Orioles See Streak Stop at 6 Straight as Opportunities Slip Away

Angels 3, Orioles 2

ANAHEIM, Calif., June 1 -- So, someone asked Sam Perlozzo, what's the difference? How can a somewhat dysfunctional club going nowhere suddenly rip off six straight victories? How did the Baltimore Orioles, whose good fortune ended Friday with a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, become the hottest team in the American League?

Perlozzo searched for his response. The offense finally started hitting; the starting pitching sure has been good; the defense hasn't been too bad. Finally, he came to a simple answer, the only answer. "To put a string of wins together," Perlozzo said, "you got to do a bunch of things right."

Such is the makeup of these Orioles. When all facets come together, they become capable of chaining victories together. But that must happen -- rarely will the Orioles so thoroughly dominate on the mound, in the batter's box or in the field that they can forget about one phase of the game and still win.

Friday night, starter Daniel Cabrera wasn't quite sharp enough, and the offense couldn't muster enough against John Lackey. The Orioles played well enough to take a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but not well enough to win. Gary Matthews Jr. ensured that by ripping a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded.

Cabrera pitched around six hits (all singles) and three walks in six laborious yet effective innings, then finally came undone in the seventh. Shea Hillenbrand and Chone Figgins -- who is 6 for 7 this series -- lashed singles to start the inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Reggie Willets.

Orlando Cabrera (no relation) came up, and Daniel Cabrera induced a popup behind the plate to catcher Ramon Hernandez. Perlozzo ordered an intentional walk to Vladimir Guerrero, then jogged to the mound for a conference with the entire infield. John Parrish warmed up in the bullpen, but Perlozzo stuck with Cabrera.

Hardly before Perlozzo had settled into his seat in the dugout, Matthews laced a high fastball to left, well over Miguel Tejada's head. Pinch runner Nathan Hayes tied it, and Figgins came around with the go-ahead run. Cabrera exited having thrown 104 pitches, only 66 of them strikes. Parrish entered and ended the threat with one pitch, but the damage had been done.

"That was his ballgame," Perlozzo said of Cabrera. "He's the one that needed to be in there. He just got a pitch up."

Said Cabrera: "Everything is about winning. I did not win today. I can't feel good. I can't feel comfortable with that."

The Orioles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Miguel Tejada crushed a Lackey fastball to left. Tejada hopped out of the batter's box, more toward the Orioles' dugout than first base, flipped his bat aside and started trotting, knowing the only question was whether the ball would land in Anaheim's bullpen or behind it in Baltimore's. By the time he was following Nick Markakis around the bases, the homer was bouncing among Angels relievers.

Tejada also proved his recent power surge was not temporary. His first home run in four games and 17 at-bats, gave him four homers in nine games and increased his season total to six.

But Lackey dominated from there, pitching into the eighth and exiting after Markakis hit a long fly to right-center. The Orioles would finish the game with five hits. Scott Shields and Francisco Rodriguez proved why they're considered baseball's best one-two relief combination, particularly "K-Rod."

He walked slowly out of the bullpen gate, spitting out a mouthful of water, then jogged to the mound. He had a league-high 18 saves, but his credentials, for a moment, seemed not to matter.

Kevin Millar lined a single to left, then yielded to pinch runner Freddie Bynum. After Melvin Mora pulled back a few bunt attempts, Bynum stole second. With a 3-1 count, Mora did not bunt and instead tried ripping the ball to the right side, either moving Bynum to third or poking it through for a game-tying hit.

Mora hit "an absolute rocket," Perlozzo said, but neither happened. Howie Kendrick snared the sharp liner, killing the inning's momentum. Jay Payton followed with a slow grounder to third, and Hernandez bounced to short.

The Orioles had wasted a golden opportunity for possible extra innings, a man in scoring position with one out. It was the kind of the chance they had taken advantage of during their streak, and the kind of chance they can't squander and still overcome.

"They were on top of it," Perlozzo said. "They really were. The dugout was great. We just didn't get it done."