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Luke Jones

Live from Camden Yards: Matusz looks to rebound from recent struggles

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Good evening from Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Orioles (15-31) look to make it two in a row against the Oakland Athletics (23-23) as Brian Matusz takes the hill against left-handed starter Trevor Cahill at 7:05 this evening. Matusz hopes to bounce back from the shortest outing of his career, a 2 1/3-inning effort against Texas last Thursday in which the young lefty gave up seven runs and picked up his fourth loss of the season. After winning two of his first three starts in 2010, Matusz has not registered a win in his last six starts. His last victory came against these same Athletics in Oakland on April 18. Here are tonight’s starting lineups: Oakland CF Rajai Davis 1B Daric Barton C Kurt Suzuki 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff RF Ryan Sweeney LF Adam Rosales DH Jake Fox 2B Mark Ellis SS Cliff Pennington SP Trevor Cahill (2-2, 3.68 ERA) Baltimore LF Corey Patterson 1B Ty Wigginton RF Nick Markakis 3B Miguel Tejada C Matt Wieters CF Adam Jones 2B Scott Moore DH Garrett Atkins SS Cesar Izturis SP Brian Matusz (2-4, 5.26 ERA) Don’t forget to join us in the Orange Crush chat tonight at 7:00

Orioles use small ball to top Oakland, 5-1

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — When an offense struggles as much as the Orioles have to score runs this season, playing small-ball becomes an absolute necessity to have a realistic chance to win on a nightly basis. As their record reflects, it’s a style of play in which the Orioles have failed miserably in playing through the first quarter of the season, but it worked Tuesday night as they defeated the Oakland Athletics, 5-1. The Orioles (15-31) went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position but scored their first three runs of the contest without the aid of a hit. The club also drew six walks, one short of its season-high of seven in 2010. The deciding factor of the game was the sixth when the club plated two runs without registering a hit in the entire inning. “Four at-bats were key,” manager Dave Trembley said. “Two walks [to Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada], a wild pitch, and two sac-flies [by Ty Wigginton and Adam Jones]. That was the key to the game.” Winning 3-1 in the eighth, the Orioles added two insurance runs with Markakis’ third home run of the season and an RBI-double by Matt Wieters to put the game out of

Notebook: Hard-luck Millwood continues to go about business

Luke Jones

Kevin Millwood was lifted two innings before Nick Markakis’ RBI single gave the Orioles a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals in 10 innings, but it was clear who the winning pitcher was in Dave Trembley’s mind. The veteran pitcher’s first win continues to elude him, but his eight-inning performance kept the club in the game against Royals ace and 2009 Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke as the Orioles battled back to salvage a split of a two-game series. Millwood retired the first 13 batters of the game before scattering 10 hits, allowing three runs (all in the fifth inning), and striking out seven in his third eight-inning outing of the season. “He deserved [the win], he earned it,” Trembley said. “Like I said, he didn’t get it in the book, but I think in everybody else’s eyes, he’s the reason we won the game—or one of the reasons why we won the game—because he doesn’t fold.” His 0-4 record is indicative of the club’s anemic lineup, but the Orioles (13-27) have managed to win four of Millwood’s last five starts after losing his first four to begin the season. He’s pitched into the seventh inning or later

Same old story as Orioles waste chances, lose 4-3 to Kansas City

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Even after missing countless opportunities throughout the night, the Orioles managed to load the bases in the ninth for Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada, the two biggest run producers for an otherwise putrid lineup. There wasn’t much more you could ask for, being down a run with your No. 3 and 4 hitters coming to the plate. They again failed to take advantage as Wigginton struck out and Tejada grounded to second, and the Orioles fell 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Manager Dave Trembley uttered the same words after the game that we’ve heard countless times this season, but the tone was different. His voice was filled with anger and frustration, far more emotion than we typically hear from the maligned skipper. “There’s nothing for me to say other than the fact that we’re getting the opportunities and not cashing them in,” Trembley said in one of the shortest post-game press conferences you’ll ever hear. What more is there to say? What else can you ask other than the same questions offered night after night? Every time you begin to think this team might begin a run of better baseball—sorry, but 10-11 over their last

Bergesen leaving disastrous start to 2010 behind him

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — On the same day the Orioles sent struggling outfielder Nolan Reimold to the minor leagues in hopes of regaining his confidence, the club once again reaped the benefits of Brad Bergesen’s short stint with the Tides. The right-hander coaxed ground ball after ground ball—16 in all—from the Seattle bats as the Orioles defeated the Seattle Mariners, 5-2, and secured their 10th win of the season. Bergesen pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing only one run and striking out three to earn his third win of the season, all coming after returning from a brief demotion to the minor leagues last month. In his three starts since being recalled on May 1, Bergesen has pitched to a 2.33 ERA (19 2/3 innings) while primarily using his sinking fastball in lieu of his breaking pitches, something on which he focused during his stint at Triple A. He has looked far more like the pitcher who went 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA as a rookie in 2009 than the fragile pitcher losing control of his emotions as he sprinted off the Safeco Field mound with a 12.19 ERA on April 19. “He had better sink [on his fastball], excellent poise,” manager Dave

