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Orioles

Matusz shelled in latest Triple-A outing

For those looking for a bit of good news with the Orioles off on Thursday, they didn’t get it from Brian Matusz. Coming off an impressive start in which he tossed seven scoreless innings while showing slight improvement in his velocity from what we saw in Baltimore last month, Matusz allowed seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work against the Toledo Mud Hens in an 11-3 loss for Triple-A Norfolk. The left-hander gave up eight hits and three walks before being lifted in the fourth inning for Tides reliever Nick Bierbrodt. Matusz also struck out two hitters. Though we likely won’t learn what his velocity and overall stuff looked like until Buck Showalter meets with the media on Friday afternoon, whatever he had — or didn’t have — working for him obviously didn’t translate to the box score. In his four starts since being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk following a horrendous start against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 30, Matusz has completed fewer than six innings three times and has a 5.40 earned run average in 21 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old has struck out 19, allowed 24 hits, and walked 10 over the four outings. Those stats

Orioles’ second inning sets punchless tone in 4-0 loss to Red Sox

BALTIMORE — Games are rarely won in the second inning, but they can sometimes be lost. The Orioles managed just two hits against Boston on Wednesday, falling 4-0 and failing to earn their first series win since late June when they took two of three from the Cincinnati Reds. However, Baltimore failed to capitalize on the wildness of Red Sox starter Andrew Miller in the second inning in their best chance to score all afternoon. With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second, Miller walked the bases loaded with one out and backup catcher Craig Tatum coming to the plate. Instead of showing the same patience shown by the prior three batters against a southpaw who had walked nine batters over his last two starts (7 1/3 innings), Tatum swung at the first pitch and eventually grounded into a 4-6-3 double play on a 2-2 pitch that was several inches off the plate. “He was all over the place and then I came up there and he threw me some good pitches,” Tatum said. “I don’t know. It would have been nice to hit a fly ball or [the grounder] just be a couple feet either way and

Orioles’ concerns growing over Scott’s injured shoulder

BALTIMORE — Despite completing two rehab starts for Double-A Bowie, outfielder/designated hitter Luke Scott will not be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday as was previously hoped. And judging from comments made by the left-handed slugger and manager Buck Showalter, surgery on Scott’s torn labrum in his right shoulder appears more and more likely. Despite nearly two weeks of rest in which he didn’t swing a bat or lift any weights, Scott did not appear to be encouraged with the health of his shoulder, claiming “it is what it is.” Scott told Showalter the shoulder is at 70 percent right now. The tentative plan is for Scott to take a day or two to rest before potentially playing in a couple more minor league rehab games. “It’s just been a challenge to deal with,” Scott said. “I took 13 days completely off, not doing anything, and it’s only just two days of rehab at-bats. I’m trying to build it up some more. … If I’m not 100-percent ready or if I’m not in a position where I’m really going to step in and help the team, I need to take the necessary means to get to that point.”

With late chance to win, Orioles not nearly good enough against Red Sox

I’m not exactly breaking news by telling you the Red Sox are better than the Orioles. A lot better. On most nights, you could argue they don’t even belong in the same ballpark. And yet, they were tied 7-7 entering the eighth inning at Camden Yards on Monday night. The sleep-deprived Red Sox were coming off a 16-inning marathon against Tampa Bay that caused them not to arrive in Baltimore until early that morning. Instead of slamming the door on a tired Boston lineup and turning it over to an Orioles lineup that had earlier scored five runs in the fifth inning to erase a 6-2 deficit, manager Buck Showalter turned to Michael Gonzalez, Mark Worrell, and Chris Jakubauskas to get him through the eighth inning. Yes, you read that correctly. Eight runs later, the Orioles trailed 15-7 and ultimately dropped their seventh straight game against the Red Sox, 15-10. In fairness, Showalter wasn’t exactly playing with a full deck for a bullpen that’s not exactly known for shortening games when it’s at full strength, anyway. Closer Kevin Gregg — along with Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz — began serving a three-game suspension Monday stemming from the events at

Live from Camden Yards: Gregg, Ortiz begin suspensions as Orioles welcome Boston to town

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Boston Red Sox to town for a three-game set** BALTIMORE — For those anticipating Kevin Gregg-David Ortiz II with the Boston Red Sox rolling into town for a three-game series, they’ll have to wait. Their suspensions were reduced to three games this afternoon, and both will begin their sentences tonight as the Orioles (38-54) hope to make it three wins in a row and extract some revenge after the Red Sox embarrassed them in a four-game sweep at Fenway Park prior to the All-Star break. Gregg agreed to drop his appeal of a four-game suspension after Major League Baseball offered a three-game penalty starting Monday in Baltimore. The respective fines of Gregg and Ortiz were also reduced. “It’s principle, I want to fight for principle,” Gregg said. “But at this point, in regards to the team, I’m trying to take the best interest of the team right now, using what MLB has presented.” With Gregg serving his suspension against the Red Sox, manager Buck Showalter said the Orioles could go with a few different candidates to potentially to close, presumably Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara, or

