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Orioles

Bullpen melts down to Yanks after strong outing from Koji, Orioles lose 5-3

Nestor Aparicio

4:43 p.m. — Well, I was feeling good when Felix Pie got on base for the third time today but it wasn’t meant to be. The Orioles got a nice effort from Koji Uehara today but the Jamie Walker-Jim Johnson combo couldn’t hold the lead after the 7th and a pair of homers from Robinson Cano and Johnny Damon beat the Orioles 5-3 at Camden Yards. The Orioles are now 13-19 and are 7-17 since beginning the season 6-2. They get a rare off day tomorrow and will resume action Tuesday night at Camden Yards with Andy Sonnenstine (1-3, 5.79) and Mark Hendrickson (1-4, 5.13) going to the hill. Below is my running live blog. 4:32 p.m. — I agree with most of the comparisons of George Sherrill to Don Stanhouse, who gave us thrills in the summer of 1979. The only difference? This 2009 team stinks some 30 years later. Either way, he put a couple on and managed to silence Johnny Damon with the game in the balance. They’re already down two with Rivera en route. They need a happy ending. But they have the dreaded 7-8-9 hitters coming to the plate. Not a good scenario. I need

Orioles can make all Moms happy today with Yanks series win

Nestor Aparicio

The Orioles have the chance to make all orange Moms smile today with a potential series win over the Yankees at Camden Yards after an impressive 12-5 win last night. Once again, the middle of the lineup is sizzling and even on nights when they give up a less-than modest five runs, they can beat around mediocre pitching with the likes of Phil Hughes, Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo and Brett Tomko. (Makes you ask, “Where have you gone Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton?”) Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are both batting .353 now, and have been rock stars since Opening Day. They are both now making a strong bid to be in St. Louis for the All Star Game. Aubrey Huff hit a homer last night and I’m not convinced last year was an aberration. Go back and read my blogs. He was one of my favorite “non Orioles” to watch when he was in Tampa Bay. He always put up big numbers and I think with ducks on the pond so often this year, he’ll be productive. Even if he still thinks Baltimore sucks as a place to party after dark. Hey, even my boy Gregg Zaun is batting

Orioles make it two in a row with mini-sweep of Twins

Nestor Aparicio

It wasn’t a textbook victory last night for the Orioles (12-17) but they’ll take wins anywhere they can find them. After an evening of soggy weather and a six-inning win on Wednesday night, the Birds came back to Camden Yards and finished the mini-sweep with a 5-4 win over the Twins led by Melvin Mora and unlikely Lou Montanez. Mora homered in the second and got on base in the eighth before Montanez singled to left to account for the game-winning RBI. The usual speedy work of Brad Bergesen on the hill picked up the pace of the game, but he was in trouble most of the evening and worked some Houdini magic to avoid big innings. All told, the Twins managed 14 hits off of O’s pitching — including 11 off Bergesen in just six innings — but could never plate runs in bunches. Reliever Chris Ray struggled in the 7th inning, allowing the Twins to tie the game after inheriting a one-run lead, but Jim Johnson was stellar in the 8th inning to vulture a victory and George Sherrill managed to finish a sweaty 9th to earn fifth save of the year. Afterward, manager Dave Trembley gave praise

Are you really surprised anymore?

Luke Jones

When I received the news of Manny Ramirez’s 50-game suspension, I didn’t flinch or really react at all.  No anger.  No disappointment.  Indifference.  We’ve heard this story over and over, especially in Baltimore after the Rafael Palmeiro scandal in 2005.  Of course, Ramirez received a medication from a doctor who didn’t know any better—a doctor clearly unaware of Ramirez’s status or Major League Baseball’s chronic problem with performance-enhancing drugs.  It’s understandable that one of the two highest-paid players in all of baseball could only afford to go to a doctor that didn’t know any better.  And if you believe that, you’re clearly still waiting for Palmeiro’s promise to tell his side of the story—four years later.  How ironic is it that Alex Rodriguez appears set to return to the Yankees this weekend at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this weekend?  Baseball can never get out of its own way, can it? Instead of dwelling on the indelible cloud of doubt and questioning whether anything in baseball is real, I’m reminded of a piece I wrote shortly after the revelation that Rodriguez used steroids—effectively ending any hope of Barry Bonds’ “home run record” being purified.  I’d like to share it with the

Orioles and MLB continue to insult fans with “rainball” at Camden Yards

Nestor Aparicio

While you and most everyone you know was asleep last night, the Orioles, MLB and umpire Randy Marsh were seeing to it that a regulation major league game was played last night at Camden Yards. In an embarrassing display of disregard for the fans and the players in a game that “officially” went until 12:19 a.m. this morning, Marsh spent six hours of the evening through four rain delays to get the Twins and Orioles onto the field for six innings of water-logged baseball and the Orioles stole a 4-1 win. Today, on “Limited Access” at 2 p.m., we’ll be discussing how it’s evenings like Wednesday night and the utter disregard for the paying customers and their own athletes that continue to find Oriole Park empty most nights.  Can you imagine having a full-priced ticket for last night’s game and having to endure an evening at the ballpark where it rains all night and they insist on playing the game against any common sense? As expected, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was red-faced with anger and livid that the game ever began — and anyone who looked at the forecast and/or the radar could’ve seen that the chances of playing a

Markakis the best homegrown talent since Eddie Murray?

