Sacrifice Bunt

A walk-off win was the best possible way for the Orioles to end an otherwise disappointing 2009 season. But in typical Orioles fashion, the circumstances made it hard to get overly excited about the victory. There was no game-ending home run or even a game-winning single. The Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday was achieved when reliever Brandon League made back-to-back throwing errors on sacrifice bunt attempts in the 11th inning. "It was certainly a strange final day," Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said.

After three losses in two days, No. 7 Mount Hebron's baseball team faced a must-win game yesterday against defending Class 2A state champion Atholton and Vyt Rivers, its No. 1 starting pitcher. With three of Mount Hebron's starting pitchers used up over the past two days, and a fourth starter sidelined by the flu, Vikings coach Matt Forsyth, in desperation, went with Andrew Duzor, a junior catcher/outfielder who had never pitched a varsity inning. Duzor responded beyond Forsyth's wildest dreams by pitching a complete-game, six-hitter to beat eighth-ranked Atholton, 3-2. Mount Hebron scored the winning run in the sixth inning on a double by Jeff Carr, a single by Mike Michalski and a sacrifice fly by Andrew Hoffner.

The latest round of lineup shuffling by manager Ray Miller again had the deck stacked in the Orioles' favor yesterday.The tinkering began at the top, where he went with different leadoff and No. 2 hitters, and included some alterations in the lower portion of the batting order. He sat two of his marquee players, then watched his club complete a sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 6-3 victory before 40,967 at Camden Yards.The win was the Orioles' fifth straight after an Opening Day loss to Kansas City.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Newly acquired left-hander Craig Lefferts just wanted to join in the fun, but he'll have to wait at least until his next start to record his first Orioles victory.Not that his debut yesterday was so bad. It wasn't. He pitched the first complete game of his career, but he gave up a tie-breaking, three-run home run to rookie Chad Curtis that carried the California Angels to a 5-2 victory.The loss ended the Orioles' seven-game winning streak and sent them back to Baltimore 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, who completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 4-2 victory.

SEATTLE -- The Orioles began their postseason experience last night with a test of memory. They passed without a mistake.Not only did the Orioles remember how to frustrate Seattle Mariners starter Randy Johnson, but they also revived the kind of feisty attack that allowed them to blow away the rest of their division in April and May.The result was something powerful: a 9-3 win over the Mariners in Game 1 of a Division Series that supposedly had found the...

CLEVELAND -- A year ago, it was a cocky Cleveland Indians team that entered the postseason, only to be embarrassed in getting eliminated by the Orioles. Last night, it was a more humbled Indians team that earned a shot at redemption.That Orioles-New York Yankees series that everyone had talked about? That matchup of the teams with the two best records in the American League was ruined by the Indians last night as Cleveland -- one night after a dramatic come-from-behind win in Game 4 -- defeated the Yankees, 4-3, to advance to the American League Championship Series.

Women's basketball Terps ' DeVaughn to take part in WUG trials this week Maryland junior center Alicia DeVaughn will head to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., this week to take part in USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team trials. DeVaughn is one of 33 of the nation's top college athletes attending the trials today to Sunday. The World University Games women's basketball competition will be held July 8-15 in Kazan, Russia. Organized by the International University Sports Federation and held every other year, the WUG event is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 24. DeVaughn averaged 8.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to help Maryland to a 26-8 record and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.

Objective: Use this `four corners drill` to improve bunting technique * Divide up into four groups, each group gathered around one base or homeplate. * Standing at bat, player turns to drag, squeeze or sacrifice bunt ball pitchedfrom about 10 feet away -- the pitcher on his or her knees. * Use a catcher, too. Other players field with bare hands. * Each player bunts24 times, mixing all three styles of bunting but gettinginstruction on technique of each as it's done; then players rotate stations.

No. 1-seeded Anne Arundel Community College was upset yesterday by No. 7-seeded Prince George's Community College, in the Region XX JuCo softball tournament final at Harford CC.The teams split two games in Sunday's championship round, setting up yesterday's finish.The Pioneers (21-11) gave up a run in the second inning on a double, single and sacrifice fly. They threatened in the second when Alicia Conine (3-for-3) singled, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Stacy Reynolds.

On the field: The Orioles did not protect Vaughn Eshelman from the Rule V draft during the off-season, and the left-hander did his best to justify that decision yesterday in his start for the Red Sox. Eshelman lasted just two innings, allowing four hits, four walks and five runs.In the dugout: Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy had designs on a low-scoring game, even when the Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jose Canseco walked to open the second, and then third baseman Tim Naehring dropped a sacrifice bunt.