Nolan Reimold sinks lower as Orioles fall 5-1 to Seattle

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — The image of a dejected Nolan Reimold sitting on a clubhouse couch said it all following Tuesday’s loss. The losses continue to mount and the frustration level reaches new heights for a club that’s mustered just one run over its last 22 innings of baseball. As speculation persists regarding imminent changes to the 25-man roster, it’s apparent Reimold finds himself near the top of the list of players in danger of being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The left fielder went 1-for-4 in Tuesday’s night’s 5-1 loss to Seattle—actually raising his average to .205—but more deflating were his defensive lapses. Reimold misjudged a Josh Wilson liner into a single that eventually scored in the fifth and committed a fielding error in the sixth that led to an unearned run. Reimold was visibly shaken following the game as he sat alone, a couple teammates offering encouragement at different times before he spoke to the media. “I’ve been playing pretty bad,” he said. “I know I’m a lot better than this, so [I have to] keep at it everyday and turn it around.” The biggest question now is where Reimold will wind up in the effort to reverse his early-season struggles.

Adam Jones, Orioles hit brick wall on path to success

Luke Jones

In the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night, Twins outfielder Delmon Young hit a deep fly to center with two men on base. Instead of sprinting to the warning track and making the catch, Adam Jones mistakenly broke in on the ball and never recovered as it bounced on the warning track for an automatic double. The misplay eventually led to three runs, giving Minnesota an insurmountable 6-1 lead as the Twins took the second game of a doubleheader. It was just the latest misstep in a miserable season for both the 24-year-old center fielder and the Orioles (9-22). Jones’ immense struggles epitomize how badly 2010 has gone for a club supposedly climbing toward respectability and contention. And while the club has played a little better of late, winning five of its last nine, Jones continues to scuffle through early-season misery. A Gold Glove winner and member of the 2009 All-Star team, Jones was supposed to continue his path to superstardom in 2010 and be the player around which the Orioles could build a contending club. It’s clear the Orioles agreed. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X24YzoJ04zg[/youtube] But instead of improving upon his 2009 campaign, the outfielder has regressed dramatically, hitting just .227 with

Live from Owings Mills: Gaither doesn't practice on Day 2 of minicamp

Luke Jones

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Good afternoon from 1 Winning Drive as the Baltimore Ravens have concluded Day 2 of their first minicamp. The biggest news to come out of Owings Mills this afternoon is the status of tackle Jared Gaither. After it became official—at least as official as it gets for early May—that Michael Oher was shifting to left tackle and Gaither to the right side, Gaither was absent from practice on Saturday due to an undisclosed injury. Gaither was not present in the locker room for the media availability following practice, so the status of the fourth-year player remains in question.  There was no mention of any potential injury following Friday’s practice. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would not discuss any specifics of the injury, but that’s nothing new with the Baltimore coaching staff. “I don’t know that it’s any one thing,” Cameron said. “I think it’s just maybe a series of things. I don’t want to say any one specific play [that it happened].” How’s that for dancing around a question? Cameron was also complimentary of Oniel Cousins, who took Gaither’s place at the starting right tackle position on Saturday. Of course, speculation persists about the possibility of Gaither

Orioles climb small hill against Red Sox this weekend

Luke Jones

As the Orioles travel to New York Sunday evening, Dave Trembley will take a deep breath, smile, and maybe even light up a cigar in a brief celebration. After an exciting weekend at Camden Yards and taking a broom out of the closet to finish off the Red Sox, the Orioles (7-18) will enjoy their first three-game home sweep against Boston since 1974 (a stat that’s a bit misleading as they had a four-game sweep over Boston in 1998, but surprising nonetheless). “It’s just great for the team, individuals who have gone through a lot of pain and mimicry for 30 days,” Trembley said. “I believe we’ve gotten through the worst. The good days are ahead.” Maybe so, but reality will set in again Monday morning. After outplaying a team they went 2-16 against in 2009, the club still finds itself 11 games below .500 and 11 games behind first-place Tampa Bay. As satisfying as the weekend was at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, it was merely a small climb after the Orioles threw themselves off a cliff in the first month of the season. Make no mistake, it feels good—especially sending the thousands of Boston fans who once again

