Roch Kubatko

Gonzalez reinstated from disabled list, Jurrjens optioned

May 21, 2013, 12:03pm

Orioles

Gonzalez reinstated from disabled list, Jurrjens optioned

Miguel Gonzalez is back from the disabled list, and Jair Jurrjens is one and done - for now. The Orioles announced this afternoon that they have reinstated Gonzalez, who had been dealing with a blister on his right thumb, from the 15-day DL. To clear a spot on the 25-man roster, Jurrjens was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Gonzalez will start tonight against the Yankees, against whom he is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA in three regular season starts. Jurrjens pitched Saturday, starting against the Rays...

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Orioles lineup against Yankees

May 21, 2013, 11:04am

Orioles

Yamaico Navarro is back at second base as the Orioles face the Yankees in the middle game of their three-game set. Chris Dickerson will play center field tonight, with Adam Jones serving as the designated hitter. For the Yankees Brett Gardner CF Robinson Cano 2B Vernon Wells LF Travis Hafner DH Lyle Overbay 1B Curtis Granderson RF David Adams 3B Jayson Nix SS Austin Romine C Phil Hughes RHP For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones DH CHris Davis 1B Matt...

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Taking a closer look at Casilla, Markakis and Machado

May 21, 2013, 7:31am

Orioles

Taking a closer look at Casilla, Markakis and Machado

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has another decision to make tonight regarding his starter at second base. Yamaico Navarro started three straight games before stepping aside last night for Alexi Casilla, who made two dazzling plays in the field and also singled and scored from first base on Nick Markakis' double. "Alexi put on a show at second base," Showalter said afterward. "What a game he had. My gosh. He was impressive." Casilla is 0-for-2 against Phil Hughes, who starts tonight for...

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Because You Asked - Revenge of the Fallen

May 20, 2013, 8:50pm

Orioles

Because You Asked - Revenge of the Fallen

The Orioles will activate Miguel Gonzalez from the 15-day disabled list this afternoon and hand him the ball tonight at Camden Yards. Nobody is asking me about Gonzalez, but I'm getting plenty of inquires about other players. And I keep getting them. The same ones. On this blog and via Twitter (@MASNroch). That's why I created "Because You Asked" and all of the sequels. You ask, I answer. You ask again, I answer again. It's the School of Roch dance. And as always, please keep your hands...

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Showalter sticking with his closer

May 20, 2013, 7:30pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn't ready to change closers after Jim Johnson's third consecutive blown save. Asked if there was any doubt that he would go right back to Johnson tonight in another save opportunity, Showalter replied, "Come back tomorrow and watch it again." "He was one pitch away," Showalter said after the Orioles' 6-4, 10-inning loss to the Yankees at Camden Yards that extended their losing streak to six games, their longest since May 26-June 1, 2012. "It's tough....

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Johnson gives up home run and lead (O's lose 6-4 in 10 innings)

May 20, 2013, 6:02pm

Orioles

Johnson gives up home run and lead (O's lose 6-4 in 10 innings)

It happened again. Closer Jim Johnson blew his third consecutive save opportunity, serving up a solo home run to Travis Hafner with one out in the top of the ninth to tie the game 4-4. Robinson Cano grounded out with the count full, but Hafner drove a 3-1 pitch into the seats in left-center field. Johnson shouted at himself as the ball cleared the fence, his head snapping down. And the Yankees fans in attendance erupted. Hafner is now 2-for-4 against Johnson. Lyle Overbay followed with a...

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Patton gives up home run, Casilla states case for more starts (O's lead 4-3)

May 20, 2013, 5:06pm

Orioles

Patton gives up home run, Casilla states case for more starts (O's lead 4-3)

We're no longer tied. Troy Patton entered the game in the top of the seventh, and the first batter he faced, first baseman Lyle Overbay, belted a home run to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. The Yankees have four hits tonight. Three are home runs. Meanwhile, Alexi Casilla is making a strong argument for receiving more starts at second base. Casilla is in the Orioles' lineup because of his career numbers against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia, though he's 0-for-2 tonight. But one night after...

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Yankees leaning toward left vs. Garcia (we're tied)

May 20, 2013, 3:35pm

Orioles

Yankees leaning toward left vs. Garcia (we're tied)

The Yankees have seven left-handed hitters in tonight's lineup against Orioles right-hander Freddy Garcia. Somebody has been reading the splits. Left-handers were batting .333 against Garcia heading into the game. Right-handers were batting .156. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano wasn't going to dispute the numbers. He homered to the opposite field with one out in the top of the first inning to give the visitors an early lead. Third baseman David Adams ignored the splits. Batting from...

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Notes and quotes before tonight's game

May 20, 2013, 1:11pm

Orioles

Home hasn't been sweet to the Orioles, who are 9-11 at Camden Yards this season. They also began the 2011 season with a 9-11 home record. The Orioles have dropped six straight at home for the first time since April 9-14, 2010. The last time they lost seven straight at Camden Yards was Aug. 22-Sept. 7, 2007, when they dropped 11 in a row. The last time that the Orioles began a homestand with five straight losses also was April 9-14, 2010, when they lost three each to Toronto and Tampa...