Despite late scare, Orioles remind us what winning formula looks like

BALTIMORE — You knew the Orioles would eventually win another game. I was pretty sure, anyway. I just didn’t think Alfredo Simon — scheduled to return to the Dominican Republic on Sunday for a hearing regarding his manslaughter case — would be the one to provide the best start by an Orioles pitcher all month, pitching seven strong innings and allowing two earned runs to snap the club’s nine-game losing streak in a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. And I really didn’t think maligned reliever Michael Gonzalez would be the one to slam the door on the Cleveland rally when closer Kevin Gregg walked the bases loaded and gave up a three-run double to Orlando Cabrera to turn the Orioles’ comfortable 6-2 ninth-inning lead into a one-run heart attack special. However, Gonzalez recorded his first save since April 8, 2010 after signing a two-year, $12 million contract two winters ago to be the Baltimore closer. But these are the Orioles, of course. Nothing comes easy and things rarely go according to plan, especially over the last five weeks. Aside from Gregg’s inability to throw the ball over the plate in the ninth, the Orioles played a relatively crisp game

Guerrero placed on 15-day DL with broken hand

BALTIMORE — Following the Orioles’ 6-5 win over Cleveland to snap a nine-game losing streak, manager Buck Showalter announced Vladimir Guerrero will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a cracked bone in his right hand. The Orioles have also optioned relief pitcher Pedro Viola to Double-A Bowie. Taking their spots on the roster will be outfielder Matt Angle and reliever Troy Patton from Triple-A Norfolk. After Guerrero was hit by a pitch last Sunday in Boston, a second x-ray earlier this week revealed a small crack below his right pinkie. The designated hitter attempted to take batting practice on Friday, but he was unable to grip a bat without feeling pain. The move is retroactive to July 6. Angle, the Orioles’ seventh-round pick in 2007, was hitting .266 with four home runs and 29 runs batted in for the Triple-A Tides. The speedy center fielder also has 20 stolen bases. Patton is 4-1 with a 1.83 earned run average in 44 1/3 innings this season for Norfolk. In a brief stint earlier this season in Baltimore, the left-handed reliever allowed two earned runs and struck out three in 2 1/3 innings against the New York Yankees on May

Live from Camden Yards: No DL decision on Vlad yet, Scott close to returning

**Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear from Buck Showalter, J.J. Hardy, and Nick Markakis prior to Saturday night’s game with the Cleveland Indians** BALTIMORE — While J.J. Hardy’s contract received the most attention Saturday afternoon, the Orioles continue to wait on a decision to place Vladimir Guerrero on the disabled list. The 36-year-old designated hitter has a broken bone in his right hand and is unable to grip a bat without pain, but the Orioles appear willing to wait for another day, leaving them again with a short two-man bench of only backup catcher Craig Tatum and infielder Robert Andino for the third game of a four-game series with the Indians. “Hopefully we’ll make a decision shortly,” said manager Buck Showalter, who has discussed Guerrero’s status with head trainer Richie Bancells. Considering Guerrero hasn’t played since Sunday in Boston, it seems pointless to wait for the Orioles to continue to wait when Guerrero could potentially return in 10 days if placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 11. Instead, the Orioles will play a man down. Outfielder Luke Scott received a cortisone injection on Friday and has taken batting practice a day late. The plan is for

Orioles shortstop Hardy relieved to have new contract

BALTIMORE — With the trade deadline two weeks away and the possibility of multiple teams being after his services this offseason, shortstop J.J. Hardy decided he was having too much fun with the last-place Orioles this season. The 28-year-old shortstop agreed to terms on a new three-year contract to remain with Baltimore through the 2014 season. Reports indicate the deal will pay him in the neighborhood of $22 million over the next three seasons and will include a limited no-trade clause. The deal is pending a physical and has not been officially signed. “There are a lot of things I don’t have to worry about now,” Hardy said. “It’s definitely a relief, a big weight off my shoulders, and just worry about playing baseball now.” His 13 home runs is third on the club despite missing a month of the season with a strained oblique muscle. While spending a significant portion of the season in the leadoff spot, Hardy’s .490 slugging percentage is tops among regulars in the Orioles lineup. Hardy had represented the Orioles’ biggest trade chip, but 19-year-old prospect Manny Machado is a few years away from being ready to take over the shortstop position in Baltimore, prompting

Orioles’ 5-week-long wreck painful to watch

Five weeks ago, I sat in Buck Showalter’s pregame press conference as the Orioles welcomed the Tampa Bay Rays to town to conclude a nine-game homestand. Fresh off a sweep of Oakland, the Orioles were again creeping toward the .500 mark with a 29-31 record and were trying to build momentum before embarking on a nine-game road trip. I casually asked Showalter the importance of seizing the opportunity to reach the .500 mark — after doing it two weeks earlier and then dropping five in a row immediately thereafter — for a young club trying to learn how to win. “We understand the math of common denominators of teams that have a good season,” Showalter said at the time. “At some point, we’ve got to get to and pass that threshold as an organization.” The Orioles won that night to move within one game of .500 as Jake Arrieta recorded his eighth win of the season. But instead of reaching and moving beyond the threshold as Showalter suggested, the club sprinted in the opposite direction to begin a five-week nightmare that’s shattered what once looked like a promising season on which to build. Baltimore’s five-game winning streak came to an

