Luke Scott thought he hit a home run in the fifth inning. The umpires ruled that he hit a double. Scott wasn't convinced, and neither was manager Buck Showalter.
Instant replay came into play at Camden Yards for the second time this season, and Scott lost his argument. He had to settle for a double on a ball that hit the orange AT&T sign in right-center field, not above it.
Scott was circling his arm over his head as he chugged into second base, baseball's universal home run sign. Nice...
That didn't take long.
John Jaso, the rare leadoff-hitting catcher, got hold of a 93 mph fastball from Jeremy Guthrie and drove it 436 feet into the seats in right-center field.
So much for back-to-back scoreless outings.
You'll recall that the Angels couldn't push across a run against Guthrie in 8 1/3 innings. The Rays did it in one batter.
Guthrie has posted a 2.51 ERA in nine second-half starts. He's got a 2.79 ERA in three quality starts against the Rays this season, though he's...
Chris Tillman hasn't been promised a specific number of starts over these final weeks of the season. He takes the ball tomorrow for the first time in the majors since July 19. That's the only guarantee.
"He's going to get an opportunity to pitch tomorrow," manager Buck Showalter said. "I haven't seen him pitch other than on tape and everybody here has, so I'm kind of the last guy. We'll see after tomorrow's start where we go."
It's Tillman's turn to be evaluated.
"You've just...
Still no Adam Jones, who continues to receive treatment on his sore upper back. He's also allowing the cortisone injection that he received Thursday night to work its magic.
Head athletic trainer Richie Bancells is upbeat about the progress that Jones has made, according to manager Buck Showalter, but don't look for the center fielder in tomorrow's lineup. He probably won't be there.
"He's a little better today, but I don't think him playing is imminent," Showalter said. "I think it...
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott DH
Felix Pie LF
Matt Wieters C
Julio Lugo 3B
Corey Patterson CF
Cesar Izturis SS
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
Here's Tampa Bay's lineup:
Jaso C
Zobrist 2B
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Joyce RF
Hawpe DH
Upton CF
Bartlett SS
Shields RHP
I've got a busy morning ahead of me, which includes a three-hour stint on "Wall to Wall Baseball" with Tom Davis and Dave Johnson. The first hour, beginning at 11 a.m., will air on MASN. You can catch the entire show on ESPN Radio 1300.
Or you can sleep late. Depends what you did last night.
Do you get the feeling that Orioles manager Buck Showalter is looking at life from both sides now (see if that song sticks in your head for a while.)
Showalter has seen the good. A lot more than he...
Tonight's attendance: 13,507.
Welcome to the first three-game losing streak under manager Buck Showalter.
"(Matt) Garza's got good stuff, but there's some things we've got to do better," Showalter said. "We missed the cutoff man, cost us a run. And a couple other things we'll correct."
How about that 5-32 record against AL East opponents besides the Red Sox?
Kevin Millwood lost his 15th game, which leads the majors. This is the first time he failed to complete six innings since...
It's one thing to tick off the opposing team. It's quite another to rile your own manager.
Matt Garza was upset that Rays manager Joe Maddon removed him from tonight's game with two on and two outs in the sixth. He had just issued his second walk of the inning, losing Corey Patterson on four pitches, but still held a 4-1 lead.
Garza began to walk off the mound before Maddon reached it, showing up his manager in the process. Maddon took the ball from him, turned and shouted something at his...
This game is getting away from the Orioles.
The Rays scored twice in the third inning and twice in the fourth to stake Matt Garza to a 4-0 lead.
If you still feel good about this one, I admire your loyalty. Or you're still at Happy Hour. Either way, props to you. Just root and drink responsibly.
Rick VandenHurk was warming in the bullpen, but he sat down after Kevin Millwood struck out Carl Crawford to end the fourth.
Millwood has allowed six hits, walked three and thrown 73...
It's that time again when I remind everyone how Kevin Millwood usually gives up runs in the first inning.
He didn't run into the run problem in his last start, blanking the Angels on six hits over eight innings, and he stranded Carl Crawford on third base and Evan Longoria on first tonight.