Luke Jones

In an otherwise miserable 10-17 start to the 2009 season, Nick Markakis has been one of the few bright spots for the Orioles thus far. Now playing in his fourth season, the 25-year-old right fielder has performed in relative anonymity outside of Baltimore due to the team’s woes over the last decade.  However, his blistering start has finally forced the rest of the baseball world to take notice. Entering Wednesday, Markakis ranks in the top-10 of the American League in batting average (8th), runs (1st), on-base percentage (5th), runs batted in (4th), and walks (9th).  Though only one sixth of the way through the season, Markakis is on pace for a .356 average, 24 home runs, and 162 RBI. After years of clamoring for a homegrown middle-of-the-lineup hitter and watching failed prospects from Jeffrey Hammonds to Ryan Minor, fans have almost begun to take Markakis for granted due to his quiet nature and consistency.  He is clearly the club’s best player and arguably the best right fielder in the game. But the question remains:  how does Markakis stack up against the great Orioles of the past?  It’s difficult to compare players across different eras accurately, so I’ll compare Markakis to

Why the Orioles bullpen held a closed-door meeting

Luke Jones

From the home office in Glen Rock, Pa., I bring to you the Top 10 Reasons Why the Orioles Bullpen Held a Closed-Door Meeting on Monday Afternoon. 10.  They’re still trying to figure out just how high Radhames Liz’s ERA was in his last stint with the club. 9.  “I know we’ve asked you before, but is it pronounced ‘Danny’ or ‘Dan-eez?’” 8.  They figured since they can’t manage to close the door late in the game, they might as well try to do it in the clubhouse. 7.  With minicamp starting Friday, the relievers discussed who among them could be that big-play receiver the Ravens lack. 6.  To cool complaints about not having established roles, the front office sent over a pack of these for the bullpen to share. 5.  “George, when you’re the closer, we called it colorful.  When you’re not, the brim’s just kind of lame.” 4.  Jamie Walker shared his new seminar titled “How to Critique Umpiring Tactfully.” 3.  After watching another episode of The Office, Chris Ray shouted, “Conference room, 5 minutes!” 2.  Figuring out how to get the bullpen phone to go straight to voice mail is not a one-man job. 1.  In an

It’s time to shake things up in Birdland

Luke Jones

The first month of the season should come as no real surprise, but it doesn’t make it any easier for Orioles fans. With low expectations entering the season due to a thin starting rotation, the Orioles are fulfilling those prophecies in addition to disappointing in other areas.  The bullpen has been shaky, the defense inconsistent, and the bottom of the lineup completely anemic. Having lost 14 of their last 17 games, the Orioles are crashing to the bottom of the division.  Frustrations are mounting as Dave Trembley has been ejected twice in the last week and players are slamming bats and helmets in anger. Changes must be made. The starting pitching will continue to struggle with limited options in the minor leagues ready for an immediate promotion to Baltimore.  Lefty Rich Hill continues to rehab his sore elbow and appears to be ready to join the starting rotation by mid-May.  Chris Tillman and David Hernandez have pitched well at Norfolk but are averaging less than five innings per start.  Once these two can go deeper into games, they would be the next logical choices for a call-up. The club has cooled offensively with the bottom of the lineup contributing next

Mining everything but “The Bird”…

Nestor Aparicio

No doubt, by now you know that Mine The Bird, a 51-to-1 shot, won the Kentucky Derby in the mud with the most emotional athlete I’ve ever seen in Calvin Borel aboard. You surely know that the Caps now have a 1-0 series lead over the Penguins after yesterday’s 3-2 win in D.C. You’re keenly aware of the Orioles continued ineptitude in Toronto (which I’ve thankfully avoided with various other sports obligations) and the fact that Johns Hopkins squeaked by Loyola in lacrosse yesterday. You might’ve even stayed up with the Celtics and Bulls last night in a game that even “non-believing” NBA fans couldn’t help but catch a glimpse. We even took a busload of NASCAR fans down to Richmond last night with Rex Snider to catch the race where Kyle Busch held off Jeff Gordon. And, if you’re on the WNST Text Service, you got the note that former Dolphins (and Cam Cameron) quarterback John Beck is expected to sign with the Ravens tomorrow to compete for the No. 2 job. (So much for the Troy Smith experiment.) I went to the Caps game yesterday and had an awesome time. No press pass. Just went and sat in

Last slice of Pie?