Live from Camden Yards: Guerrero has “small crack” in hand, out again

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles face the Cleveland Indians in the second of a four-game set at Camden Yards** BALTIMORE — As if an eight-game losing streak and losing 22 of their last 28 games weren’t enough, the Orioles received bad news in regards to Vladimir Guerrero’s injured right hand prior to tonight’s game against the Cleveland Indians. A second x-ray revealed a “small crack” on the hand below the pinkie and the 36-year-old designated hitter is again out of the lineup as the Orioles hope to snap out of a month-long stretch of abysmal baseball. Guerrero attempted to take batting practice on Friday afternoon, but the session did not go well, according to manager Buck Showalter. “There comes a decision now how long we can or will wait,” Showalter said. “Depending on the severity of it and the pain, guys have played with [it]. It’s not the possibility of hurting it anymore or what have you; just a matter of when the discomfort goes away — if it does.” While Guerrero’s lack of power (seven home runs and a .385 slugging percentage) has been disappointing, this latest development may dim the

Guthrie out of answers after suffering 13th loss of season

Jeremy Guthrie is one of the most standup guys you’ll find in the Orioles clubhouse. Intelligent and analytical, the Stanford product is regularly willing to talk to the media, providing thoughtful insight after wins or losses. Following Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians, in which an ineffective Guthrie suffered his major league-leading 13th defeat of the season, his frustration was clear. Normally preferring to address the media in the auxiliary clubhouse (where manager Buck Showalter’s press conferences take place) after his starts, Guthrie instead held court at his locker, and his words were uncharacteristically brief after allowing six earned runs in five innings to drop his fourth decision in his last five starts (not counting last Sunday’s loss in relief to Boston). “I felt like I wasn’t able to throw the ball where I wanted to,” Guthrie said. “I wasn’t able to get ahead in the count, and when I fell behind, I had a really hard time throwing strikes and getting back into it.” Eleven pitches and four batters into the game, the Indians held a 3-0 lead after Asdrubal Cabrera hit a solo home run and Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot into the right-center bleachers before

Here’s the truth: Baltimore doesn’t want to be told the truth about Angelos and Orioles

I bite my tongue a lot when it comes to the Orioles. Go back and read the last two or three years’ worth of material I’ve produced when it comes to Peter Angelos and you’ll see that while the losing hasn’t subsided one iota in the standings, my bile, venom and anger have dissipated publicly for lots of reasons. Here are a few: 1.    I’m older and a tad more mellow and I openly realize that while Angelos is one day closer to not owning the team any longer, I’m also one day closer to death. I sincerely hope I outlive him and the losing but as the tragic death of WNST’s No. 1 fan Fergy Commodari taught me last week, life is short so I focus on things I can control. 2.    I’m so insanely busy building WNST.net and all of our web platforms and initiatives that writing blogs every night about why the Orioles suck just isn’t a quality use of my time, energy or ambition. 3.    It’s hard to justify writing these “anti-Angelos” blogs when I have no energy to write about it and you really have no energy to read it. But, that said, it’s during

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as struggling Orioles begin 2nd half

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the struggling Orioles begin the second half by welcoming the upstart Cleveland Indians to town for a four-game set** BALTIMORE — Following the Orioles’ beanball series in Beantown prior to the All-Star break, suspensions were handed down prior to the start of tonight’s series against the Cleveland Indians to begin the second half. Closer Kevin Gregg and setup man Michael Gonzalez received four and three-game suspensions respectively while manager Buck Showalter will serve a one-game suspension tonight as the Orioles (36-52) begin the second half with bench coach John Russell serving as manager. Both pitchers are appealing their suspensions and are available to the club tonight. “I played the game. I pitched inside and got him out and then I defended myself when [David Ortiz] came across out to the mound,” Gregg said about the altercation. “Words are exchanged. People say I was yelling at him; well, he was yelling at me. It happens a lot in this game. To think anything of exchanging words with a player is ludicrous.” The Red Sox designated hitter was also suspended four games after charging the mound against Gregg last Friday night.

Picking up the pieces for the Orioles’ second half

Despite rumors to the contrary and the wishes of many, the Orioles will play the remaining 74 games of the 2011 season. Over the Orioles’ current stretch of losing 21 of their last 27 games that’s left them 18 games behind first-place Boston, I’ve constantly thought back to the spring of 2009. Former manager Dave Trembley made proclamations of the cavalry being on its way, labeling Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta as “three legitimate top-of-the-rotation talents.” He gushed over the development of wunderkind catching prospect Matt Wieters, coming off a historically-great minor league season in 2008. The Orioles were coming off their first last-place finish since 1988, but with young pitching and the club’s best prospect since Ben McDonald, fans finally had hope that didn’t center around aging veterans, middle-of-the-road starters, or reclamation projects. The fortunes of 2011 or 2012 looked more promising than at any other point since the Orioles’ last winning season in 1997. Questions remained, but there was real hope. Light at the end of the tunnel. Over two years later, Matusz and Tillman find themselves languishing in the minor leagues — along with Zach Britton as a result of a service-time decision — and

