A couple years ago I attended a Yankees/O’s game much like Tuesday night’s game. Back and forth, crappy starting pitching, comebacks, blown leads, and rain delays.

The difference between Tuesday night’s 10-9 O’s win and the other game (5/26/04), is that the O’s managed to pull this one out. It felt really good, and you got the feeling that even though the Orioles will probably still have a top-ten draft pick next year, these players are playing as well as they can. They're leaving it all out on the field. As a fan, you can’t ask for much else.

According to Dave Trembley, the players spent the rain delay in the batting cage, taking swings and getting ready to go back out there and get the win. To all of those who stuck around the yard or stayed up late enough to watch the end of the game, it was worth it.

Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne have made it no secret that the Yankees have some bullpen issues. Do they really? Clearly, anytime you lose a guy in your bullpen of the caliber of Joba Chamberlain it is going to leave a hole. Especially when you replace him with LaTroy Hawkins.

To me, it looks like the two best guys are Ramirez and Albaladejo. The rest? Very stinky. Albaladejo has given up more hits than innings pitched, so even he has been shaky. The point is that you need to get solid starting pitching, which is why Chamberlain is being moved. You worry about the late innings once you’ve got a lead to protect.

If it’s 8-8 in the seventh, something has already gone horribly wrong. So in short, I agree with Palmer and Thorne; the Yankees bullpen is a mess. It is fixable, and I am sure they will turn it around. Hopefully not by tonight though, as the O’s go for the sweep.

In other news, Jay Bruce made his MLB debut last night for the Reds. Here’s the video. Amazing!