Millwood retired Carlos Pena on a popup to shortstop Cesar Izturis, leaving his first-inning run total this season at 38.
This is only the fifth time in his last 18 starts that Millwood didn't allow at...
Rays pitcher Matt Garza doesn't lack for confidence and he doesn't worry about firing up the opposition.
He challenged the Orioles today in a St. Petersburg Times notebook item, still fuming over the four home runs he surrendered against them on July 20, which prompted this response from manager Buck Showalter:
"There are a lot of people who feel that way that just don't say it publicly, so what's the difference? A lot of them feel that way. He's certainly a good pitcher and that was a...
Chris Tillman has been summoned from Triple-A Norfolk and will join the Orioles later tonight or tomorrow.
Kevin Millwood is starting tonight, and Jeremy Guthrie goes tomorrow. Sunday's slot is being left open, and Tillman is going to fill it. He'll be working on normal rest.
Everyone else in the rotation gets pushed back, bringing the expected six-man rotation. The names will likely change over the course of the month, however, as the young starters reach their innings limits.
Adam...
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott DH
Felix Pie LF
Corey Patterson CF
Matt Wieters C
Cesar Izturis SS
Josh Bell 3B
Kevin Millwood RHP
The Orioles haven't posted their lineup yet. Still checking on the wounded.
Outfielder Corey Patterson told me that he swung in the indoor cage earlier and is "good to go."
He's been receiving treatment for a sore neck that restricted him to bunting duties last night.
A few items from my conversation this morning with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who was returning from his visit to Delmarva:
* MacPhail hadn't intended to add any more position players to the expanded roster, but injuries to Adam Jones and Corey Patterson could force another move. Jones (back) is expected to miss at least a few more games. Patterson (neck) was available to bunt and run last night, but nothing else.
"We might have to revisit it if we think those injuries...
We love to second-guess here, and the ninth inning allowed us to work our craft.
Should Corey Patterson have been sent up to pinch-hit for Nolan Reimold? Should you bunt with Cesar Izturis on deck? Should Izturis be allowed to hit in that situation? What about Josh Bell?
Reporters were kicking around suggestions after the game. We basically agreed that manager Buck Showalter's options were limited, which is odd in September. Teams can expand their rosters, yet the Orioles looked like they...
Brad Bergesen gained some satisfaction from working into the sixth inning tonight, but it was a small victory - and one that didn't count in the standings or on his record.
The five-run second inning was a killer.
"It is what it is and you've got to put it behind you and go from there," he said. "I was able to do so tonight and chew up some more innings, not put that stress on the bullpen. That was really the positive for me tonight."
The Red Sox kept falling behind in the count and...
The Orioles are 1-12 in games that decide the winner of a three-game series, including 1-7 at Camden Yards. Their only victory came on May 13 against Seattle.
Better execution in the field might have changed tonight's outcome.
Ty Wigginton committed a costly error at first base and couldn't field Brian Roberts' one-hop throw on a potential double play. Josh Bell threw behind Roberts, which disrupted the second baseman.
"There are situations in a game that you can go back on," manager...
But enough about my love life.
The Orioles put the potential tying runs on base in the ninth inning against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Too bad the bottom of the order was coming up.
Pinch-hitter Corey Patterson laid down a nice bunt to advance Felix Pie and pinch-runner Julio Lugo, who entered the game for Matt Wieters (3-for-4, two RBIs). Patterson's neck must be feeling a little better, though he didn't have to take any swings against Papelbon.
Manager Buck Showalter let Cesar...
Rick VandenHurk is appearing in his third game with the Orioles. Call off the search.
VandenHurk replaced Brad Bergesen with one out in the sixth and coaxed a double-play grounder from Victor Martinez. Two pitches and he was done.
We'll see him again in the seventh.
VandenHurk tossed a scoreless inning against Texas, striking out two, in his Orioles' debut on Aug. 22. He gave up two runs (one earned) in three innings in an Aug. 26 game in Chicago.
The Orioles acquired VandenHurk from the...