Orioles catcher Wieters named to first All-Star Game

Facing a mountain of expectations long before making his major league debut on May 29, 2009, Matt Wieters can finally call himself an All-Star. The 25-year-old catcher was selected by Texas manager Ron Washington as an American League reserve, becoming the first Orioles catcher to make the All-Star team since Mickey Tettleton in 1989. Despite a modest .262 average and seven home runs, Wieters’ defensive prowess had to catch Washinton’s eye as the catcher has thrown out 23 runners attempting to steal (45 percent) and has made just one error all season. His performance behind the plate has quickly earned him the reputation as one of the finest backstops in all of baseball. Wieters is hitting .426 (23-for-54) with runners in scoring position while driving in 33 runs in 2011. The catcher is the Orioles’ lone representative as center fielder Adam Jones and shortstop J.J. Hardy were not selected as reserves. The Orioles have not had multiple players selected to the All-Star Game since 2005 when Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora, Brian Roberts, and B.J. Ryan were chosen to play in Detroit. Jones has been included as one of five American League choices in the “Final Vote,” allowing fans to vote

Orioles, Britton struggle in uninspiring loss to Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals arrived in Baltimore having lost 12 of 15 and licking their wounds from a three-game sweep to Toronto in which they scored a paltry total of seven runs, but you wouldn’t know it as the Orioles were the ones going through the motions in a 6-2 loss Tuesday night. The recent struggles of Zach Britton continued as the rookie allowed four earned runs in a rain-shortened 5 2/3 innings to fall to 6-6 on the season after an electrifying 5-1 start to begin the season. As has become a common theme of late, Britton struggled with his command and left pitches up in the strike zone, including a rocked over the right-field scoreboard hit by Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus in the sixth inning. Over his last six starts, the left-hander has dropped four decisions while pitching to a 5.35 earned run average. Needless to say, the Rookie of the Year discussion has cooled as Britton has just one victory in his last 10 starts dating back to May 6. Of course, the Orioles hitters provided little assistance as St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse shut them out for five innings before a 28-minute rain delay caused

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Cardinals make first ever visit to Baltimore

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Baltimore for the first time ever in an interleague three-game set with Zach Britton taking the hill against Kyle Lohse** BALTIMORE — Feeling refreshed after an off day and a series win over Cincinnati over the weekend, the Orioles welcome the struggling St. Louis Cardinals to town for the first time ever. Still reeling from the loss of Albert Pujols, the Cardinals (41-38) have lost 12 of 15 games and have scored just 21 runs in six games since losing arguably the best hitter on the planet, 12 coming in their only win during that stretch.The pitching hasn’t helped either, as St. Louis has posted a major-league-worst 4.95 earned run average in the month of June. On the other hand, the Orioles (35-40) found their bats heating up over the weekend, hitting nine home runs in the Reds series to give them 32 home runs in the month of June to lead the American League. The left side of the Baltimore infield has been especially potent this month, as shortstop J.J. Hardy and third baseman Mark Reynolds make up the only

Before we cry for Westminster and crush NFL, let us not forget what Orioles have done to Baltimore’s business community

So, here’s where we call a spade a spade and separate the “righteous” from the wretched in the media. With all of the drama unfolding this week between the fans and the NFL teams in every city as the witching hour looms and there’s no labor deal and only haphazard snippets of alternating optimism and doom and gloom, I’ve remained pretty unfazed. Let’s also call a spade a spade here and say that very few businesses in Baltimore would be greater impacted by a lost NFL season than the one I own at WNST.net. If the Ravens don’t play in 2011 the impact on my life and the lives of my employees will be devastating. It would be a virtual tsunami to my company and many others who are directly related to the NFL and fall sports in America. So, I’m not some loud-mouthed outsider or a disgruntled fan simply throwing out an opinion, here. I’m the “affected” in this dispute between rich players and wealthy owners. And that’s before I start to discuss that I’m also a customer who buys PSL’s, all kinds of NFL purple swag and spends gobs of my hard-earned money chasing the Ravens around the

Guthrie gets overdue help from offense in Orioles’ 7-5 win over Reds

It was far from Jeremy Guthrie’s best performance in a 7-5 win to give the Orioles their first series win since June 6-8. But the bats owed him one. Guthrie pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs and six hits while uncharacteristically walking four batters in an afternoon in which deep counts caught up with him, forcing an early exit against the Cincinnati Reds. However, five runs in the first four innings and two late insurance runs proved to be enough despite eight walks by Baltimore pitching. Receiving the ninth-worst run support in the American League entering Sunday, Guthrie was grateful for the extra hand in securing his third win of the season despite a very respectable 3.93 earned run average in 16 starts. It marked the first time since May 26 that Guthrie had received five or more runs and just the fifth time all season. “Winning three games in three months, it’s frustrating,” said Guthrie, who improved his record to 3-9. “I want to be better; I want to have better results. At times, momentum seems to swing against the Orioles, so it’s nice to have held on and won this game. It’s important for the team.”

