Garza plans to ‘shove it down’ Orioles’ throats

Posted Sep 3, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 3, 2010 at 12:43 PM

By TONY FABRIZIO

BALTIMORE Although Matt Garza comes off one of the best months of his career, the righthander will carry a chip on his shoulder into tonight’s start against the Orioles.

Garza (13-7, 3.53) gave up four home runs to the Orioles when he last faced them at Camden Yards on July 20, including two to Luke Scott and three consecutive homers in the second inning in an 11-10 loss.

“They went back-to-back-to-back, and Luke Scott (hit two), so I’m going to make them feel really uncomfortable in the box,” Garza said. “So they know, this (stuff) doesn’t happen. ‘Don’t get used to it.’

“I’m just going to go in there, hair on fire like I have been, and just go after them and say, ‘hey, you got me the first time. Well, I’m going to shove it down your throat this time.’”

Garza had an inconsistent stretch during the middle of the season but he finished August with a 1.27 earned-run average – third in the majors behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (0.82) and Boston’s Clay Buchholz (1.03).

It was the second best monthly ERA in Rays history, behind Scott Kazmir’s 1.22 in May 2008.

Garza says now that he wasn’t at full strength physically for a while.

“Just because of stuff that was bothering me, my hips where tight, hammies were a little pulled, slight strain … but just had to keep going,” he said. “I knew what our chances were with me out and with me in, so I just gamed up and went ahead. But right now I feel great, feel healthy again, and I’m just going to go out there and keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Garza actually is 8-1 lifetime against Baltimore with an ERA of 3.14 in 11 starts, marking his most wins and best record against any opponent. This season, he is 2-0 (he got a non-decision in the 11-10 loss) with a 3.63 ERA in three starts.

But the Orioles have played better since plucking veteran manager Buck Showalter from the ESPN broadcast booth. They went 17-11 in August for their first winning full month since June 2008.

“They’re a bunch of young guys, and they’re just out there to make a mess of everything, which is fine,” Garza said. “You expect that from them. But I owe them a lot of payback for the type of outing I had last time against them.”

Although Hurricane Earl is churning well off shore in the Atlantic, it does not appear that the storm will have a major impact on tonight’s game. The latest forecast for game time calls for only a slight chance of rain and temperatures in the low 80s.