Orioles on Cruz control, but don’t forget Joseph

Nelson Cruz‘s 3-run missile last night gave him 21 of those, and 55 RBI, half way to 110, on June 3. He’s done it again and will have still more nights like this. You’ll be reading about him plenty.

Caleb Joseph shared the night’s spotlight with a 2-for-4 game, coming in 2 for 29 with one RBI since joining the team May 7. His 8th-inning double scored Delmon Young to give the Baltimore Orioles a 3-2 lead, and three batters later, Cruz stepped to the plate.

The challenge might be for Joseph to hobble up there and hit after being hit by a pitch last night

Joseph was rewarded with another start behind the plate tonight, and if he can hobble up there after being hit near the knee by a pitch last night, he may even get another hit or two, or be able to stay down in his crouch without too much pain. At least he earned that right. You had to admire the appreciative way he handled it when he found himself in the unexpected spot of being interviewed on the postgame show.

Just as out of the ordinary was the fact that Adam Jones had a 4-hit night including a home run, and he wasn’t the highlight. Jones is hitting .339 since May 7. If George Steinbrenner were alive, he might be calling Jones “Mr. May,” although it would be a compliment rather than the slap it was intended as when George said it about Dave Winfield.

David Lough got the start tonight in left field with the righthanded Nick Martinez pitching for Texas, and he and Joseph are hitting 8th and 9th.