Orioles’ wait for old Matusz to return coming up empty

BALTIMORE — The Orioles keep knocking on the door, waiting for the old Brian Matusz to reappear, but continue to get no answer. And it’s growing more concerning with every start. On a night when the ball was flying out of Camden Yards with a combined nine home runs hit in the Reds’ 10-5 victory on Saturday night, Matusz looked more like the batting practice guy than the left-hander projected to be the No. 2 starter entering spring training. In just 4 2/3 innings against the Reds, Matusz gave up a season-high six earned runs, three home runs (tying a career-high), and nine hits while striking out five and walking one. His fastball touched 91 miles per hour once in the first inning, but consistently sat between 86 and 88 miles per hour for most of the evening. “The velocity obviously isn’t there,” said Matusz, who believes his changeup is getting better, but is still haunted by poor location. “Being in my fifth start, I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress, but I’ve just got to continue working and get a lot better.” In a sad contrast, Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman was hitting 101 on the stadium gun

MacPhail speaks to fans at State of the Orioles address

BALTIMORE — Prior to the start of the second of a three-game between the Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter addressed season ticket holders in a question and answer forum on the state of the organization. While many questions were of the run-of-the-mill variety on topics such as the Yankees and the health of Brian Roberts, MacPhail addressed his overall assessment of the Orioles since taking charge of the front office in the summer of 2007. “We’re better. We’re gradually getting better, better, better,” said MacPhail. “We’re not where we want to be yet. It’s coming in some respects, truthfully, not as quickly as I hoped it would, but we’re trying to build this thing from within with an emphasis on young arms. But we’re better. “We’re literally months ahead of the curve of where we were a year ago, and we’ve done that despite some setbacks in terms of health that really every team has to endure. We’re no different than them.” MacPhail quipped that the Orioles could lose their next 33 games and still be ahead of where the team was last season at that same point (a hypothetical 34-72

Orioles’ walk-off victory caps “throwback” night at The Yard

BALTIMORE — Friday marked the 5,000th day since the Orioles lost Game 6 of the 1997 American League Championship Series. That’s according to a friend, who sent me the message earlier in the evening. If you’re hellbent on confirming the number and ruining your weekend, I’ll leave you the sobering math. Needless to say, it’s been an excruciatingly long time since those exciting days and nights at Camden Yards, making the 45,382 in attendance for fireworks and the first visit by the Cincinnati Reds since the 1970 World Series all the more interesting. It was the first sellout since the Orioles’ home opener and only the second game all season in which the club drew more than 40,000 fans. To top it off, the Orioles didn’t disappoint, as Derrek Lee’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th finished an exciting 5-4 victory for a club badly needing a win after a 3-6 road trip and losing eight of its last 11 overall. “I knew I got that one,” said Lee about his 381-foot drive into the left-field seats. “I put a good swing on that one. If that one didn’t go over the fence, we would have had

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Reds come to Baltimore for first time since 1970

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Baltimore for an interleague three-game set with Chris Jakubauskas taking on the talented Edinson Volquez** BALTIMORE –Returning home after a disappointing 3-6 road trip, the Orioles welcome the Cincinnati Reds to town for the first time since the 1970 World Series. It also marks the second time the teams have met in the regular season since 2005 when the Reds took two of three at the Great American Ball Park. The reigning National League Central champions (39-37) bring an imposing lineup to Camden Yards that includes 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto and power-hitting outfielder Jay Bruce (17 home runs). Manager Buck Showalter is not concerned with the Orioles’ unfamiliarity with Cincinnati, pointing to veterans such as Derrek Lee and J.J. Hardy with a wealth of National League experience. “One thing about baseball, more than probably any sport, people are really willing to share information,” Showalter said. “There aren’t many tight lips in baseball. It’s on paper and what people tell you, but we’ll see. I think it’s good for the fans, I think they like it.” Of course, similar information didn’t seem

Orioles top prospect Machado makes Frederick debut with bang

FREDERICK, Md. — With the Orioles wallowing in last place on the heels of a 3-6 road trip, I took the trip west on I-70 to take a peek at the newly-promoted Manny Machado in his Frederick Keys debut on Thursday night. The 18-year-old shortstop didn’t disappoint. In his second at-bat in high Single-A baseball, the Orioles’ top minor league prospect homered deep over the left-field wall to highlight a 1 for 4 night as the Keys fell to Winston-Salem, 2-1. The unreasonable comparisons to Alex Rodriguez have been made since before Machado was taken with the third overall pick 12 months ago, but the Miami native looked a lot like the current Yankees third baseman as the majestic drive didn’t even spark a movement from left fielder Nick Ciolli, who watched it sail far over the wall with everyone else. “I was just trying to be patient and trying to get a pitch to drive,” Machado said. “[Winston-Salem starter Cameron Bayne] gave me a fastball, and I put a little hop into it.” Despite being the youngest player in the Carolina League, Machado showed the same patience at the plate he displayed when walking 23 times in 145 at-bats

Orioles, Roberts wait on health, but is time running out for veteran?

