Down is up and up is down so far in the 2008 MLB season. Somehow, the Baltimore Orioles are 8-5, and George Sherrill is leading the league in saves. The Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays tonight 4-3. Kevin Millar hit a two run bomb in the 5th inning to seal the deal for the Birds.

Though the Jays would wind up losing, they made it interesting in the 9th. Vernon Wells lined a single to left field off of the closer Sherrill. After Frank Thomas flied out, Alexis Rios hit a 2 run home run to make the game 4-3. That would be all for the Jays in that frame though, as they’d go on to lose.

One key to the Orioles’ success tonight was the effective starting pitcher. Former Houston Astro Matt Albers got the start and went 5 innings strong, surrendering 5 hits with 1 earned run, while striking out 1 and walking 1. The Baltimore bridge to the 9th inning held up just fine as well. Jim Johnson, Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford combined for 3 scoreless innings of relief.

Dustin MacGowan didn’t have Albers’ success tonight. He went 6 innings but gave up 10 hits with 3 earned runs. He suffered his first loss of the season.