Erbe making progress at Triple-A (w/quotes added)

Erbe making progress at Triple-A (w/quotes added)
After a slow start in his rookie season at Triple-A Norfolk, right-hander Brandon Erbe is starting to pitch much better. Thursday afternoon he pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit ball vs. Syracuse. He walked one with six strikeouts. On May 2nd, Erbe allowed just one run, then had a start where he gave up six runs followed by today's outing. Erbe in 2010 at Norfolk: First four starts: 8.35 ERA and .342 opponent batting average Last three starts: 3.37 ERA and .225 opponents batting...
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Patterson on his outfield assist to end the game

Patterson on his outfield assist to end the game
Sometimes to make a game-winning play you have to be prepared for it before it happens. That was the case today for O's left fielder Corey Patterson. In just his second game with the team, he threw out Josh Wilson at the plate on Ichiro Suzuki's single to end the game as the Orioles beat Seattle 6-5. Corey Patterson gets a pie in the face after throwing out the potential game-tying run at the plate "With Ichiro up I knew he had more power to his pull side. Anything he hits opposite...
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Luke Scott: "This is why we play the game."

Luke Scott: "This is why we play the game."
The Orioles entered today with a record of 0-19 this year when trailing after seven innings. After scoring just one run over seven today vs. Felix Hernandez, and behind 5-1, the O's came to bat in the 8th this afternoon vs. Seattle righty Brandon League. League got a save here Tuesday and had not allowed an earned run over his last six games. But Luke Scott came up with the bases loaded and one out with the O's now down 5-2 after a Corey Patterson homer. His drive on the first pitch...
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Was it Oriole Magic? (updated with O's win)

Was it Oriole Magic? (updated with O's win)
Luke Scott's second career Grand Slam in the last of the 8th has just given the Orioles a 6-5 lead on Seattle. Scott drilled a Brandon League offering to left center and left fielder Michael Saunders leaped at the wall, but it appeared that a fan had the ball glance off his hands as Saunders stretched his glove out, over the wall, trying to make what would have been a remarkable catch. Maybe during that 2-16 run, that ball is caught. Was it a reverse Jeffrey Maier? Well, it apparently was...
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Groundhog Day for Millwood

Groundhog Day for Millwood
Kevin Millwood and David Hernandez could have a conversation after today's game about lack of run support. Maybe they can vent to each other. Sure, some balls were hit hard off Millwood today as he allowed three homers, but one day, hopefully before say, the All-Star break, the Orioles will score some runs when he pitches. He has received just 17 runs of offense in his first seven starts with just 12 runs scoring while he was in the game. Millwood was 0-1, 2.14 in three starts this year at...
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Give Griffin some credit for Bergesen's turnaround

Give Griffin some credit for Bergesen's turnaround
For Brad Bergesen the results have been different and the numbers jump out at you. In three starts before he was optioned to Norfolk his ERA was 12.19. In three starts since returning, his ERA is 2.33. Give Bergy credit for putting the time in to find his sinker and maybe even regain some confidence. But how big a role did Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin play? He talked with Bergy and watched him throw some bullpen sessions while he was with the Tides. Here's manager Dave Trembley...
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More notes from Wednesday's win and today's pitchers

More notes from Wednesday's win and today's pitchers
The Orioles improved to 10-24 with Wednesday's 5-2 win over Seattle. The O's are the last team in the Majors to get to 10 victories. The O's went 4 for 10 with runners in scoring position and are batting .394 with RISP in their ten wins and .123 with RISP in the 24 losses. O's record when scoring four or more: 8-4 O's record when scoring less than four: 2-20 It was the Orioles first win this year vs. the Mariners and they are now 1-4 in the season series. Runs scored in 2010 vs....
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More clubhouse quotes after a win over Seattle

More clubhouse quotes after a win over Seattle
Here are more comments from the O's clubhouse after tonight's 5-2 win over the Mariners. Here are some quotes from winning pitcher Brad Bergesen and Luke Scott, who had a double and homer. Bergesen on his good outing: "Tonight felt good, all the pitches felt comfortable and the defense played great behind me. As a starting pitcher you always want to stay in the game but it was the right call to bring the bullpen in. The sinker is my best pitch and I felt comfortable throwing it...
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Wigginton: "I should be good to go tomorrow."

Wigginton:  "I should be good to go tomorrow."
Ty Wigginton's right wrist is sore and he had it wrapped after tonight's game, but he said he feels certain he can play on Thursday afternoon vs. Seattle. "It got me on the wrist, little bit of swelling. I should be good to go tomorrow. "It hurt worse than getting hit by pitches but it's better now and I should be ready to go. There's a bruise, but we'll be good to go." Wigginton was sliding into second trying to break up a double play in the second inning when a throw from...
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Just sayin' (updated)

Just sayin' (updated)
On the day that Nolan Reimold was sent to the minor leagues, Luke Scott and Adam Jones both have two hits. I'm just sayin'. This is my career high for shortest blog entry. Update: Jones' RBI single to right in the sixth is his third hit tonight, matching his season high. It's his fourth, three-hit game of 2010 and the last was April 30 vs. Boston. May no longer be my shortest post.
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Paco Figueroa to Triple-A