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Hardy moves up in Orioles lineup

May 20, 2013, 11:15am

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has moved J.J. Hardy to third in the lineup tonight against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia. Hardy has batted sixth in 13 games this season and seventh in 30. Alexi Casilla, who's 14-for-24 against Sabathia, is starting at second base. For the Yankees Brett Gardner CF Robinson Cano 2B Travis Hafner DH Lyle Overbay 1B Curtis Granderson LF David Adams 3B Ichiro Suzuki RF Reid Brignac SS Austin Romine C CC Sabathia LHP For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny...

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Orioles not liking what they CC

May 19, 2013, 6:22pm

Orioles

CC what I did there? So how exactly did CC Sabathia end up on the mound tonight for the Yankees? Why is this man making another start at Camden Yards? The Yankees-Blue Jays game was postponed yesterday because of rain, which Orioles manager Buck Showalter referenced following a 3-1 loss to the Rays. "They somehow got rained out in New York," he said. I see what he did there. Sabathia's start was pushed back to tonight, against a team that's lost five games in a row, all of them at...

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Showalter says umpires "got it right"

May 19, 2013, 1:49pm

Orioles

Upon further review, Orioles manager Buck Showalter agreed with the umpires' decision to award a home run to Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce in the top of the sixth inning. Joyce initially was given a double, and he remained on the bag during a lengthy delay that ultimately included a review. "I think Joe (Maddon) was just waiting to get the right call out of the dugout, because you can only get them to review it if you think it was a home run. You don't want to penalize fair or foul," Showalter...

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Tillman through the sixth (O's lose 3-1)

May 19, 2013, 11:34am

Orioles

Tillman through the sixth (O's lose 3-1)

An Orioles starter has exceeded five innings for the second time in the last eight games. It's Chris Tillman again today. Tillman has allowed three runs and five hits over six innings, with one walk, four strikeouts and two home runs. He's thrown 111 pitches, 71 for strikes. The Rays expanded their lead to 3-1 in the sixth on a controversial home run by Matt Joyce. The umpires ruled it a double. Orioles manager Buck Showalter thought the ball was foul. Rays manager Joe Maddon thought it...

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Tillman through three innings, and more pregame notes (O's down 2-1)

May 19, 2013, 10:20am

Orioles

Tillman through three innings, and more pregame notes (O's down 2-1)

Chris Tillman retired the first eight Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon before walking No. 9 hitter Yunel Escobar. You can guess what happened next. Desmond Jennings ran the count full and doubled to left, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead at Camden Yards. Tillman retired the side in order in the top of the first, getting a fly ball, pop-up and grounder. The first two batters, Jennings and Matt Joyce, each worked him for seven pitches. He breezed through the second before issuing the free pass to...

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Garcia expected to start Monday (with more notes)

May 19, 2013, 8:16am

Orioles

Garcia expected to start Monday (with more notes)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Freddy Garcia remains the scheduled starter for Monday's series opener against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. Jake Arrieta also was a consideration, but Garcia apparently will pitch on normal rest. "Freddy's scheduled right now," Showalter said. Garcia has allowed eight runs and 12 hits in 9 2/3 innings over his last two starts after taking a perfect game into the seventh inning in his Orioles debut in Anaheim. Miguel Gonzalez will come off...

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Valencia in the lineup

May 19, 2013, 7:13am

Orioles

Danny Valencia will serve as the designated hitter today, as the Orioles try to avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards. Valencia is wearing No. 35. Steve Pearce is playing left field and Chris Snyder is catcher. Matt Wieters gets the day off despite being 6-for-11 with two home runs lifetime against Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore. Yamaico Navarro gets his third consecutive start at second base. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis...

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Orioles turning to Tillman

May 19, 2013, 6:00am

Orioles

Orioles starters have gone more than five innings only once in the last seven games. That starter is on the mound today. Chris Tillman held the Padres to one run over seven innings Tuesday night, allowing four hits, walking two and striking out seven. The Orioles lost 3-2 when Jim Johnson blew the save - the beginning of a four-game losing streak that they will try to stamp out this afternoon. Tillman has to play the role of stopper today. He's registered five straight quality starts in a...

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Flaherty talks about his demotion

May 18, 2013, 8:06pm

Orioles

Second baseman Ryan Flaherty was called into manager Buck Showalter's office after last night's game and given the news. To break out of his season-long slump, he would need to go back down to the minors. Flaherty wasn't exactly floored by the Orioles' decision to option him to Triple-A Norfolk. He was batting .133/.228/.233 with two homers and six RBIs in 30 games. He had 26 strikeouts in 90 at-bats. He had run out of chances. "It was obvious that I was kind of struggling and it could...

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Showalter speaks after 10-6 loss

May 18, 2013, 5:10pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked again tonight about closer Jim Johnson, who blew his second straight save opportunity in a 10-6 loss to the Rays. "He had little command issues, but he usually works his way through them, like a lot of our pitchers, like all pitchers in the major leagues do at times," Showalter said. Showalter mentioned Desmond Jennings' broken-bat single into left field that loaded the bases with one out and the Orioles clinging to a one-run lead. But it wasn't...

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Orioles option Flaherty, Valencia expected to be recalled

May 18, 2013, 4:49pm

Orioles

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned infielder Ryan Flaherty to Triple-A Norfolk. Flaherty, 26, is batting .133/.228/.233 in 30 games for the Orioles this season. Flaherty played second base in the ninth inning today in a 10-6 loss to the Rays. Yamaico Navarro started for the second consecutive game. A corresponding roster move will be announced on Sunday, and it figures to be another position player. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the club didn't need...