News and notes on Wolf, Thome, Patton, Hammel, the rotation (updated)

News and notes on Wolf, Thome, Patton, Hammel, the rotation (updated)
"There are no Cinderellas in baseball. Those pumpkins don't play in this league." - Orioles manager Buck Showalter Veteran left-hander Randy Wolf is headed to Baltimore and is expected to throw here before signing a contract. The Athletics were among the teams that held serious interest in Wolf, but the Orioles apparently have won out. Wolf could pitch in relief or be used as a starter, Showalter said. It sounds like Wolf will be a bullpen guy unless a starter goes down with an...

Orioles close to signing Randy Wolf (updated)

Orioles close to signing Randy Wolf (updated)
In a move that would add depth to the rotation and maybe provide a second left-hander to the bullpen, the Orioles are nearing an agreement with pitcher Randy Wolf, according to an industry source. Wolf, in his 14th major league season, was 3-10 with a 5.69 ERA in 25 appearances (24 starts) with the Brewers before they let him go. He allowed 179 hits in 142 1/3 innings, most in the National League, and posted a 1.574 WHIP. The Orioles just traded for left-hander Joe Saunders, who will start on...

Orioles lineup against White Sox

Orioles lineup against White Sox
Another right-handed lineup tonight for the Orioles, which means Lew Ford is the designated hitter, Robert Andino is the second baseman and Matt Wieters is the cleanup hitter. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Lew Ford DH Mark Reynolds 1B Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Robert Andino 2B Chris Tillman RHP Tillman has allowed seven runs and 14 hits over 7 2/3 innings in two career starts against the White Sox. He's walked five and struck out three....

Fitting Betemit on the roster

Fitting Betemit on the roster
The Orioles are 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the American League East. They head to the Bronx after Thursday afternoon's tilt with the White Sox. You see where I'm going here? It's gone from interesting to really, really interesting. Manager Buck Showalter and his players aren't thinking about the wild card. They're focused only on the division lead. Oh yeah, and Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is expected to miss the weekend series with a calf injury. Very...

Showalter speaks after 4-3 win

Showalter speaks after 4-3 win
The Orioles won their 70th game tonight, one more than the entire 2011 season. They also improved to 45-18 in games decided by two runs or fewer, and tied their season high by moving 13 games above .500. Buck Showalter's record improved to 173-173 since he took over as manager on Aug. 3, 2010. Tonight provided another example of how different players seem to step up and produce in the clutch, a key to any playoff run. Lew Ford hits his first major league home run in five years, and Nate...

Ford and McLouth provide 1-2 punch in 4-3 win

Ford and McLouth provide 1-2 punch in 4-3 win
Lew Ford and Nate McLouth were teammates at Triple-A Norfolk this summer. They didn't envision hitting home runs on the same night at Camden Yards. It's been that kind of a season. Ford led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run, his first with the Orioles. He also singled in the sixth. And McLouth's two-run shot in the eighth erased the White Sox's 3-2 lead. "I kind of thought about that tonight after he hit his. I was like, 'This is two of the guys who just came up and...

Arrieta optioned to Norfolk

Arrieta optioned to Norfolk
Jake Arrieta's latest stint with the Orioles was a brief one, as the right-hander was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Joe Saunders after the game. Arrieta didn't pitch for the club after being called up prior to Sunday's rainout. He's eligible to return to the Orioles on Sept. 4. He'll start for the Tides within the next three days.

Chen gets through the first unscathed (McLouth gives O's 4-3 victory)

Chen gets through the first unscathed (McLouth gives O's 4-3 victory)
Wei-Yin Chen allowed 19 runs in the first inning before tonight, the most of any inning. He retired the White Sox in order, getting two fly balls and striking out Adam Dunn. Maybe that's a good sign. The Orioles tried to give him a lead in the bottom of the first, getting a leadoff single by Nick Markakis and a two-out single by Matt Wieters. Markakis was thrown out at the plate after a pitch from left-hander Francisco Liriano bounced away from catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Markakis began the...

Hearing from Showalter before tonight's game

Hearing from Showalter before tonight's game
Manager Buck Showalter fielded a variety of topics during today's pregame media session. Showalter spent part of the afternoon watching Jason Hammel's simulated game. "Things went well for Ham today," Showalter said. "He was up throwing. What did he have, 58? He took a few more fielding his position, so he had a little over 60. Three-plus innings. We'll see how he is tomorrow, and if things go well, we'll see him pitching on a rehab assignment on the first, and that would probably be a...

Updates on Saunders, Britton, Hammel and more

Updates on Saunders, Britton, Hammel and more
Joe Saunders is traveling to Baltimore and is expected to arrive tonight. He will be in uniform on Tuesday and most likely start on Wednesday against the White Sox. Saunders did some throwing before leaving Arizona and is "excited" to come here, said manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles are expected to announce a corresponding roster move following tonight's game. Showalter said left-hander Zach Britton will "probably" start Wednesday or Thursday - whichever game Saunders doesn't...

