"Exactly," former Yankees fan, now Baltimore Orioles' reliever Jim Hoey said after his first Major League win came against the Red Sox, Friday night, and his effort again yesterday allowed the O's to take two of three from the Sox at Camden Yards.

"When you grow up always rooting against a team, to actually beat them is a great feeling. There were 50,000 people here Friday night and at least half of them were Red Sox fans, so to shut them up was pretty nice."

Hoey, the former Hamilton High and Rider University standout, entered Friday night's game in the eighth inning with Baltimore down 5-1 and the Red Sox threatening to break it open further. With two on and two outs, he got Kevin Youkilis to pop out to end the inning.

The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the eighth and after Hoey pitched a scoreless ninth, he got the win when Baltimore scored in the bottom of the ninth.

Yesterday, he was even more impressive.

Again, with the Orioles behind 3-1, he came into the game with two on, one out and Manny Ramirez at the plate.

That's Boston clean-up hitter Manny Ramirez, who has 489 career home runs and 1,594 career RBIs.

Those numbers stayed put when Hoey got him to ground into a double play to end the inning.

"I just went with the idea, if he hits my pitch, he hits my pitch," Hoey said. "I have to prove to my self and to them that I belong here."

Hoey got ahead of Ramirez with two fastballs and then threw a slider away. He shook off his catcher on the fourth pitch, and went with another slider that Ramirez hit weakly to short for the double play.

"I knew he wasn't going to hit the slider," Hoey said.

He came back and pitched a perfect eighth, watched the O's tie it in the bottom of the inning and win it in the 10th on Kevin Millar's walk-off home run.

"Leo (pitching coach Mazzone) tells us our job is to leave those inherited runners out there," Hoey said. "He preaches that all the time."

Hoey dominated at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season, going a combined 3-0, with an ERA under 1.00, and in 45 2/3 total innings, he struck out 69 batters and walked just 14.

He got the call Thursday to re turn to Baltimore for his third stint in two years with the Orioles. This time he plans to stay.

"I think I'm more focused now," he said. "When I was sent down last time (after one poor outing against Arizona) I recognized what I was doing. It wasn't nerves, or jit ters, it was being focused. That's not going to happen again."