Yankees 8, Orioles 0
By Marc Carig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 22, 2008
NEW YORK, May 21 -- Left-hander Garrett Olson earned his recall to the major leagues by convincing the Baltimore Orioles he had conquered the command issues that plagued him last season. And since his arrival on April 29, Olson has emerged as one of the Orioles' many early-season surprises.
But on Wednesday night, Olson showed none of that renewed control, and the New York Yankees were all too happy to take advantage. Olson surrendered six runs and the Yankees won, 8-0, avenging a blowout defeat the Orioles dished out the night before.
The Yankees' offense emerged from hibernation to halt a four-game losing streak. Despite hitting .225 against left-handers, which ranked last in the American League, New York tagged Olson for eight hits and chased him in the third inning.
"He just didn't locate anything," Orioles Manager Dave Trembley said.
The game plan called for Olson to establish his fastball early, though he suffered his worst outing of the season because he strayed, throwing breaking pitches and change-ups, none of which were particularly sharp.
"Sometimes you've got to go with your best out pitch," said Olson (3-1), who took his first loss of the season. "With guys in scoring position in pretty much every inning I pitched, it just kind of happened."
Olson tied a career-high for runs allowed and matched the shortest start of his career. He walked only two batters but his command was clearly sub-par. Olson regularly fell behind batters, and even when he got ahead, he failed to put them away.
While Olson struggled, his Yankees counterpart, right-hander Darrell Rasner, enjoyed a banner evening. Rasner, making just his third start since being called up on May 4, improved to 3-0 after throwing a career-high seven scoreless innings and allowing just five hits.
"It was one of those nights where we really couldn't do anything," said Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, who finished 2 for 4.
The shutout was Baltimore's second of the year and first since May 11 at Kansas City.
In addition to being defeated, the Orioles lost third baseman Melvin Mora in the third inning when Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui slid into third, his spike pinning Mora's right hand to the bag. Mora left the game with blood on his pants and a contusion and laceration on his ring finger. Though X-rays were negative, Mora is listed as day-to-day.
Alex Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a homer, though he should have had another when his long drive to right-center in the sixth inning bounced off a set of yellow stairs that protrude from just behind the fence. Umpires thought the ball bounced back into the field of play after hitting the top of wall and Rodriguez settled for a run-scoring double.
By then, Olson was already out of the game.
He had allowed four straight hits in the second inning, which allowed the Yankees to jump ahead on run-scoring hits from Robinson Can¿ and Chad Moeller.
After Rodriguez homered to open the third, Olson hit Melky Cabrera with an inside pitch to load the bases for Johnny Damon, who knocked in a pair of runs with a single to center past diving shortstop Freddie Bynum. Damon's single was the final blow for Olson, who departed down 6-0.
"You're going to have your bad days where you just don't find your pitches and you're not making the quality pitches you need to make," Olson said. "I'm just going to go back, stick with my routine, keep working to improve and go out for my next one."
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