Instead of receiving good news in Tuesday’s return visit to Dr. Michael Collins, a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was given the same message he’s received for over a month: Wait and rest. Roberts was not cleared to resume baseball activities in his third visit to Collins, meaning he will not return until after the All-Star break at the earliest. The 33-year-old hasn’t played since May 16 when he started experiencing concussion-like symptoms after sliding headfirst into first base against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The fact that this is Roberts’ second bout of concussion-related symptoms in less than a year causes more concern regarding the immediate — and long-term — health of the Baltimore leadoff hitter. Roberts missed the final six games of the 2010 season after whacking himself in the head — helmet on — with his bat in frustration. Those symptoms persisted into the offseason for weeks before Roberts declared himself ready to go several weeks before the start of spring training. Counting the herniated disk in his lower back that sidelined him for the better part of four months last season, Roberts has experienced three significant injuries in a little over

Orioles pitching coach Mark Connor resigns

In a stunning development hours before the start of a three-game series in Toronto, the Orioles announced pitching coach Mark Connor has resigned due to “personal reasons” in a press release Tuesday afternoon. Bullpen coach Rick Adair will assume pitching coach duties with former hitting coach and current organizational hitting instructor and evaluator Terry Crowley taking over as interim bullpen coach. The changes take effect immediately. The 61-year-old Connor was in his first season as Baltimore pitching coach and 36th season in professional baseball after spending the last two years as a special assistant in the player development department of the Texas Rangers. He previously served as a pitching coach under Orioles manager Buck Showalter in New York, Arizona, and Texas. Adair, 53, joined the Orioles this offseason after spending the last two seasons as the pitching coach of the Seattle Mariners under former manager Don Wakamatsu. He has also served in the same capacity with the Detroit Tigers (1996-1999) and Cleveland Indians (1992-1993). Prior to taking the Seattle job, Adair spent four seasons as the minor league pitching coordinator in the Rangers organization, coinciding with Showalter’s time in Texas. Given Connor’s abrupt departure with the Orioles currently north of

In miserable day for Orioles, concerns over Matusz growing

There’s little point in belaboring an awful day of baseball for the Orioles in a 9-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday to conclude a 5-4 homestand. Fielding miscues, baserunning mistakes, and missed opportunities at the plate were disheartening enough but pale in comparison to the growing concern over starting pitcher Brian Matusz. The hideous final line included 1 1/3 innings pitched, four earned runs, five hits, four walks, no strikeouts, and a home run allowed in the shortest outing of his career not including a one-inning stint cut short after being hit by a line drive against Toronto last Sept. 13. However, the numbers only begin to explain why manager Buck Showalter and the Orioles are concerned with Matusz, who was making his third start of the season after missing the first two months of the season with an intercostal strain. As was the case in his first two starts, Matusz only threw his fastball in the 86-88 miles per hour range. Unlike the first two starts, however, the lefty was all over the place with his command, looking uncomfortable from the start. “From the get-go, I didn’t get a good feel warming up in the bullpen,”

Orioles on cusp of .500 (again), other random thoughts

1. Déjà vu all over again. After Friday’s 7-0 win over Tampa Bay, the Orioles once again find themselves on the brink of the .500 mark with a 30-31 mark entering Saturday night’s test against Tampa ace David Price. A win would put Baltimore at the .500 mark for the first time since May 26. The problem was the Orioles responding to the achievement with a disastrous 1-5 West Coast trip from which they have yet to fully recover in the win-loss column. They are 2-4 this season when entering the day with a record of one game below .500. “We understand the math of common denominators of teams that have a good season,” said manager Buck Showalter before the Rays series. “At some point, we’ve got to get to and pass that threshold as an organization.” Of course, Showalter knows .500 is not the top of the mountain — notice how he said to “pass that threshold” — but it’s still a significant step for a franchise lacking a winning season since 1997. The Orioles have not been above the .500 mark since April 14 when they fell to 6-5 after suffering a two-game sweep to the Yankees in

Orioles, Markakis hope 6-RBI night begins turnaround of frustrating season

BALTIMORE — Nick Markakis shyly quipped to reporters that they finally wanted to talk to him for something good in a nightmarish season for the six-year veteran. There was no doubt about it Friday night after the right fielder hit a grand slam and added a two-run double to collect a career-high six runs batted in in the Orioles’ 7-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It ended a drought of 88 at-bats without an extra-base hit for Markakis and temporarily halted concerns about a disappointing 2011 season. His six RBI matched the total he had over his last 27 games since May 8. “I guess you could say it was a relief for me, but it was a relief for the whole team,” said Markakis, who entered the game with only eight extra-base hits in 240 at-bats. “We got a big hit in a big situation.” His grand slam off Jeremy Hellickson in the second inning gave the Orioles a 5-0 lead and provided enough for starter Jake Arrieta to collect his team-leading eighth win. Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and pitched seven shutout innings to guide the Orioles to their fourth straight win, but the

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Arrieta, Hellickson face off