Luke Jones

According to Roch Kubatko, Felix Pie is out of the lineup again today, as the Orioles will face Toronto’s rookie right-hander Robert Ray.  Could this mean the Pie experiment is coming to an end? Norfolk’s Nolan Reimold hit another home run last night, and Orioles scouts are reportedly watching the 25-year-old outfielder closely.  Reimold is hitting .413 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in the International League. It makes little sense to be sitting Pie again if the organization is not viewing a Reimold promotion as imminent.  Facing the Toronto rookie would logically be a good matchup for the struggling left fielder.  Pie’s 51 at bats are a small sample size, but it’s impossible to ignore the ridiculous numbers Reimold is posting at Triple A.  Reimold hit 25 home runs at Bowie last season. If and when Reimold is promoted, what do you do with Pie?  The organization would have to pass him through waivers to send him to Norfolk, an unlikely proposition.  The decision to bring up Reimold should be more about his dynamic performance at Norfolk—not because of Pie’s struggles. Pie has certainly looked lost, both at the plate and in left field, but it’s unfair to

MASN’s “marketing” efforts are unintentionally comical

Luke Jones

Perhaps the only entertaining part of watching the Orioles lately is the opportunity to see MASN’s embarrassing marketing efforts. Aside from the prudent decision to broadcast a whopping four spring training games on a cable network owned by Peter Angelos, the Orioles continue to produce compelling commercials for upcoming games.  The problem is the network’s definition of “upcoming” makes little sense.  In Friday night’s telecast, I viewed two commercials promoting games against the New York Yankees on May 19 and the Washington Nationals on May 22. Did I miss something, or is today only May 1? The Orioles have series against the Rays, Twins, Yankees, the Rays again, and the Royals before these advertised games take place.  Do the Orioles and MASN want you to forego watching these games, instead marking your calendar to watch games in late May?  I just don’t understand the strategy.  Commercials should be pushing next week’s series in Tampa Bay and then against the Yankees, not looking so far ahead. If you’re going to televise all of the games, don’t you want people watching as many as possible?  Telling viewers about games coming up in three weeks almost sounds like the network doesn’t expect or

Angelos and Orioles put the screws to Dodgertown and Vero Beach

Nestor Aparicio

Not that anything should come as a surprise when Peter Angelos and his band of “friendly” attorneys are involved, but once again — more than a thousand miles away — an honorable and hospitable town has tired of dealing with their negotiating tactics and insolence. Here’s a scathing editorial from A Florida newspaper in Palm Beach… These are not my words — and I never make this stuff up anyway. You don’t have to make this stuff up because the stories always seem to have striking similarities when the Orioles attempt to do “business” with good, honest people. This spring training fiasco — documented by the Orioles players in The Sun three weeks ago — continues into its 16th year now, or as long as Angelos has owned the team. Writer Ray McNulty calls them liars, cheaters and snakes. Oh, and he says the way the “Angelos boys” do business is “slimy.” But other than that, he’s ready to have baklava and ouzo and break plates. Apparently, the folks in Dodgertown had no idea who they were doing business with over the past few years in trying to lure the Orioles to Vero Beach. The more things change… Let’s see

5 Ws and 1 H

Luke Jones

Here are the 5 Ws and 1 H floating around in my head on Thursday night: 1. Who will be the Ravens kicker this season? Steve Hauschka performed well kicking off last season but only attempted two field goals, making a 54-yarder and missing the other from 52. Rookie free agent Graham Gano has a huge leg and had a brilliant season at Florida State, hitting 24 of 26 field goals. It was clear Matt Stover lost a great deal of range last season, but you always knew what you were going to get from him.  Anything inside 45 yards was automatic.  For a team with visions of a Super Bowl, a kicker can make or break the season.  Just ask the 2000 Tennessee Titans. The battle between Hauschka and Gano will be unlike anything we’ve seen in the 14-year history of the team, as the Ravens will search for their second starting kicker in franchise history. 2. What was the original purpose of the dirt path between the pitching mound and home plate in early-1900s ballparks?  For nostalgia, you’ll find the dirt strip at Comerica Park and Chase Field. I was watching the Yankees-Tigers game last night when the

Losing mentality still evident with the Orioles

Luke Jones

As if losing 11 of their last 14 games isn’t bad enough for the Orioles, players are now complaining about the infield at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. In an article published by The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday, Peter Schmuck revealed several infielders—including Aubrey Huff and Cesar Izturis—are suggesting the length of the grass is a major factor in the club’s erratic defense this season. Just add it to the long list of excuses accumulated over the last 12 years of losing. The premise behind a thicker infield was to help a pitching staff expected to struggle mightily, not an uncommon idea in the history of the game.  The problem is the grass hasn’t managed to stop Orioles pitchers from allowing a league-high 40 home runs. Go figure on that one. Then, of course, let’s move the fences back.  That will solve everything! Not surprisingly, the club tried it in 2001 and went 30-50 at home, as the Orioles hit only 58 home runs at Camden Yards that season.  After numerous complaints that it had altered the angle of the batter’s eye wall, the original dimensions were restored in 2002 and have been left alone since. Losing organizations will find

O’s are slip, sliding away…

Nestor Aparicio

It seems that no one noticed over the weekend while the NFL Draft was going on, but the Orioles are still playing baseball. And they’re actually fun to watch most nights. It’s been a strange start to the season in a lot of ways. Just the crowds — one night there’s a “friends and family” gathering of 5,000 or so like last night, and then on Friday and Saturday night the place was almost full — are kinda strange. But so is the weather these last few days. Global warming at work, no doubt. It’s 2:52 a.m. and I’m watching the end of the replay of the Orioles game in HD. I fell asleep on the game at 8:35 and again at 9:10 earlier this evening in low definition. I woke up, and it was the 3rd inning all over again, this time in HD. They lost again. They blew a 4-0 lead again. With the “Number 1” starter on the hill in Jeremy Guthrie an early four-run lead wasn’t nearly enough. This time it was Matt Albers’ turn to take a spanking, getting shelled for 3 earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Tonight the Angels come to

A Great Sunday sports day on tap

Nestor Aparicio

What a great day to be alive! The NFL draft is starting at 10 a.m. The Orioles will send young Brad Bergesen back to the hill at 1:35 to try to actually win a game this weekend. The last two days have been putrid. And, of course, I’ll be pimping the puck and “Rocking my Red” at 2 p.m. when the Caps go back to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 with Rangers coach John Tortorella. The Ravens will introduce new tackle Michael Ohen at 2 p.m. as well. Gonna be a fun day of sports and blogging… Keep it here at WNST.net…

Merry Christmas, Ravens fans!

