>> in the orioles are comin on. wins in three of their last four games. the pitching is coming on as well. guthrie and berken with wins in chicago, as the birds took two out of three, stunning the white sox. now the read trip moves on to minneapolis. it's the first of three, os. and twins up next on masn.  

 . >> jim: the tw playoff hopeful. once again, their favorite number five came into play. when the or yeahs score five or more runs on the year, their record is astounding, 40-15 on the season in those games.

that is playoff caliber baseball. buck martinez, when the starters go to the mound and give this team a chance, it's amazing how good and exciting this ball club can be. >> well, one thick about this orioles ball club, they have been able to score runs over the past several years, now they have to get the pitching where they get their era under 5. that's the magic number. >> and the other effect we're beginning to see as the starters get more consistent and deep per games, take something of the load over the bullpen. that load now goes to the start next bullpen, as a result pitching better >> well, they sure are pitching better, jim, specialry as of late. they have powerful arms, and because they're getting appropriate rest, they are throwing very well. of late, since the 17th of august, they lead the american league in bullpen era. just two runs over their last

17 and a third innings. but cam has really been a pleasant surprise. >> buck: the thing that's so being about both of these players, thieve boat young and 6'5". beaters is a switch hitter, mauer a straight left-handed hitter. >> jim: so tonight the opener, it will be chris tillman on the mound for the orioles, felix pie is in the line-up, adam jones is not. when we come back, buck is going to sit down and chat with one of the orioles hottest hitters, as felix pie is in the linion again tonight. éa,

 >> i had a chance to sit do with felix pie and ask him what is helping him swing the bat better? >> well, just the work i'm getting 37 now i'm more comfortable. >> dusty baker your manager in chicago always loved your physical ability and said if

felix can ever be patient, he's going to be a great hitter. and that's what you're doing now, letting the ball come to you, and not trying to hit everything you see? >> yeah, so now i see the ball, so, letting go, more than if the first half of the season. now, you know, i'm creating -- >> a how pout john shelby, your coach in the outfield, trying to help youny outfield has well. i know he's worked hard with you to improve. has he helped you a lot in the outfield? >> yeah, he has helped me a lot. i'm okay. because i work a lot with him. you know >> felix, when you have a team like this now with a lot of

young guys, and you getting a chance to play a lot in the final weeks of the season, is it important that you finish up and win some games, and have some good games ahead of you now before the end of the season to look ahead to next year, that next year can be better? >> i think it will be better, you know. how to do, you know, don't make, you know, like mistakes in the game, you know, play hard, you know. go to the ballpark, have fun. >> you had one of the great moments a hitter can ever have when you hit for the cycle. talk about what your friends said when you got that cycle, hit all four base hits in the one game. >> you know, they said you what? wow. oh, my gosh.

>> this is the final trip into the dome for the orioles, as they will move into the open air ballpark, the twins will next year. i sampleled the clubhouse for some opinions about the place. brian bass who pitched hire last year for the twins loves pitching here. said the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else, and it showed in his success. he pitched to a 2.5era last year with the twins. not so fond of the place, brian roberts, said he never felt comfortable here. the price is too big. one thing everyone agrees on, it's going to be cold when they have to play outside. depending any what type of the

year it is. now back up to jim and buck. >> all right, thanks very much. good to have you with us here on this series, as the orioles take on the twins, and there's the look in right field for the metrodome. you can see it was built for football. >> one away here in the first

inning. stating line-up force the birds.  