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town in the opener of a three-game set with Jake Arrieta and Jeremy Hellickson both in search of their eighth win of the season** BALTIMORE — Little has made sense through the first nine games between the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. Though holding a 5-4 edge in the season series, Baltimore is 0-3 against Tampa Bay at Camden Yards, but has gone an impressive 5-1 against the Rays at Tropicana Field. The Orioles (29-31) will attempt to break the early trend this weekend and move closer to the .500 mark before embarking on a nine-game road trip next week. Right-hander Jake Arrieta will take the bump in search of his eighth win despite a 4.93 earned run average and averaging 4.5 walks per nine innings this season. With a win tonight, Arrieta would become the first Oriole pitcher to record his eighth win as early as June 10 since Sidney Ponson did it on June 7, 2003. Even with a win, let’s hope Arrieta’s career doesn’t follow the same path as Sir Sidney’s. Opposing him will be right-hander

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Orioles try to reverse 2010 misfortune against Toronto

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to town in the opener of a three-game set with rookie Zach Britton taking the hill in search of his sixth win.** BALTIMORE — After a forgettable 1-5 West Coast trip, the Orioles return home to host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first series between the teams in 2011. The Orioles (25-29) can only try to forget about the nightmarish 3-15 showing against Toronto (28-28) a year ago in which the Blue Jays took the first 12 before Baltimore could finally taste victory. Thankfully, this weekend’s series will be played in the friendly confines of Camden Yards and not Rogers Centre where the Orioles have dropped 14 straight games and 23 of their last 25. Rookie Zach Britton will take the hill in search of his elusive sixth win after giving up a career-high six earned runs in his last start against Oakland. His last win came on May 1 against the Chicago White Sox. The Orioles received a brief scare prior to the game when Felix Pie fouled a ball off his foot during batting practice. He limped into the

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Britton seeks run support against Kansas City

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Kansas City Royals to town in the opener of a three-game set with rookie Zach Britton taking the hill in search of his elusive sixth win.** BALTIMORE — What’s a guy have to do to get a little bit of run support? Despite a string of 19 1/3 innings in which he hasn’t allowed an earned run, rookie Zach Britton has been stuck on five wins since May 1, the last time the Orioles managed to score a run while the lefty was still in the game. His 2.14 earned run average ranks sixth in the American League, and Britton will look for a little run support as he faces the Kansas City Royals in the first of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Britton will be opposed by fellow rookie southpaw Danny Duffy, who will be making his second big league start after allowing two runs and walking six in four innings against the Texas Rangers in his debut last Wednesday. Duffy is a former third-round pick of the 2007 amateur draft and one of the more heralded prospects in the Kansas City system.

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7; Reimold, Adams summoned from Norfolk

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles welcome the Washington Nationals to town in the first interleague series of the year.** BALTIMORE — With the New York Yankees thankfully back in the Bronx after sweeping Baltimore in a two-game series, the Orioles welcome the Washington Nationals to town to open interleague play for 2011. The Orioles (19-23) took the season series last year, 4-2, after going 3-0 in Baltimore and losing two of three at Nationals Park in D.C. Baltimore holds a 16-14 all-time edge over Washington in the annual interleague matchups. Jake Arrieta will try to halt the Orioles’ three-game slide when he takes the hill against Washington’s Jason Marquis. The 25-year-old will be making his second career start against the Nationals after surrendering five earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in a game the Orioles eventually won with seven unanswered runs scored from the fifth inning on in a 7-6 victory. The 32-year-old Marquis made his only start against Baltimore as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He allowed seven runs and seven hits in four innings of work at Wrigley Field in an Orioles win in 2008. Marquis has pitched two

Yankees put Orioles in familiar place in 13-2 beatdown

It took an extra 48 minutes for Thursday’s game to begin but less than 10 minutes after first pitch to see what kind of night it was going to be for the Orioles. After rain pushed back the start of the series finale against the Yankees, Buck Showalter and the Orioles must have been wishing the tarp had remained on the field as New York plated five runs in the first inning off Brad Bergesen. Five days after pitching a four-hit shutout in Tampa Bay, Bergesen surrendered three extra-base hits, hit a batter, walked two, and uncorked a wild pitch before even escaping the first inning. The game was over before CC Sabathia even took the Camden Yards mound. In the Yankees’ 13-2 beating, the burly left-hander improved to 10-1 with a 2.73 earned run average in Baltimore. After Orioles starting pitchers had allowed only eight earned runs over the last 56 innings pitched, Bergesen gave up eight in just 3 1/3 innings to drop to 1-5 on the season. The outing erased all the good karma from his dominating start against the Rays and firmly placed him back on the rotation bubble as Brian Matusz moves closer to his

Live from Camden Yards: Lee, Roberts to DL; pitchers Jakubauskas, Patton recalled