Luke Jones

The NFL Draft feels a little bit like Christmas for football fans.  By the end of the weekend, the Ravens will have unwrapped five or six new players that can make an impact in 2009.  Many teams will not be able to say this, but the outstanding work of Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta, and the scouting department makes this possible. Whether it’s a Brandon Pettigrew in the first round or a surprise in the fourth or fifth round, the Ravens are certain to grab a few players that were higher on their board than where they actually select them.  It seems to happen every year. Not counting weekends in the fall, this is easily the best sports weekend of the year with the draft, NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, and baseball.  The Terps also play their spring football game today.  Here are some other random thoughts on this action-filled sports weekend: – The Orioles’ 5-4 loss was a tough one to swallow last night.  George Sherrill should ideally be a left-handed specialist rather than the closer, but what other option do they really have?  Chris Ray hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire, and Jim Johnson doesn’t miss enough bats

Inexcusable 5-4 loss by the Orioles tonight…

Nestor Aparicio

10:01 p.m. — These are the ones that kill ya. The Orioles went into the 9th inning with a one-run lead and George Sherrill on the mound and wound up losing. Big homer from Michael Young. Two outs in the ninth inning. Just a horrible, horrible loss. Rick Dempsey is making excuses. Jim Hunter looks constipated. The purple hats are on display. I’ll never wear one… My cable is going in and out. And it’s just as well… They got a great start from Uehara, big hits from Brian Roberts and Nick Makakis. It still wasn’t enough. These are the losses that make you a 90-game loser. Just unacceptable. Just embarrassing… A dramatic 9th inning win for the Rangers. A homer by Michael Young with two outs in the ninth inning. Texas trailed the entire game. Koji ptched well. They got a lead. They held it. Until the end. As Gary Thorne just said: “Wow!” Buck Martinez is now making excuses. “They did a lot of good things tonight, ” he just said. Just unacceptable. 10:15 p.m. — Dave Trembley is holding court. He’s not being quite as prickly as he usually is. I don’t know Trembley. He’s the first

Adam Eaton pitches a gem, Birds beat Pale Hose 6-0

Nestor Aparicio

Well, just when you think you’ve seen it all, right? Tonight Adam Eaton, the former O’s No. 5 starter, went 7 1/3 innings and held even his harshest skeptics spellbound with a dazzling 6-hit, 9-strikeout effort while surrendering just two runs upon his exit in the EIGHTH inning. Lo and behold, the Orioles have won yet another series, beating the White Sox 6-2 tonight at Camden Yards. Everyone got into the act with some offense. Aubrey Huff, Ty Wigginton and even Felix Pie contributed two hits and Adam Jones, Nick Markakis Luke Scott and Cesar Izturis also got hits. I think Buck Martinez did himself proud with this profound statement: “I like pitchers but I’m happy to have seen only three of them tonight!” Amen, Buck! The game was a brisk 2:31 affair. Good pitching. Good hitting. Hasty baseball. There were only about 6,000 there but they were treated to an old-school Orioles effort tonight. Adam Eaton showed some heart tonight. The offense battled early, stranding runners all over the place. But they proved tough. Next up: Koji Uehara and the Rangers and the Saturday “doubleheader” with purple caps. Bring on the summer weather! 9:15 p.m. — Adam Eaton just

Spend a moment in their shoes

Luke Jones

As I watched Brad Bergesen jog in from the Orioles bullpen before the start of his major league debut on Tuesday night, I began to imagine what he was thinking and feeling at that very moment. Was he remembering that time in the backyard when he thought about playing in the big leagues? Did he ask himself if this was all a dream? Most of us that avidly follow sports have imagined being in a similar position at some point in our lives.  We dreamed of making our major league debut, or throwing the game-winning touchdown pass with two minutes to go, or even sinking both free throws to force overtime. Though 99.5 percent of us never see these dreams come to fruition–unless including little league, high school, or Saturday mornings at the YMCA–it’s still a blast wondering what it would be like to be that certain athlete at that certain time.  It would be astonishing just to walk–or run–a few moments in their shoes. In this blog, you have the opportunity to choose any Baltimore-centered athlete from the past or present and enjoy a moment in his (or her) shoes. Whom would you choose, and what moment would it be?  It has

