Huff Drives O's Powerful Show

A few hours before game time, Aubrey Huff surveyed the grounds at Miller Park and declared it could be a good night. Though he has spent most of his career in the American League East, Huff played six games here during his short stint with the Houston Astros in 2006. And though he put up modest numbers then, he remembered just how far a well-hit ball could carry.

"It's a hitter's park," Huff said. "The ball carries pretty good. The batter's eye in the background is pretty good. It's very friendly for the hitters."
So when the Orioles outslugged the slugging Milwaukee Brewers, 8-5, on Friday, guess who was at the middle of it all?

Huff finished 4 for 5, including a pair of solo homers and an RBI single. It was enough support for an Orioles bullpen -- that despite issuing seven walks -- kept the Brewers off the scoreboard for seven innings. George Sherrill capped the effort by enduring a scary ninth inning for his 25th save.

Sherrill allowed an infield hit and walked two to load the bases. But in a show of poise, Sherrill induced a game-ending double play by Gabe Kapler to preserve Baltimore's fourth straight victory, which pushed them four games over the .500 mark for the first time since May 20.

"The National League style of game is two games within one," Orioles Manager Dave Trembley said. "It's the first five or six innings, and then seven, eight and nine get interesting. You have to keep your poise. If you don't, you're going to play right into the fast pace, and that's not what you want to do."

Huff turned in his first multi-homer game since Aug. 21, 2006, at Cincinnati. In his past 10 games, Huff has 5 homers, 11 RBI and a .476 batting average.

"So far this year, it's the best I've felt," said Huff, whose homers pushed the Orioles' lead to three. "It just seems like my timing feels good right now. I'm seeing the ball even if it's an off-speed pitch, and I've been able to lay off the bad pitch."

(washingtonpost.com)