Orioles and White Sox lineups

Orioles and White Sox lineups
Lew Ford gets the start at designated hitter tonight, as manager Buck Showalter breaks out the first of his three right-handed lineups for this series. Left fielder Nate McLouth drops to seventh in the order, with Adam Jones moving from cleanup to third. Also, the Orioles won't add pitcher Joe Saunders to the 25-man roster until Tuesday. No roster move today. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Lew Ford DH Mark Reynolds 1B Nate McLouth LF Manny...

A little more on the Saunders trade

A little more on the Saunders trade
Yesterday qualified as a strange day at Camden Yards. The heavy lifting took place before the scheduled first pitch, with Matt Lindstrom being traded to the Diamondbacks for Joe Saunders, and Jake Arrieta being called up from Triple-A Norfolk. Lindstrom met with the media outside the clubhouse. Manager Buck Showalter met with the media in the auxiliary clubhouse. Executive vice president Dan Duquette met with the media in the back of the press box. We never saw Arrieta, who wasn't supposed...

Chen starting Monday, Tillman pushed back

Chen starting Monday, Tillman pushed back
The Orioles' rotation has undergone another change. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will start Monday night against the White Sox at Camden Yards. Chris Tillman, whose start today was rained out, will take the ball Tuesday. The Orioles haven't announced starters for Wednesday or Thursday, but left-hander Joe Saunders figures to make his Orioles debut after Tillman. Miguel Gonzalez, who had been listed as Tuesday's starter, or left-hander Zach Britton could start on Thursday. The Orioles have a...

Showalter talks about the trade (today's game postponed)

Showalter talks about the trade (today's game postponed)
Manager Buck Showalter was late arriving to today's media session because he was trying to wait until the Joe Saunders trade became official. Instead, he dropped hints to reporters until the news finally broke. In the blink of an eye, we received confirmation that Saunders was acquired, along with cash, for Matt Lindstrom and a PTBNL, and that Jake Arrieta had been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk as today's bullpen replacement. Arrieta could move into the rotation at some point. Saunders...

More talk and analysis from today's trade

More talk and analysis from today's trade
Joe Saunders is being placed today on baseball's version of a taxi squad. He won't officially join the team until Monday, at which point a corresponding roster move must be made. (CORRECTION): Saunders signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Diamondbacks over the winter. He can become a free agent after this season. The Orioles talked to Saunders' representative over the winter and to the Diamondbacks this summer as the non-waiver trade deadline approached. "We've liked Joe...

Orioles acquire Joe Saunders from Arizona for Matt Lindstrom (updated)

Orioles acquire Joe Saunders from Arizona for Matt Lindstrom (updated)
Eager to add a veteran starter to their rotation for the stretch run, the Orioles have acquired left-hander Joe Saunders from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom. The Orioles also acquired cash in the deal and will send a player to be named later to the D-backs. The 31-year-old Saunders was 6-10 with a 4.22 ERA in 21 starts for the Diamondbacks. He is 75-62 in 182 career starts with the Angels and D-backs. He graduated from West Springfield High School...

Wieters catching again today

Wieters catching again today
So much for a starting catcher sitting out a day game following a night game. Matt Wieters is behind the plate again today. He spent a few minutes in manager Buck Showalter's office before bench coach John Russell posted the lineup. Omar Quintanilla is starting at second base. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J. Hardy SS Nate McLouth LF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis DH Mark Reynolds 1B Omar Quintanilla 2B Manny Machado 3B Chris Tillman RHP

Orioles match last year's win total, but who's counting?

Orioles match last year's win total, but who's counting?
If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the Orioles aren't keeping track of the standings. They're not counting up the wins. They're not comparing this season to last season. They really are ... gulp ... taking it one day at a time. "We're a better team than we were last year," reliever Kevin Gregg said last night after striking out the side in the ninth inning. "We're putting a lot of things together and playing good baseball as a team. Getting the job done. "Everybody in the...

Showalter speaks after 8-2 win

Showalter speaks after 8-2 win
I guess it's up to fans and the media to be impressed with how the Orioles have matched last year's victory total with more than a month remaining in the regular season. Does manager Buck Showalter allow himself a few minutes to step back and appreciate the accomplishment? "No form or fashion," he said following tonight's 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays. "I don't think you're going to find anybody in that locker room who knows that unless you tell them. I think if someone had told us...

Orioles playing from behind on HOF night (O's win 8-2)

Orioles playing from behind on HOF night (O's win 8-2)
Mike Mussina gave a short induction speech tonight. The Blue Jays forced Steve Johnson into a long first inning. Mussina slipped on his green Orioles Hall of Fame jacket, thanked a few people, said he hoped the game would be played because he hated rain and was done. Johnson threw 24 pitches and served up a two-run homer to Edwin Encarnacion. Johnson gave up a one-out single to Mike McCoy, who was thrown out by Matt Wieters trying to steal second base. Jose Bautista walked and Encarnacion...