Final thoughts on Bergesen’s debut

Luke Jones

I just got back from the ballpark and wanted to share my thoughts on Brad Bergesen’s impressive major league debut and win, as the Orioles broke their five-game losing streak and defeated the Chicago White Sox, 10-3. – After waiting five long years progressing through the farm system to reach the big leagues, Bergesen had to endure a 1 1/2 hour rain delay to finally take the hill at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  This would be unnerving for most rookies, but he certainly didn’t seem to be affected. Bergesen started strongly, inducing two ground ball outs before facing major league home run leader Carlos Quentin.  After a 12-pitch battle, the rookie right-hander struck him out swinging. You had to be impressed with Bergesen going after hitters right from the start.  The battle with Quentin lacked the same drama but reminded me of Jim Johnson’s 10-pitch duel with Manny Ramirez last May that really put the reliever on the radar. – Bergesen’s sinking fastball consistently sits right around 89-90 mph.  It appeared to be a heavy sinker, getting nine groundouts on the evening. He didn’t need to use the slider very much, because he located the sinker so well throughout

Birds get complete effort, beat White Sox 10-3 to get Bergesen a debut win

Nestor Aparicio

The Orioles looked like a different team tonight. A great start from a promising young draftee after five years of striving to get this opportunity. The meat of the lineup produced big-time, the bottom of the order chipped in and the bullpen was perfect. End result: Orioles 10, White Sox 3. Brad Bergesen gets the win. Aubrey Huff hit two homers. Nick Markakis and Luke Scott were terrific. And despite the long-ish rain delay, it still was a memorable night. Drew started blogging during the rain storm. I picked it up in the sixth. Hope you enjoy our coverage, especially if you missed the game. 11:17 p.m. — Huff continues to pile on. He’s hit two homers and driven in four and the rout is now three outs away from being over. It’s 10-3 and they’re icing down the champagne for Bergesen, who did a nice job. 11:03 p.m. –So just who is the star of this one? Bergesen who is going to win his ML debut? Or Markakis who is 4-for-4? Or Luke Scott who is 3-for-3? Or Aubrey Huff who hit a tape-measure dinger an hour ago? Lots of stars tonight. Heck, even Zaun and Izturis have contributed

Bergesen can set the tone for a new era

Luke Jones

Earl Weaver said it best about winning and losing in baseball. “Nobody likes to hear it, because it’s dull, but the reason you win or lose is always darn near the same – pitching.” The Hall of Fame manager’s words unquestionably fit the 2009 edition of the Baltimore Orioles.  Despite the positive feelings of a 6-2 start, the signs were there that it was only a matter of time before the hitting could not overcome the miserable pitching. Five games and 49 surrendered runs later, the Orioles hobble back to Camden Yards at 6-7, with the ineffective pitching, shaky fielding, and injuries beginning to mount.  The good vibes of the first 10 days of the season have all but vanished, as we realize the Orioles are exactly what we thought they would be. A disastrous four-game sweep in Boston should not be surprising, but it stings nonetheless.  After all, it’s April, and every fan dreams of that surprising season–1977 and 1989 come to mind–no matter how improbable it might be. It’s too early to lose all hope, isn’t it? But this season is not about wins and losses–general manager Andy MacPhail has made this abundantly clear, like it or not. 

Red Sox complete 4-game sweep, batter Orioles 12-1

Nestor Aparicio

1:50 p.m. — The Red Sox are getting well this inning off of the O’s bullpen. Mike Lowell just added another single. Update on Radhames Liz: 1/3 IP, 3H, 6ER, 1BB, 2HBP. His ERA is now: 67.50. 1:45 p.m. — The Bad News Bears weren’t this bad. Youkilis just sent a “seeing eye” pop that bounced an inch from the RF line to score another run. This one looked like it had a message of some kind. Just a crazy swing of the bat. Add another ER to Liz’s line… 1:39 p.m. — Liz just bounced one in front of David Ortiz that hit his leg. Here comes Matt Albers. He inherits the bases loaded and one out in the 7th inning. Liz: 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 W, 2HBP … His ERA is now 47.25. Oh, and there’s three more ducks on the pond and Kevin Youkilis is awaiting like Alberts is raw meat. Jim Hunter just said: “Not a good outing for Radhames Liz.” Yeah, ya think? That’s a helluva observation, Jimmy! 1:36 p.m. — Another single, 9-1. Radhames Liz is NOT a Major League pitcher. Now Matt Albers is warming in the bullpen. At this

The Orioles try to avoid ‘the broom’ for breakfast

Nestor Aparicio

To say the weekend in Boston has been counterproductive would be an understatement. Yesterday at Fenway, Koji Uehara was very, very good, allowing just two runs in 7 innings in what was the best start of the year for any Orioles starter. But unfortunately, Jon Lester was even better, stifling the O’s bats and holding them to just four hits in seven innings while striking out nine Birds. Even Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff stuck out twice in trying to solve the young lefty. Prior to yesterday’s quality start by Uehara, which also gave the bullpen a much-needed respite, the starting pitching has been dreadful of late but yesterday it was the bats that fell silent in taking the O’s down to defeat. The top of the order has been phenomenal but the bottom has been unacceptable, even on a bad NL team where the pitcher would be batting in the No. 9 hole. Gregg Zaun is hitting .129. Felix Pie is hitting .161. Cesar Izturis is hitting .162. And the one thing you never can count on but always looms large — good health — has become an issue with red-hot Adam Jones now out of the lineup with

