Huff Works His Way Out of the Doghouse
Orioles 9, Rays 6

By Marc Carig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 3, 2008

BALTIMORE, April 2 -- Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Aubrey Huff had been booed almost incessantly during the first two games of this young season, a price he has been forced to pay for his on-air slam against the city of Baltimore during an ill-fated, offseason radio appearance.

On Saturday, in his first public appearance in the city since the incident, Huff donned a shirt that proclaimed "I Love Baltimore" during the team's Fan Fest, though the gesture bought him little goodwill on Opening Day. And the backlash carried into this cold Wednesday night at Camden Yards, where 10,505 fans, the smallest gathering in stadium history, showed Huff no mercy.

But Huff found perhaps the most direct route toward forgiveness, driving in four runs to help the Orioles rally to a 9-6 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I've been taking it pretty good the last few days," said Huff, who finished 2 for 4. "But hopefully that game will win some hearts back."

Huff earned his first cheers of the season in the sixth inning with a two-run homer over the out-of-town scoreboard in right, bringing the Orioles within a run.

"That was the sweetest home run I ever hit, I ain't going to lie to you," Huff said.

Then in the eighth, Huff bounced a two-run double off the wall in center field to give Baltimore a 7-6 advantage, the team's first lead of the game. Ramón Hernández added another run on a sacrifice fly and Adam Jones knocked in his first run as an Oriole to cap a four-run rally.

"It was a very good team effort, contributions from a lot of people," said Orioles Manager Dave Trembley, whose relievers pitched four scoreless innings, including George Sherrill's first save as an Oriole.

Indeed, the Orioles needed help from all over the roster to help undo Daniel Cabrera's first start of the season, a six-run, six-hit, four-plus innings mess.

Cabrera's night started unceremoniously, with Rays designated hitter Cliff Floyd doing the biggest damage with a three-run homer to center. He showed a measure of toughness, working out of a bases-loaded jam to escape unscathed in the third.

But his control issues haunted him in the fifth. After allowing a two-run shot to Carlos Peña, Rays cleanup man B.J. Upton doubled, Floyd reached on a fielder's choice and Willy Aybar walked, which loaded the bases and ended Cabrera's tough night after 94 pitches.

Randor Bierd made a memorable big league debut in relief of Cabrera. Bierd inherited the bases-loaded jam, and catcher Dioner Navarro grounded into a double play and Nathan Haynes grounded out.

"The guy showed me in spring training he doesn't get rattled," Trembley said of Bierd, who allowed just one inherited runner to score. "He's got a lot of confidence."

Second baseman Brian Roberts led off the bottom of the first with his 10th career leadoff homer, his first since last July. Then, Baltimore rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the third behind RBI singles by Melvin Mora and Nick Markakis.

Then Huff went to work in the sixth, homering to cut the lead to 6-5.

"My next at-bat after that I kind of heard more of a mixed crowd instead of all boos," Huff said. "Hopefully, like I said, we win some hearts back."

Indeed, as he stepped to the plate before his game-winning double, there was still a smattering of boos. Though by the time Huff slid into third, taking an extra base on the throw, the boos were replaced by cheers.