Now onto the Bronx…

After a hiccup this weekend with Minnesota Twins, where they lost two out of three games, the Orioles hit the road and faced the Boston Red Sox this week.

Fans of the Orioles were worried that the 2013 Orioles were starting to look like the team circa 2011 and further back; however, they figured out at Fenway Park and took two out of three games from the Red Sox.

The offense fell silent on Tuesday as Wei-Yin Chen put forth a workman’s effort on the mound, but one pitch in the seventh inning – to Daniel Nava, who would then hit a three-run homer – changed everything for the Birds.

They would take the next two games, as the offense and bullpen came together in the latter stages of the game. Two men, who we all know – Adam Jones and Chris Davis – supplied much in the firepower in the three-game set.

Davis hit two more homers – one on Wednesday and Thursday – and Jones looks like a man possessed at the plate. Both men seem to be in some kind of zone, and although they are known for striking out in large numbers, they have not done much of that at late. They are making contact and being put into situations where they can succeed, coming through in the clutch when needed – so far.

Jones is scorching at the plate. He is 18 for 39, batting .432 with 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

And Davis … he is batting .400 with six home runs and 16 RBIs right now. He has three hits – two homers – in the last five games.

I know most of us whined and complained about the lack of moves made in the offseason, but it looks to be that Jones and Davis have improved greatly at the plate.

Then again, the season is barely two weeks old, but right now I feel very, very good about this team right now. The division is wide open and really no one in the division right now is making me say, “wow”.

You can only conclude so much from only nine games with any team, but it still feels weird after all these years to see the Orioles as contenders and not wallflowers.

It’s funny to see the Orioles now as peers with the Red Sox and Yankees rather than being bullied around by them.

The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles meet for the first time since the American League Division series. It’s still early on in the season; however, if the Orioles can take the series – or better yet, sweep the Yankees – it will give them a lot of momentum heading into the rest of April.

The Yankees are without many of their stars, but they have managed to play to a 4-4 record.

They are weakened, but I truly believe they cannot be taken lightly as they still have solid starting – and let’s face it: they are still the *Yankees*.

New York ace C.C. Sabathia faces the totally unflappable Miguel Gonzalez tonight in the Bronx. It is supposed to be a soggy, chilly, grey weekend, however, let’s hope all the games can be played.

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