Paco Figueroa to Triple-A
Paco Figueroa is joining the Norfolk Tides to fill Corey Patterson's roster spot at Triple-A. Figueroa, a ninth-round O's pick from 2005, will be playing at that level for the first time. He was batting .306-1-10 in 28 games at Double-A Bowie with a .757 OPS where the 27-year-old righty hitter had played second and third base and left and right field. After hitting .361 in April, Figueroa's bat had cooled this month as he was 7 for 36. Once Nolan Reimold reports to Norfolk, the Tides...
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Some facts and stats to check out

Some facts and stats to check out
*The newest Oriole, Corey Patterson, grounded out in the first in his first at bat. In 14 games with the Tides, he was batting .368-0-2. He was three for six in stealing bases. He began 2 for 16 with Norfolk, but hit .463 in his last ten Tides games. He batted .250 vs. lefty pitching and .400 vs. right handers. *Tonight's Seattle starter, lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith is the only player in Major League history with a hyphenated last name. He was born in Sydney, Australia and pitched for that...
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MacPhail's message to the fans

MacPhail's message to the fans
I am not sure what is was all about, but a video of O's president Andy MacPhail appeared on MLB.com today. It seems to be his update to the O's fans. Here is the transcript of what he said and the video link. "I wanted to take an opportunity to talk to you a little bit about where we are at this stage of the season. As you know, we've all had to endure a terrifically horrendous start. That first 18 games were terribly problematic for us and really a miserable way to start the season. I...
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Jones on his struggles and Reimold's departure

Jones on his struggles and Reimold's departure
Even though Corey Patterson had not yet arrived when the media was allowed in the Orioles clubhouse today, Nolan Reimold was already gone. He was hitting just .205 in 25 games. Not far from where Reimold had his locker, Adam Jones talked about Reimold's departure. "It's kind of sad. Everybody knows the process of getting sent down, you have to go down there and work your way back here. There is no other outlook on it. "I'm just hearing it, wow. Let it sink, in. Wow. That's part...
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The starting pitchers deserve better

The starting pitchers deserve better
Of all the problems the Orioles have right now, here is one you can't put a stat on: teammates losing faith in one another. As in the starting pitchers wondering when the offense will provide them some support. It's the pitcher's job to get the hitters out no matter what, but besides the fans, I wonder who has noticed the O's lack of offense most? Probably the pitchers. Lowest run support in the AL: 1st - David Hernandez - 1.46 2nd - Kevin Millwood - 2.30 8th - Jeremy Guthrie -...
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Wigginton and Reimold on another night with little offense

Wigginton and Reimold on another night with little offense
For the Orioles hitters, it was another night getting asked about the lack of offense the team is producing and another night to talk about a loss. The O's offense has produced just two runs and 18 hits and a batting average of just .188 over the past three games after losing 5-1 to Seattle on Tuesday night in front of 12,614 at Camden Yards. Ty Wigginton was asked how hard it is to try and stay confident and upbeat as the losses mount and the runs are not coming. "I think right after a...
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For Hernandez, it starts well, but didn't end that way

For Hernandez, it starts well, but didn't end that way
O's starter David Hernandez must be wondering what he has to do to get a win. He began tonight with some of the best stuff he's had all year, at times dominating stuff. But he couldn't keep it going and, as usual when he pitches, there were not many runs to work with either. He remains winless on the year as the Orioles lost 5-1 to Seattle to begin an eight-game homestand. "I just talked to Matt (Wieters) right now and he said 'that's the best stuff you've had in the first four...
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No offense so far tonight (updated)

No offense so far tonight (updated)
You may have missed a stat I had in a post earlier today. In six of their last seven games, the Orioles do not have a single hit with runners in scoring position. Now in some of those games, they did not have many chances, but are a collective 0 for 21 with RISP in the six games. In the other game, game one of Saturday's doubleheader, they went 8 for 16 and scored seven runs. Tonight, they trailed 2-0 after five and are 0 for 2 in those situations, failing to score when they had runners on...
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Reimold improves and left field playing time increases

Reimold improves and left field playing time increases
If it seems like Nolan Reimold has been playing more regularly in left field, that is because he has. Reimold has started seven of the O's last 11 games in left and manager Dave Trembley said you can expect to see more of Reimold in left. "That's an indicator that we have to find out if he can do it or not. He's been able to respond health-wise. Now he needs to respond production-wise. He's passed the one hurdle, now he needs to break through on the other." Coming off last...
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Posting some stats before the start of O's vs. M's

Posting some stats before the start of O's vs. M's
Checking on some O's and Mariners stats as those teams begin a three-game series tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles scored just one run and hit .161 (10 for 62) in losing the last two games of the Minnesota series. The Birds have scored two runs or less in five of the last seven games. The Orioles have gone without a hit with runners in scoring position in six of their last seven games. They went 8 for 16 with RISP in the other game which was the first game of Saturday's...
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