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles take on CC Sabathia to close a two-game set with the New York Yankees** BALTIMORE — Fifteen innings later, the state of the roster grew only cloudier. As if the sting of a 4-1 loss wasn’t bad enough, the Orioles today placed first baseman Derrek Lee (left oblique) and second baseman Brian Roberts (headaches) on the disabled list. The Orioles have placed Roberts on Major League Baseball’s new seven-day disabled list, retroactive to May 17, with a concussion. Lee has been placed on the traditional 15-day disabled list. However, Wednesday’s 15-inning marathon left the Orioles’ bullpen in shambles — forcing tonight’s originally-scheduled starter Jeremy Guthrie to pitch in relief — and the club had no choice but to recall relief pitchers Troy Patton and Chris Jakubauskas for extra arms against the Yankees. The roster moves currently leave the Orioles with 14 pitchers and 11 positional players. The decision to send Guthrie to the mound after Michael Gonzalez was ejected for striking Chris Dickerson in the head with a pitch forces the Orioles to send Brad Bergesen to the hill against the Yankees. Keep in mind, however, that

Orioles place Izturis on DL, recall Snyder from Norfolk

BALTIMORE — A little more than an hour before the start of a brief two-game series with the New York Yankees, the Orioles placed utility infielder Cesar Izturis on the 15-day disabled list due to a right elbow ulnar nerve injury. The move is retroactive to May 13. In Izturis’ place, first baseman Brandon Snyder has been summoned from Triple-A Norfolk. Snyder was hitting .276 with five home runs, 16 runs batted in, and a .798 OPS in 35 games for the Tides. He will wear No. 29 with the Orioles. With the offseason acquisition of shortstop J.J. Hardy, Izturis was re-signed in the winter but relegated to a utility role after being the starting shortstop for two seasons in Baltimore. The 31-year-old is batting .192 with four runs scored in only 26 at-bats in 16 games this season. First baseman Derrek Lee was out of Wednesday’s starting lineup with a strained left oblique, but the Orioles have chosen to wait to see how he responds to rest and treatment before placing him on the disabled list. Second baseman Brian Roberts was also absent from the start of Wednesday’s game as he continues to deal with headaches dating back to

Live from Camden Yards: Injuries shuffle lineup as Orioles host Yankees, Orange Crush chat at 7

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as rookie star Zach Britton and the Orioles begin a brief two-game set with the New York Yankees** BALTIMORE — As if an 0-4 start in the season series against the New York Yankees wasn’t enough, the Orioles return home with a plethora of injury issues as they try to secure their first win against the Bronx Bombers at 7:05 p.m. Leadoff hitter Brian Roberts and first baseman Derrek Lee are missing from tonight’s lineup as neither veteran escaped Boston without ailment. Roberts is suffering from headaches after diving into first base during Monday’s 8-7 collapse at Fenway Park in which the Orioles blew a 6-0 lead. Of course, Roberts dealt with headaches and concussion-related symptoms to close 2010 that failed to subside until the middle of the offseason. Robert Andino will take his place at second base and hit ninth against Bartolo Colon and the Yankees. Lee (oblique) may be placed on the 15-day disabled list, but manager Buck Showalter said before the game that the club may choose to wait a few days before making a decision. Luke Scott will slide from left field to first base, with

Britton’s best keeps getting better for Orioles

I’d written several times after impressive outings in Zach Britton’s brief major league career that I got the sense from the rookie that he felt his best was yet to come, whether talking about a need for sharper command, reducing his pitch count to go deeper into games, or simply making better pitches in key spots. After nine shutout innings against the Mariners on Thursday in which he allowed three hits and didn’t allow a runner to reach second base, it won’t get much better than that. Rookie or not, it was one of the most dominating performances by a Baltimore pitcher in recent memory. “I was able to incorporate all three pitches today, whereas I haven’t been able to do that in the past,” Britton said. “I was able to get ahead of guys. Not walking guys is huge, too. That helps you go deep in the game.” The only problem was Seattle’s Jason Vargas was nearly as good, pitching nine shutout innings of his own as neither pitcher factored in the decision of a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory for the Orioles thanks to J.J. Hardy’s two-run single in the bottom of the 12th inning. “It would have been

Live from Camden Yards: Orange Crush chat at 7 as Orioles, Britton go for sweep

**Join us in the Orange Crush live chat at 7:00 as the Orioles go for the three-game sweep against the Seattle Mariners** BALTIMORE — After toppling King Felix in a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night, the Orioles (16-19) send Zach Britton to the hill with the chance to complete a three-game sweep over the Seattle Mariners tonight at 7:05. Britton will go for his sixth win of the season after the Orioles did not have a pitcher record his sixth victory of 2010 until Jeremy Guthrie on August 8. The last Baltimore pitcher to record his sixth win while still in the month of May was Kris Benson in 2006. According to Elias, the last two Orioles pitchers to record their sixth win as early as May 12 were Scott Erickson (May 11, 1997) and Jimmy Key (May 7, 1997). Unsurprisingly, that also marked the last time the Orioles had a winning season. Seattle will counter tonight with left-hander Justin Vargas who will be making his fifth career start against the Orioles. He is 1-1 with a 2.35 earned run average in his four starts (23 innings) against Baltimore. After missing Wednesday’s game while stricken with a stomach bug, Nick

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