BALTIMORE, Sept. 7 -- While a Baltimore Orioles rookie pitcher showed perhaps he had matured and distanced himself from previous childish indiscretions, the veteran closer was the one who appeared to lose control.
Only two days after handing the New York Yankees a win with a four-walk inning, closer Jorge Julio yielded a two-run home run to Michael Cuddyer in the ninth inning of a tie game, giving the Minnesota Twins a 3-1 win. The sour ending overshadowed the performance of 25-year-old rookie Matt Riley, who pitched seven innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Miguel Tejada's frustration shows after he struck out to end the game, one the Orioles let get away.
(Nick Wass -- AP)
|
|
With the crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards jeering after Cuddyer's home run, Julio showed his lack of composure and inability to forget failure by unleashing a fastball at the head of the following hitter, 5-foot-8 third baseman Augie Ojeda, who ducked out of the way. Julio immediately was thrown out of the game.
"It was a purpose pitch, no doubt about it," Ojeda said. "Ninety-five [mph] is career-threatening. It could easily have been the end of my career. Accidents happen. But that wasn't an accident."
Julio, who earned his 21st save on Monday with a scoreless inning, said he simply threw a two-seam fastball that ran too far inside, a strategy he uses against most lefties.
"I never wanted to try to hit this guy," Julio said. "The umpire just threw me out. I don't know what happened."
But Ojeda, a switch hitter who was batting from the left side, was not satisfied with Julio's explanation.
"He should be a man and say what he really wanted to do," Ojeda said.
Ojeda said the pitch angered teammates, though he did not go so far as to say the Twins would retaliate either Wednesday or next week when the teams play in Minnesota.
"We're not here to cause any problems," Ojeda said. "We're here to win some games."
Riley's start came undone in the eighth. Riley, given a 1-0 lead on a double by Melvin Mora in the sixth, walked Terry Tiffee to start the eighth and was left in to face Henry Blanco. Riley walked Blanco.
Orioles Manager Lee Mazzilli said he wanted the lefty Riley to face Tiffee, who was only 1 for 10 batting right-handed. Mazzilli said he allowed Riley to remain after the walk to Tiffee because Blanco was likely going to bunt.
"You can't walk the guy on a bunt," Mazzilli said.
Riley was replaced by Jason Grimsley, who allowed a bunt single to Shannon Stewart to load the bases. But Lew Ford followed with a double play ground ball to second baseman Brian Roberts that scored a run but quieted the rally. The inning ended on a strikeout by Torii Hunter.
