|
(Tim Kurkjian voice, complete with excited staccato delivery and reverent awe for every detail):
Well, this... was vintage playoff baseball at Camden Yards! The Orioles took Game 1 of the American League Championship Series with a 9-1 drubbing of the Seattle Mariners, and folks—let me tell you—Sal Cantu was absolutely magnificent. He threw a complete game... a complete game! You don’t see that anymore! He gave up just five hits, one run, struck out six, walked two, and needed only 108 pitches to do it. That’s the kind of start that sets the tone for a whole series.
Now remember—this is a Baltimore team with history. Three AL pennants, three World Series titles... and you could just feel it in the building today. They’ve been here before. This crowd knew it. You could hear it in every pitch, every cheer. And the Mariners? They’ve never been to the World Series! They’ve never even won a pennant. And today, they looked like it.
Let’s talk about the offense. Sixteen hits. Nine runs. Everyone got involved. The Orioles had eight different players with at least one hit. Kawakami? He hit his third home run of the postseason—that’s more than some teams have! And the Orioles turned three double plays—yes, three! All of them were textbook Alfonso-to-Hemphill-to-Kawakami. I mean, you could teach a clinic with those.
Now Seattle... they had some chances. Nate Cech homered in the second inning, and that gave them a brief spark. But then they just went quiet. Three double plays, six strikeouts, only one runner reached third after the second inning. That’s not gonna get it done against a team that’s this hot.
And let’s not forget: Baltimore is now 5-0 in the postseason. That’s really hard to do! They’re playing clean, crisp, powerful baseball—and if Sal Cantu keeps pitching like this? Look out.
Game 2 is tomorrow... and the Mariners need an answer. They need one fast. Because right now? Baltimore is playing like a team that’s ready to add another banner to that outfield wall.
And that, my friends, is October baseball.
|