Seven head-scratching stats from the first two weeks

Luke Jones

More so than any other sport, baseball thrives on statistics and how players and teams stack up to those of yesteryear. These stats are even more fun in the early stages of the season before the law of averages inevitably settles things down.  After two weeks, here are seven strange stats to ponder about the 2009 baseball season: 1.  To say that Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang is off to a bad start would be an understatement.  Wang’s ERA (34.50) looks more like Dwyane Wade’s scoring average than that of the second starter in the New York Yankees’ rotation. Wang is 0-3 and might be skipped the next time through the rotation, as he would be scheduled to start against the Red Sox in Fenway on Friday.  Not a good place for righting the ship. 2.  Speaking of the Yankees, they opened the new Yankee Stadium on Thursday, and the media is already discussing how balls are simply flying into the right field seats. In the first four games at the new stadium (a series split with the Cleveland Indians), 20 home runs were hit, eight of them in the Yankees’ 22-4 loss on Saturday. In contrast, players are already groaning

Caps and O’s both lose again…

Nestor Aparicio

10:45 p.m. — The comeback came up short. In the end, it was the BoSox bullpen that held the lead that Josh Beckett delivered and quelled a 9th inning rally via Jonathan Papelbon. Orioles pitching surrendered 12 hits and four walks, losing 6-4 at Fenway Park tonight despite four innings of scoreless relief. It wasn’t a 22-4 whitewashing — like the Yankees suffered today at home to the Tribe — but it’s another loss, their third in a row, that has them at 6-5 on the season. Adam Eaton now has a 11.25 ERA on the season, going just four innings tonight and allowing nine hits and two walks. And again, the bottom of the order has been ineffective offensively with these anemic averages: Gregg Zaun .133, Felix Pie .179 and Cesar Izturis .162. Koji Uehara will go back to the hill tomorrow against Jon Lester at 1:35. 8:50 p.m. –One thing you CAN say: the dangerous hitting can chase down the bad pitching on a lot of nights. Josh Beckett is walking in runs and getting thrashed by orange bats here in the 5th inning. Four runs in, one runner on and nobody out. And, yes, we have activity

O’s blow early 7-0 lead, lose 10-8 to Red Sox in Boston

Nestor Aparicio

These are the losses that bust you up, the ones you never understand. Except that over the years, evenings like tonight have become so commonplace that they’re shrugged off en route to 90 losses. The Orioles blew a 7-0 lead tonight, allowing the Red Sox 10 runs on 12 hits and even sprinkling in a devastating error by Aubrey Huff to lose 10-8 at Fenway Park tonight. The “BALTIMORE” jerseys were somehow absent tonight (good luck on the explanation for that one). The Red Sox were wearing bright red “warm up”jerseys and blue caps with the cartoon pair of Red Sox with white trim. They were sharp, but looked like a world championship softball team. But I’m sure they’ll sell some hats. The Red Sox have suffered the first two weeks with an anemic offensive attack and yet while David Ortiz continues to struggle — he struck out three times tonight — Jason Bay and Dustin Pedroia led the way for the Sox tonight battering Jeremy Guthrie out of the game in the 5th inning and hammering the bullpen led by Danys Baez. Matt Albers got into hot water in the 8th but escaped like Houdini. The Orioles are now

Jackie Robinson Day should be shared with others

Luke Jones

As Major League Baseball honors the heroic Jackie Robinson on the 62nd anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the decreasing number of African-Americans playing in the big leagues continues to cause concern for the National Pastime. Though MLB’s 2009 Racial and Gender Report Card reports an increase (2%) in African-American players in 2008 (the first time since 1995), only 10.2% of all players were African-American, a far cry from 1975 when blacks filled 27% of roster spots. The reasons for this sharp decline are many, ranging from overwhelming economic factors to the increased popularity of football and basketball in the last 30 years. Baseball has done a tremendous job in honoring Robinson, retiring his No. 42 throughout the big leagues in 1997 and allowing players or entire teams to wear his number on April 15 to honor his undeniable legacy. Robinson faced persecution and trials that are unimaginable in this day and age when we idolize professional athletes, deservedly or not.  He was the first black player to play in the modern major leagues, and for that, he should be honored. However, were there not other black players that cleared similar hurdles for their respective teams in the

Orioles are 6-2: Jones 2-run blast, big 10th inning lifts Birds to 7-5 win over Texas

Nestor Aparicio

Another exciting game. Another tight win. Another night where the bullpen was used and abused but this time — other than George Sherrill — the entire unit delivered in a 7-5 win in 10 innings in Arlington to push their record to 6-2. Alfredo Simon got hurt early. Homers were flying early. And the Orioles hung on. Blow by blow below… 11:29 p.m. — Dennis Sarfate admitted to having an inner-ear infection and basically said he was “really relaxed” during his effort and was “on cloud nine” after he got medicated from the staff during the game. Sarfate said he told Aubrey Huff, “Is that all you’ve got?” after Huff freight-trained him on a foul ball. Palmer said, “Whatever he’s on I want to be on!” It’s amazing they let Palmer keep his job. It really is. He’s priceless. I love it! 11:24 p.m. — Jim Palmer says it all. Don Stanhouse. Whole pack. “Mr Excitement”? Whatever you want to call him, fine. Let’s just give him the save and make the team 6-2 in the standings with their third series victory to start the season. Now Rick Dempsey is talking about Stanhouse. I have no idea how many listeners/readers