Orange Crush Chat: Orioles going for rare sweep of Red Sox

Luke Jones

Join us right now in the Orange Crush chat! BALTIMORE — Good afternoon and happy Sunday from Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Orioles (6-18) find themselves in an extremely rare position against the Boston Red Sox (11-13) this afternoon. After taking the first two games of the series, Baltimore can complete its first three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Baltimore since Sept. 1974. This happened nine years before I was born to put it in perspective. The stat is a bit misleading considering the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Sox in July 1998, but nonetheless, it’s an impressive feat for a franchise that is just 30-67 at home against the Red Sox since 1999. Here are this afternoon’s lineups: Boston SS Marco Scutaro 2B Dustin Pedroia RF J.D. Drew 1B Mike Lowell DH David Ortiz 3B Adrian Beltre C Jason Varitek LF Darnell McDonald CF Jonathan Van Every SP Josh Beckett (1-0, 7.22 ERA) Baltimore CF Adam Jones RF Nick Markakis 2B Ty Wigginton 3B Miguel Tejada DH Luke Scott LF Nolan Reimold 1B Rhyne Hughes C Craig Tatum SS Julio Lugo SP Kevin Millwood (0-3, 3.38 ERA) As we do for every Orioles game,

Notebook: Home runs lead Orioles past Red Sox, 12-9

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — With two pitchers returning to the starting rotation for their respective teams, it was clear Saturday night’s game had the potential to become an offensive explosion, especially with the temperature soaring to the mid-80s in downtown Baltimore. Twenty-one runs, 24 hits, and nine home runs later, the Orioles (6-18) bested the Boston Red Sox, 12-9, in a game filled with offense and short on pitching. Baltimore’s 12 runs was a season high, besting their eight-run effort against the Oakland Athletics on April 18. As he has for the entire 2010 season, Ty Wigginton led the offense with two home runs, including a solo blast in the fifth inning that ignited a six-run explosion that put the Orioles in front for good. Wigginton leads the club in nearly every run-producing category imaginable including home runs (8), runs batted in (14), average (.324), slugging percentage (.721), and on-base percentage (.413). “I’m just executing my plan,” he said. “I try to come up with the best approach [at the plate] and stick with it. I’m executing it more times than I’m not.” Manager Dave Trembley believes there’s a far simpler explanation, especially with Brian Roberts being on the disabled list for

Tejada’s clutch bat leads Orioles past Red Sox, 5-4 in 10

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — To say the Orioles have struggled in the month of April would be comparable to labeling Mount Everest as a “pretty big hill.” Their record entering Friday night made them the 12th team to start a season 4-18 or worse since 1900. Not exactly the type of history you want to make. Only the hapless 1988 club has saved the current Orioles from suffering the worst start in franchise history. The club looked to be well on its way to another disappointing loss after failing to capitalize with runners in scoring position and to protect the lead in the late innings. However, that outlook changed dramatically when Miguel Tejada stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, connecting for a game-tying home run off Daniel Bard. Tejada’s heroics weren’t finished as the game moved into extra innings, and he knocked in the winning run in the 10th to give the Orioles a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards. “I just put in my mind that I had to be able to relax,” said Tejada. “I know they had to throw me a strike, and I was lucky to get one pitch over

Orioles fall back into all-too-familiar pattern in 4-0 loss to Yankees

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — With Brian Matusz taking the hill with an opportunity to secure the club’s first series victory of the season Thursday night, the Orioles had to like their chances—at least as much as a 4-17 team possibly can when facing last season’s World Series champions. That is, until A.J. Burnett took the mound for the New York Yankees. The Monkton resident was masterful over eight innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four as the Yankees won the rubber game of the three-game set, 4-0. After providing 25 runs for Matusz in his first four starts of the season—nearly equaling the amount received by any other two starters combined—the bats fell quiet to the right arm of Burnett, who improved to 3-0 on the season. Matusz didn’t pitch poorly but struggled to keep the ball down in the strike zone, allowing three runs and nine hits over six innings to suffer his first loss of the season. The Orioles were again victimized by second baseman Robinson Cano who homered twice and scored three of the four New York runs. “That guy is swinging the bat so well,” Matusz said. “He’s a tough out. I have to make some

Orioles, Trembley turn to unlikely sources in 5-4 win over Yankees

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Over the first three weeks of the season, the Orioles couldn’t beat anybody en route to the second worst start in franchise history. So, of course, with the world champion New York Yankees coming to town, why not turn to the Norfolk Tides, the team’s Triple-A affiliate, for help? They certainly couldn’t do any worse. Alfredo Simon, Alberto Castillo, and Rhyne Hughes weren’t exactly sure bets to be in Baltimore when the season started three weeks ago, but desperate times—especially for manager Dave Trembley—call for desperate measures when you’re 3-16. With a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Trembley turned to Simon to close out the victory despite the right-hander being recalled just a few hours before the game on Tuesday. It was both an incredible vote of confidence for Simon and a sign of indignation for a bullpen having failed countless times over the season’s first 19 games. Some shaky defense made it interesting—to no one’s surprise at this point—but Simon earned his first big-league save and the Orioles their first home victory of the season in a 5-4 final. “I’ve got nothing to lose,” said Trembley, whose seat is as hot as it gets

