masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have an early game today before flying to Cleveland to continue their road trip. They had to “sleep fast,” as manager Buck Showalter likes to say.

You’ll get the lineup quicker than usual on a Thursday, but until then …

Showalter told MASN’s Gary Thorne before last night’s game that he hoped Tommy Hunter’s familiarity with catcher Taylor Teagarden from their days in Texas would prove beneficial. He mentioned their bond. Hunter had a 4.58 ERA in six career major league…The Orioles have an early game today before flying to Cleveland to continue their road trip. They had to “sleep fast,” as manager Buck Showalter likes to say.

You’ll get the lineup quicker than usual on a Thursday, but until then …

Showalter told MASN’s Gary Thorne before last night’s game that he hoped Tommy Hunter’s familiarity with catcher Taylor Teagarden from their days in Texas would prove beneficial. He mentioned their bond. Hunter had a 4.58 ERA in six career major league outings with Teagarden behind the plate, and a 5.55 ERA in 26 games with Matt Wieters catching.

Hunter held the Twins to one run in 7 1/3 innings last night.

Does this make Teagarden the personal catcher for Hunter? Stay tuned.

The bullpen has come unglued, as I’ve mentioned, and Luis Ayala really needs to pull it together. He’s 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in his last five appearances, with seven runs and 15 hits allowed in 8 2/3 innings.

In his last nine outings, Ayala has allowed eight runs and 20 hits in 13 innings.

Darren O’Day also is having issues. He’s posted a 13.50 ERA in his last three games, with four runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. He’s got an 11.12 ERA in his last seven games, with seven runs and 14 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Matt Lindstrom has allowed two runs in his last five outings, but he’s also given up five hits and walked three batters in 5 1/3 innings.

The Orioles are 35-0 when leading after seven innings and 36-0 when leading after eight.

The Orioles are 31-14 when they score first and 16-30 when the opponent does.

The defense didn’t commit an error last night. The Orioles are 24-15 when that happens.

Hunter and first baseman Mark Reynolds made sensational plays last night. Hunter fielded a bunt by scooping it with his glove to Reynolds, retiring the speedy Ben Revere. And Reynolds laid out for a bunt in the bottom of the ninth, making the grab and preventing the potential tying run from reaching second base with one out. It was one of the finest plays of the season, and I’m talking around the majors.

Triple-A Norfolk played another extra-inning game last night, losing to Rochester in the 15th 4-1.

The Tides have played 15 extra-inning games, the most in the International League.

Left-hander Zach Phillips took the loss, giving up the three runs in the 15th, but he worked four innings. My guess is he ran out of gas.

LJ Hoes went 2-for-5 with a walk and is batting .321. He’s hit safely in 25 of the last 26 games. He’s also looking like the early favorite to win the Brooks Robinson Award as the organization’s minor league Player of the Year.

Shameless plug alert: I’m appearing on “O’s Xtra” on MASN, which begins at 12:30 p.m.