Orioles Magic goes to 5-2! Orioles almost blow six-run lead, hold on to beat Rangers 10-9

Nestor Aparicio

In a twisting, turning game that was long on offense, short on pitching and entertaining to the end, the Orioles outlasted the Rangers’ late attack to win 10-9 over the Texas Rangers in Arlington to go to 5-2 on the season. The Birds jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning and had fallen behind 4-2 by the fourth inning. Led by four hits from Aubrey Huff and three from Brian Roberts, the Orioles scored eight runs in the 4th and 5th innings and held a 10-4 advantage and Koji Uehara was rolling into the 6th inning when he fell apart giving way to Danys Baez and the bullpen of arsonists. The Rangers scored five unanswered runs late in the game and had pulled within 10-9 by the 9th inning. The Rangers got two baserunners on in the 9th inning and even pulled off a double steal before George Sherrill gave everyone a Don Stanhouse-like scare (thrill?) before fanning Marlon Byrd to end a 3:16 epic. The game featured 27 hits — 16 by the Orioles, including four by Huff who is doing a nice interview with his co-worker Amber Theoharis. Great defense by Nick Markakis. Great defense by Brian Roberts.

A Long Overdue Change

Luke Jones

When the Baltimore Orioles take the field against the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Monday night, the simple act of donning a new road jersey brings special significance to a city that has felt its baseball team become increasingly distant over the last 15 years. For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Orioles’ road jerseys will display “Baltimore” in script across the chest. It won’t be a throwback for Turn Back the Clock Day, or a novelty jersey for the official team store, but the regular 2009 road uniform top. It’s about time. Following the 1972 season, then-owner Jerry Hoffberger removed the city name from the road uniforms in a presumed attempt to regionalize the franchise after the Washington Senators had moved to Texas a season earlier. Hoffberger’s vision, which continued under successive owners Edward Bennett Williams, Eli Jacobs, and Peter Angelos, was to make the Orioles the baseball team for an entire region that would stretch from central Pennsylvania and Delaware to the Carolinas. Many fans began chirping immediately after the city name was removed, but the issue remained in the background, largely because the franchise was in the midst of one of the most successful 20-year

Eaton beaten badly, Bass was a fish — Birds lose 11-3 to Rays

Nestor Aparicio

All was not completely lost. The Orioles managed some offense — too little, too late — in the 9th inning as they eliminated the doughnut from behind a bad effort today in an 11-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays to cap their opening homestand at 4-2. Orioles pitching allowed a whopping 17 hits today and the Rays looked almost vengeful for the two beatings handed out by the Birds behind good pitching on Friday and Saturday. Keep in mind, the Rays beat the Orioles 15 of 18 times last year. A win today would’ve matched last year’s total. I wrote a live blog as I’ve turned an eye toward The Masters this afternoon, the one day of the year that I attempt to appreciate golf and culture. Below are my observations from a day of baseball with the O’s. 4:01 p.m. — I’ve been monitoring Phil Mickelson’s miraculous run this afternoon with one eye on the game. But I’ve now managed to switch over fast enough to see back-to-back homers by Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena. Brian Bass is making Dave Trembley and Andy McPhail look bad for sending Matt Albers away last night. It’s 11-0. The O’s have

Your 6-0 final…

Luke Jones

Here are my final thoughts on the Birds’ 6-0 victory over Tampa Bay tonight: – Jeremy Guthrie pitched well, turning in six shutout innings.  His velocity was right around 91-92 miles per hour according to the stadium radar gun, which should ease some concern about his health entering the season. After a terrible spring, Guthrie is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA.  He would probably be no more than a good third starter on a contending team, but the Orioles are certainly glad to have him at the top of the rotation with so many question marks behind him. – Melvin Mora’s first-inning grand slam was the third of his career and his 82nd career home run at Camden Yards, fourth all-time.  Only Rafael Palmeiro (124), Brady Anderson (91), and Cal Ripken (85) are in front of him. – Jamie Walker looked like the pitcher from two seasons ago in his 1 1/3 innings, striking out one and getting Evan Longoria to ground into a double play in the eighth.  The left-handed specialist would be a huge lift to the bullpen if he can regain his 2007 form. – Chris Ray struck out the side in the ninth inning and looked

Rays and Niemann Steamin’ Early

Luke Jones

The Orioles just put up a five-spot in the bottom of the first with Melvin Mora hitting a grand slam into the Orioles bullpen off Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann. Though the offense is bound to cool off off, the Orioles will be one of the better hitting teams in the American League.  It’s scary to think how good this offense can be if Matt Wieters is as good as advertised. Jeremy Guthrie has a nice 5-0 lead and has retired the first six batters of the night as we head to the bottom of the second.

