showed up. Ryan Flaherty, the Maine native who grew up a Red Sox fan, had a career night.

Double-A Bowie right fielder Ronnie Welty had a night to remember Thursday night, hitting two home runs and driving in a career-high eight runs in the Baysox's 17-2 trouncing of the Harrisburg Senators at Prince George's Stadium. The 24-year-old Welty, who was the Orioles' 20th-round selection in 2008, opened his night with a solo homer in the third inning, then hit a three-run triple in the fifth, followed by a three-run homer in the sixth. He finished his night with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

In national pool play Sunday at the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series in Aberdeen, the Southeast team from Jupiter, Fla., topped the Harford County squad, 10-6, at Cal Sr.'s Yard. Reese Albert led Jupiter's offense, going 1-for-4 with a three-run double. Pitcher Sean Maletzke went three innings for the win. He struck out five, walked three and allowed two earned runs on two hits. Jake Johnson had a team-best two RBIs for the Harford County team from Forest Hill, while Logan Barnes went 1-for-4 with one RBI in the loss.

In Monday pool play action at the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, the Ohio Valley squad from Mattoon, Ill., topped the Harford County team from Forest Hill, while the Southeast team from Jupiter, Fla., picked up its second victory by defeating the Midwest Plains representative from Lamar, Colo. Playing at Fenway Park Monday afternoon, Mattoon dropped the host Forest Hill team, 9-4. Mattoon improved to 1-2, while Forest Hill fell to 0-3. Davis Johnson was Mattoon's top offensive contributor, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs.

A lot has been said about Matt Wieters struggling at the plate this year. And even with a three-hit night Tuesday, he still is hitting just .244. He expects higher. You expect higher. But Wieters homered twice Tuesday, his third multi-homer game and first since April. He now has 15 homers and 52 RBIs. So his career highs of 68 RBIs and 22 homers - both set last year - are in play for him with roughly two months left in the season. And for all you Wieters haters out there, don't forget he's probably the best defensive catcher in the league.

When you think about baseball in the 1990s, names like Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken come to mind. Yet, there were so many classic, run of the mill, and mediocre ballplayers in that time as well. Here are some of the most average to grace professional ballfields during that time. General guidelines used are at least 10 years played several of which were spent as a starter, a career average below .265 and not so stellar power numbers - 15-20 home runs and 70 RBIs a season. Keep in mind, other factors, such as funny memories and the comedic value of a player's name, can weigh in as well.

Adam Jones, CF Stats: .289 batting average, 20 HRs, 44 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 19 2Bs, 11 SBs Tidbit: After hitting 16 home runs and knocking in 34 runs through the first two months of the season, Jones only had three homers and seven RBIs in 26 games in June. In eight games this month, he is batting .188 with one home run and three RBIs. Matt Wieters, C Stats: .247 batting average, 12 HRs, 44 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 14 2Bs Tidbit: The switch-hitting Wieters batted .384 in 73 at-bats against left-handed pitchers in the first half and only .200 in 210 at-bats against right-handers, but 10 of his 12 home runs came from the left side.

The American Legion Columbia Post 300 Patriots captured the 22nd annual Hillbilly Hardball Classic duringFather's Day weekend (June 14-17) in Elkins, WV. The Patriots went 7-0-1 in the tournament, playing eight games in four days with eight different starting pitchers, including Ben Goldsmith's 10-strikeout, one-hit shutout of then-undefeated host Elkins Post 29, the runner-up in the West Virginia state tournament each of the last two years....

It seemed to be a a well-timed coincidence when Manny Machado went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs on Thursday, the day he and Dylan Bundy were named to the All-Star Futures Game in Kansas City. But the Orioles' top position prospect has remained hot, and he continues to raise what had been a disappointing set of numbers that followed him around for much of the first half of the season. Machado went 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and two runs Tuesday night as Double-A Bowie won, 10-1, at Binghamton.

Statistics listed below are through Thursday's games. 1.     Dylan Bundy, RHP, High-A Frederick 2012 stats: 3-2, 1.66 ERA, 23 hits, 8 walks, 63 Ks in 48.2 IP Skinny: Bundy tossed a scoreless sixth inning in this week's California-CarolinaAll-Star game. He walked a batter and struck out two more in the Carolina League All-Star's 9-1 victory. He was named to the United States roster for next month's Futures Game, as well.  2.   Manny Machado, SS, Double-A Bowie 2012 stats: .249 average, .333 on-base percentage, .375 slugging percentage, 4 HRs, 28 RBIs, 27 R, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 50 Ks, 29 BBs, 9 SB, 4 CS Skinny: Machado continues to produce in the month of June.