 >> good at bat by izturis. draws the one-o

scott maker has allowed 22 runs on the quire in his 22 start be, but check this out,

only four left-handed batters have taken him deep. we've already seen, buck, he's trying to go inside and outside. >> buck: .224 average with only four home runs allowed on lefties. that just speaks to his ability to get the ball inside to left- handers. he is more dominant on that side of the plate, and hasn't had the same success bringing the pail in to the right-handed hitters. >> jim: high fly ball right

field towards the corner. cuddyer comes over. luke scott is retired, as cuddyer finally hauls it in deep in the corner for the second out. it is .327 downty line there, ask eventually makes its way to 408 in straightaway center field, and because this field was really built for the vikings and the twins came -- long, you have in the initial right field, where they actually push the stands back as they would in a high school gymnasium.  

 throw to second out at second base! izturis caught trying to steal, that ends the orioles first inning. markakis will lead off in the second. birds don't score. twins coming up in the bottom of the 1st. across the country every day. pa announcer: final boarding call... all passengers... each with an average speed of 590 mph... almost as fast as you. nothing's gonna hold you down. grab your bag . it's on™west so our low fares stay low. ( ding ) book now at southwest.com.

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 . >> buck: chris till map try willing to get into the flo things in the big leagues. when you think about it, he's given up 17 runs so far in this major league career. spann was 12 out of 30 on the

trip. >> buck: the pnc scouting report. fastball, curveball, change. he's got to get into that game early. we talked about that. 9 of the 32 hits he has allowed so far have been home runs. so he has to get into the spirit of the game a little quicker, and make sure that you don't face the 3 and 4 hitter in this first inning with a couple of guys on. >> jim: hard-hit ball, base hit right field. so spann getting a pitch out over the plate, and he is on with a lead off single. here is the starting lineup for minnesota.  

 . >> jim: spann  has 19 steals, and draws a throw.

0-1 the count. span doesn't go, the pitch is taken for a strike, as cabrera showed bunt. >> buck: that's a good pitch. that was a sidestep change-up. >> jim: bounces towarding the middle. back to first, out there, nicely done by indianapolis turn russ. what footwork a-- -- izturis. great footwork around the bag. >> buck: you never know how the ball is going to bounce on this artificial surface. rights himself, stands on the

bargain, and has enough arm strength off balance to throw a bullet to cabrera. boy, that's a heck of a double- play. that just as easily goes past him and it's first and third with nobody out, but he made such a good play now, mauer steps in with two down. >> jim: and here is the league's leading hitter, joe mauer, takes ball 1. he won the batting title last year. already has two batting titles in his career, and he's only 26 years old. batting at .378 on the year. let's head downstairs. >> i spoke with izturis before the game today about his fielding in his first year as the oriole, and he said he had to get to know he pitchers, and there has been the added number of rookies that has come up. said after two starts, he gets a good feel for where the needs to set up. >> buck: well, he learned his trade under tony fernandez in

toronto, and he told izturis every day, take an entire group of balls off the bat of one batting group when you're in the field, and that will get you prepared for the start of the game. >> jim: mauer to center field, deep, pie on the run, still going back, and maybes the catch in deep left center field! nicely done by pie battling the roof! so tillman gets out with a base hit, none left. second inning coming up, no score. 

 . >> jim:  there were a a few groups that came here because the it's the last time the orioles will get to play here. they are very excited about the opening of their new ballpark next year. here is markakis leading off in the second. hard-hit ball down the line. that's foul. nick was at bat when izturis was caught trying to steal. that ended the first inning.

broken bat ground ball, slowly hit to first. morneau will go to the bag unassisted, and markakis is retired, and one away.

>> jim: reimold an the end of the bat. pitcher bakinger calling, morneau calls him off, and the first base man gets there. two men down. >> buck: yeah, when you have a gold glove first baseman, the pitcher gets out of the way.

>> jim: lets bring in vev. >> before the game, he said his biggest challenge is going to be getting back in the batters box and facing live pitching. he says he's a little uneasy about what he went through. he said it wasn't so much dizziness as it was feeling not totally there and a little unaware, but he's back out there and feeling well enough to at least give it a shot. >> jim: yeah, you don't want to feel totally unaware when you're at the plate and a fastball is coming towards you. >> buck: i've been dealing with that for years. hasn't bored me. come on, just were, what's the problem? >> jim: wieters takes a strike. >> buck: talk about the compares of matt beaters in his rookie season, and the all-star joe mauer. obviously mauer is very accomplished with two batting titles to his credit already. but during batting practice we'll watch both of them as they work at the late