News
Mora takes time to regroup in Anaheim
Baltimore (35-44) at Los Angeles (43-34), 10:05 p.m. ET
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
07/03/09 1:47 AM ET
ANAHEIM -- Maybe it was in his mind and maybe it wasn't. Melvin Mora asked for a day off on Thursday right as he was on the verge of setting a new career-long streak of homerless games. Mora has gone 43 games without a home run, tying a streak he set in 2001 and setting off concerns about his slowing bat speed.Mora, to his credit, said the streak wasn't on his mind Thursday and that he just wanted to clear his head. But he'll be looking down the barrel of the same milestone Friday in the second act of a four-game set in Anaheim. Mora took an interesting stance on Thursday, when he spoke in part about his career being in the past tense.
"First of all, I'm not a home run hitter. I'm a line drive hitter," Mora said. "Second of all, when I go to home plate, I don't even think about homering. I think about driving runs in. When I don't drive runs in, there's something wrong. Maybe I don't have somebody in scoring position, or maybe it's something else. I don't worry about the homers."
Mora, the longest-tenured member of the Orioles, said that he didn't have his drought in mind. He also said that there's nothing in baseball that can bring him down, especially when you consider the context of his career.
"The only thing I was worried about was if I could make my 10 years in the big leagues," said the native Venezuelan. "I already did, so nothing else can bother me. What else could bother me? I've come through a tough career. I went to Taiwan to play. I played in Venezuela for the Houston Astros and never made the big leagues there. Now I've got 10 years in the big leagues and I've already made it to the All-Star Game two times. ... What else can I ask from baseball? I've made my money. I think I've had a sensational career, so nothing else can bother me. I don't care if any son of a gun comes in here and tells me whatever. There's nothing that will bother me."
Baltimore manager Dave Trembley had also rested Mora on Wednesday, which called the Thursday off-day into question. When given the chance, Trembley said that Mora had asked for it and that he's not on the verge of a time-sharing arrangement. Baltimore also has Oscar Salazar and Ty Wigginton in the infield mix.
"I see Wigginton playing better," said Trembley. "I see me having to get opportunities for Wigginton to get in there. We've always talked about Melvin being a very good second-half player and Wigginton is the same. ... We're going to go through a stretch after the All-Star break where we're going to play a lot of games, I think 20 out of 21 and then 20 out of 21 again. When guys get an opportunity to get a day [off] now, I think it's good."
Mora, who has a full no-trade clause, also said that his future isn't really weighing on his mind. The Orioles hold an option year on his contract but could conceivably ship him to a playoff contender at the end of July. Mora, a veteran, is well aware of that possibility, but he said that it doesn't really consume him.
"I haven't thought about that," said Mora, speaking about the non-waiver Trade Deadline. "If that situation comes, it would have to be something close to my house or a team that has a chance to win. That's the only thing I can tell you right now. There's nothing else. When it comes to the second half, I've got to go out there."
Pitching matchupBAL: RHP David Hernandez (1-2, 4.19 ERA)
Hernandez pitched well in place of Koji Uehara his last time out, working into the sixth inning, and he was victimized only by a two-run home run by slugger Adam Dunn. Hernandez has worked into the sixth in all three of his starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in two of them. The right-hander has walked three batters or more in two of his three starts but has yet to ring up more than three strikeouts. LAA: RHP Ervin Santana (1-3, 7.47 ERA)
Santana was unable to make it through the fifth inning in taking the loss in his most recent effort against the Rays at Tropicana Field, yielding six earned runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Santana, second in the AL in strikeouts last season and fourth in innings pitched, has worked only 31 1/3 innings in his six starts with 21 strikeouts against 13 walks. His velocity has not been close to the consistent mid-90s of last season, but he was at 91 in a Minor League rehab outing on Sunday night. Bird bites:
The Orioles fell to 0-3 against the Angels and 5-14 against the American League West division on Thursday, giving them a .278 winning percentage against that region. ... Baltimore snapped a skid of 32 consecutive at-bats without a hit on a single by Robert Andino on Thursday night. ... The Orioles are 27-5 when they outhit their opponent and 4-35 when they get outhit. Baltimore is also 30-18 when it scores at least four runs and 5-26 when it scores less than that total. ... The Orioles have won 11 series, lost 11 series and split four series so far this season. ... Baltimore is 12-16 when it makes an error. ... Catcher Matt Wieters has reached base in 15 of his past 16 games and is batting .300 (18-for-60) over that span.
Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• MASN 2 HD On radio
• 105.7 The Fan Up next
• Saturday: Orioles (Jason Berken, 1-5, 6.44) at Angels (Sean O'Sullivan, 2-0, 3.00), 9:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Orioles (Rich Hill, 3-2, 7.08) at Angels (Joe Saunders, 8-5, 4.24), 3:35 p.m. ET
• Monday: Orioles (Brad Bergesen, 5-2, 3.53) at Mariners (TBD), 10:10 p.m. ET
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
