Payton's Slam Sweeps Away Red Sox

Orioles 6, Red Sox 3

BALTIMORE, May 14 -- From the earliest days of the season, Baltimore Orioles Manager Dave Trembley has referred to his team's first 40 games as his time for evaluation. So on Wednesday afternoon, after what was technically his team's 41st game, Trembley could hardly hide his pride in the traits of character that his team once again revealed.

"The best part about our club that I've seen after 40 games is the guys have fun playing. They are not intimidated," he said after the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 6-3. "They really don't think they should take a back seat. They think they can play with everybody, and they have every reason to feel that."

The Orioles took another step toward legitimizing their surprising start this season, completing a two-game sweep of the defending world champions to move two games over the .500 mark, a lofty point for a team that was universally dismissed before the first pitch of the season. Behind a pitching staff that has performed beyond expectations -- and a lineup that has suddenly rediscovered the art of the timely hit -- Baltimore won for the fifth time in its past six games.

"I don't think anybody expected us to be where we are, that's for sure," Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said. "The one thing you've got to realize, these are still major league players in this clubhouse."

For the second night in a row, Baltimore rallied from a three-run deficit in the late innings, the decisive blow this time coming from reserve outfielder Jay Payton, whose seventh-inning grand slam put the Orioles ahead to stay. But Payton's big hit counted only because Daniel Cabrera, the oft-maligned right-hander, held baseball's most potent offense to just three runs over seven innings.

Soon after Payton's drive off Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima landed deep in the left field stands -- it was the Orioles' first grand slam of the year -- rejuvenated Orioles fans at Camden Yards clamored for a curtain call. Payton, unsure what to do, deferred to Cabrera, who stuck his head out of the dugout to the delight of many of the 28,939 fans.

"He deserves it," said Payton, who finished with five RBI. "He's been pitching great for us."

Through 40 games, Trembley said the strength of the Orioles has been pitching, a statement that would have been roundly derided only a season ago. But Cabrera, who with each outing looks less and less like the pitcher who lost an American League high 18 games last season, provided his manager with even more credence.

Cabrera (4-1) exorcised his latest demon, beating the Red Sox, a team that had tagged him with a 1-6 record and a 7.45 ERA in seven previous starts.

The pitcher scattered 10 hits against the powerful Red Sox lineup, but he kept the damage to a minimum by inducing three double plays. Even after he yielded solo homers to Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell -- and the Red Sox got the benefit of Manny Ramírez's rally-killing running catch in the fourth -- Cabrera remained unflappable.

"It's always a big challenge with Boston," said Cabrera, who issued no walks in his seventh consecutive quality start this season. "I've been struggling with them all my life, so I'm happy I could get this win today."

After the ninth inning, Orioles closer George Sherrill walked off the field with his 15th save, which brought joy to an orange-clad crowd whose cheers accompanied the Red Sox fans as they filed to the exits.

For Trembley, after 40 games, the scene was exactly what he'd hoped to see.

"It's fun," he said. "That's what 40 games has been to me. It's been fun."