Live from Owings Mills: Ravens conclude 2010 NFL Draft

Luke Jones

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens have concluded their participation in the 2010 NFL Draft after selecting seven players, including two defensive tackles and two tight ends. The Ravens added to Friday night’s haul of linebacker Sergio Kindle, defensive tackle Terrence Cody, and tight end Ed Dickson by adding tight end Dennis Pitta, receiver David Reed, defensive tackle Art Jones, and offensive lineman Ramon Harewood in rounds 4 through 6 of the draft. After speaking to the media following their final selection of Harewood—the first player from Barbados, according to Eric DeCosta—it’s clear the Ravens brass is thrilled with the work its done over the last three days. Head to the WNST.net Audio Vault right now to hear from Ozzie Newsome, John Harbaugh, Eric DeCosta, and Joe Hortiz. Here are the highlights: Ozzie Newsome – “The initiative that Roger Goodell had of making this a three-day event has been very successful.” – On the organization’s draft preparation: “This year I think we’ve topped what we’ve done in the past.” – “This has been a very productive three days for the Baltimore Ravens.” – On the organization not drafting a corner and the possibility of future movers: “You have to

Tonight’s Orange Crush Chat: What are your short-term fixes for the Orioles?

Luke Jones

As we do for every televised game, WNST.net will have the Orange Crush chat open tonight at 10:00 p.m. for the second of a four-game set between the Orioles (1-9) and the Athletics (7-4) out in Oakland. As the Orioles ballpark reporter for WNST.net, I was at Camden Yards for the disastrous 0-6 home stand and watched the club continue its struggles Thursday night as David Hernandez took the loss in an all-around listless 6-2 defeat. In an effort to spark some interesting debate in tonight’s chat, I’d like to offer you a hypothetical chance to play general manager and/or manger. If you could make three realistic moves (and sorry, a Luke Scott/Matt Albers/Brandon Snyder for Adrian Gonzalez deal doesn’t qualify as realistic) right now to improve the current state of the baseball team, what would they be? There’s plenty to talk about, so I hope you’ll join us in the Orange Crush at 10:00 p.m., with the first pitch scheduled for 10:05 on MASN2. Kevin Millwood (0-1, 2.13 ERA) will take the hill against the talented Dallas Braden (1-0, 2.77 ERA) in what looks to be an attractive pitching match-up. Grab your laptop—and perhaps a cold beverage or four—and

Orioles, Gonzalez again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — The good vibes of Opening Day and the first week of the season are one of the few occasions when Orioles fans are typically allowed to feel good. Spring is in the air, the Orioles are back in town, and the standings look a little better—at least for now. However, as Mike Gonzalez walked off the mound following another terrible performance and his second blown save in three chances, optimism quickly transformed into ugly frustration as Baltimore fans pounded the left-hander with a chorus of boos only reserved for former Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller in recent Baltimore sports history. It was a troubling display from the home crowd, regardless of how lousy Gonzalez has been in his first week as an Oriole. Twelve years of losing will do that to you. The Orioles and Gonzalez have to be looking at themselves with utter disbelief. A team fully expecting—or at least saying so anyway—to be improved now finds itself with a 1-3 record when it very well should be 3-1, or could be 4-0. But they’re not, and therein lies the rub with the fans at Camden Yards. Couple that with the comments made by general manager Andy MacPhail

Gonzalez quickly sculpting unnerving image in Baltimore

Luke Jones

If we can take anything from the opening series of the 2010 season, we know it’s going to be interesting in the final inning. Unnerving. Agonizing. Hold on for dear life. New closer Mike Gonzalez atoned for his Opening Night debacle by preserving the first win of the season Thursday night, but the performance was anything but routine in the Orioles’ 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay. After striking out the first two batters of the ninth and appearing poised to retire the side in order, Gonzalez loaded the bases before finally enticing Ben Zobrist to fly out to right, thankfully ending a 26-pitch, 12-strike inning as Orioles fans finally breathed a sigh of relief and somewhere Earl Weaver burned through an entire pack of cigarettes. At least that’s the rumor. Gonzalez made it very clear he was anxious to return to the mound following his blown save on Tuesday night, and to his credit, he got the job done, but it couldn’t have been any shakier. It’s quickly becoming pretty apparent why few teams were beating down Gonzalez’s door last December to sign him up as their fireman. With just 54 career saves, Gonzalez had rarely been used as a

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