Feel the Magic: The O’s are beating the AL East’s best

Nestor Aparicio

So far, there’s not much to complain about. If the Orioles can just get a dozen more starts like Mark Hendrickson’s gem last night, this might turn into an interesting spring. There once was a time when beating Tampa Bay in April was meaningless. No mas… As I watch the rain fall today — and I can’t believe that they’ll actually play this evening but the forecast is for a late afternoon clearing and an “ontime” start —  the pitching advantage certainly benefits the Birds tonight with Jeremy Guthrie taking the ball against Jeff Niemann. The Orioles are now 3-1 and have managed to hold on late in all three games, contests that in previous years might’ve gone the wrong way. And the bullpen has really kinda stunk all week, which usually means “death knell.” Here’s all you need to know about the offense: Brian Roberts is hitting .438 and Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are stroking it at a .429 clip. The table is being set. I don’t love Jones in the No. 2 hole — he strikes out too much — but if he can continue to make contact and maybe even use his speed to bunt and

Orioles hold on again, beat Yankees 7-5 to start season with pair of wins

Nestor Aparicio

It shouldn’t have been so close in the end, but tonight was another “Oriole Magic” kinda night as the Birds jumped out to a big lead over the Yankees behind a nice starting effort from Koji Uehara and eventually held on to win 7-5 before a split crowd of orange and pinstripes. Nick Markakis got three hits and the bullpen got sloppy at the end, but the Birds are 2-0 and coming back to Camden Yards at 1:35 tomorrow with a chance to sweep the Yankees to start the season. Here’s my running blog from the game. As always, feel free to comment! 9:59 p.m. — Geez, not much has changed with Dennis Sarfate. Brought on to basically do a ninth-inning mop up, he’s now pushed my American Idol starting time back another 10 minutes and has forced George Sherrill into a game they’d probably rather have not used him. As my Pop would say, “the walks will kill ya!” The Yankees lineup is dangerous — as Derek Jeter just showed. Jim Palmer is railing about the 27th out. The crowd gave Teixeira the rasberries and he just poked an RBI double into the gap and this has gotten frightening.

Boos for Teixeira and the ghost of Jeffrey Maier spark O’s to 10-5 win over Yankees

Nestor Aparicio

Well, whatever they did to keep away the New York fans and somehow get orange-colored sweaters into the seats worked. It was a major victory for the Orioles front office, keeping Opening Day from being ruined by a sea of pinstripers. Then, of course, the outcome, a 10-5 win over the Yankees, didn’t suck either. And the WAY they won, right? A stolen home run with all of the imagery of Jeffrey Maier. They chased the Yankees big-money starter C.C. Sabathia in the fifth inning. The bullpen folded just to the brink of collapse but the offense led the way late in the game. It was a blueprint for how they’re going to win this year (if they’re going to win). Get a solid start. Give way to the bullpen. Hit the ball. Don’t kick the ball around. And take their chances. No reason to do play-by-play here – I’m assuming you watched the game. Doesn’t everyone watch Opening Day? But the most compelling part of today’s game was the ability to stay into the game and it was a good dramatic start to the season and it gave Orioles fans everywhere some pride, a nice beatdown of the Yankees

A gloomy forecast — today and for the ’09 Birds

Nestor Aparicio

The sky is gray across the horizon in downtown Baltimore this morning as the Orioles kick off their 2009 campaign amidst a city full of Yankees fans and the inaugural appearance for Baltimore’s homegrown Mark Teixeira as a pinstriper. It was a dark day even before the clouds and scattered showers moved in from the south. The Orioles, who haven’t played a meaningful game since October 1997, appear to be about to put another 162 insignificant games into the record books as the “dark era” of Birds baseball continues, the longest stretch of inepetitude in the history of the storied franchise. The Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Orioles “win/loss” total at 71 1/2, which means if the Orioles play just “18 games under .500” you win the bet. I’m not a betting man, but based on what I’ve seen for six weeks in spring training regarding their pitching, I’d be jumping at the “under” on this proposition. That said, I like this team, these position players and the quality of the character it appears Andy McPhail has assembled. I want to cheer for Brian Roberts. I like Luke Scott and Adam Jones. I’m interested in Felix Pie, although I think

Drinking the orange Kool Aid at Fan Fest

Nestor Aparicio

There are two types of Orioles fans left in the Baltimore area and they are distinct groups: Those who drink the Kool Aid… And those, like me, who have examined the big picture of what’s happened to this franchise over the past 13 years and are pretty angry about its impact on our fun, our lives and the community. With Opening Day looming, everyone who has EVER loved baseball perks up and pay attention. Even if it’s only to notice: “Hey, its’ Opening Day!” Most people in Baltimore realize this team won’t contend but if you love baseball you’ll at least open one eye on Monday afternoon to catch the score. I’d venture to say that 75% of the city will wake up Tuesday morning at the office and know whether the Orioles won. (That number used to be more like 98% in 1998!) Those who unconditionally still drink the orange Kool Air or “want” to drink the Kool Aid probably went down to Fan Fast today at Camden Yards. I opted to not give Mr. Angelos any more money that he won’t spend to get the team a quality spring training facility. Instead, I’m sitting here watching the Fan

Last slice of Pie?

Luke Jones

According to Roch Kubatko, Felix Pie is out of the lineup again today, as the Orioles will face Toronto’s rookie

5 Ws and 1 H

Luke Jones

Here are the 5 Ws and 1 H floating around in my head on Thursday night: 1. Who will be

A Long Overdue Change

Luke Jones

When the Baltimore Orioles take the field against the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Monday night, the simple act of

Your 6-0 final…

Luke Jones

Here are my final thoughts on the Birds’ 6-0 victory over Tampa Bay tonight: – Jeremy Guthrie pitched well, turning

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