Roch Kubatko

Markakis update, postgame comments after 7-2 loss

June 28, 2012, 6:39pm

Orioles

Markakis update, postgame comments after 7-2 loss

Right fielder Nick Markakis won't accompany the Orioles on their West Coast trip to Seattle and Anahaim that begins Monday and leads into the All-Star break. The Orioles will send Markakis to short-season Single-A Aberdeen on July 2-3 and Double-A Bowie on July 4-6, but not for an injury-rehab assignment. They want Markakis to continue receiving treatment from the medical staffs at those two affiliates and to work with Terry Crowley and Mike Bordick. Manager Buck Showalter doesn't want...

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Damon does it to the Orioles again (O's down 7-2)

June 28, 2012, 3:54pm

Orioles

Johnny Damon loves facing the Orioles and he loves hitting at Camden Yards. The demonstration continued tonight with his three-run homer off Wei-Yin Chen in the second inning that gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Damon has 33 career homers against the Orioles, including 22 in this ballpark. Eighty of his 128 RBIs have been accumulated in Baltimore. Chen has thrown 51 pitches in three innings. Chen lasted only five innings in his last start against the Nationals, allowing two earned runs (three...

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Assorted pregame notes and quotes

June 28, 2012, 1:47pm

Orioles

The Orioles took batting practice in shorts and T-shirts today because of the heat. The temperature is supposed to climb to 106 degrees tomorrow in Baltimore and 104 on Saturday. Shirts vs. skins? Here's your latest update on the Orioles' futility with runners in scoring position: The Orioles are 2-for-47 in their last nine games and 5-for-58 in their last 11 games. For the year, they rank 12th in the American League with a .242 average with RISP. The Orioles are 12-13 in series openers...

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Eveland will start Saturday

June 28, 2012, 12:47pm

Orioles

Left-hander Dana Eveland will make Saturday's start against the Indians at Camden Yards. Eveland's name appeared among the starters on the magnetic board outside the clubhouse, and manager Buck Showalter confirmed the assignment while meeting with reporters. Eveland has posted a 3.00 ERA in 11 games, with 23 hits allowed, 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in 27 innings. In his only start on May 11, he allowed three runs and five hits, and walked six batters, in six innings against the...

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Avery is in Baltimore (and in the lineup)

June 28, 2012, 10:56am

Orioles

Avery is in Baltimore (and in the lineup)

The Orioles apparently have summoned outfielder Xavier Avery from Triple-A Norfolk because he's been spotted at Camden Yards. Since Avery can't be in two places at once, he's assumed that he's here in case first baseman Nick Johnson goes on the disabled list with a sore right wrist. Avery makes sense because the Orioles would be replacing one left-handed hitter with another, and Avery is on the 40-man roster. Also, Avery has hit .333 (14-for-42) with eight walks, five stolen bases and 11...

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An amazing catch and a classic prank

June 28, 2012, 8:51am

Orioles

Or, reeling in a home run and a reliever. Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy was robbed of a home run last night on an incredible leaping catch by Angels center fielder Mike Trout, who scaled the fence - again, I went there - and made one of the finest plays ever witnessed at Camden Yards. Maybe it's No. 1. I'll leave that debate to everyone else. "For sure, that's probably the best play I've seen against me," Hardy said. "Maybe the best I've seen against anyone else, too. Pretty good." ...

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Looking ahead and back - way back

June 27, 2012, 8:30pm

Orioles

Could the Orioles be poised to make another roster move today? Nick Johnson exited last night's game after one at-bat with soreness and weakness in his right wrist, the same one that's undergone multiple surgeries. We'll know more after the Orioles receive the results of his MRI. If it's a DL situation, the Orioles could choose to bring back Steve Tolleson after optioning him yesterday. He might still be in Baltimore. Tolleson was going to spend a few days at his South Carolina home...

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Hearing from Showalter and Hammel after blowout loss

June 27, 2012, 6:48pm

Orioles

Hearing from Showalter and Hammel after blowout loss

Jason Hammel has spoiled us with his dominance this season. He brought a streak of 19 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run into tonight's game, and left after giving up eight runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings for his shortest outing of the season. The eight runs tied his career high set on July 23, 2011 against the Diamondbacks. "There haven't been many people pitching better than Hamm and he gets a mulligan," said manager Buck Showalter. "Obviously, you've got to give...

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Update on Nick Johnson wrist injury

June 27, 2012, 6:36pm

Orioles

Nick Johnson will undergo an MRI on his right wrist tomorrow to learn the source of the soreness and weakness that forced him out of tonight's game. Johnson struck out in the second inning and Ryan Flaherty pinch-hit for him in the fourth. The Orioles have scheduled an MRI amid concerns that it's the same wrist which has undergone multiple surgeries over the years. "Just had some weakness there and some soreness," manager Buck Showalter said. "He said he was good for one swing and after...

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Hammel streak ends, Davis and Hardy with opposite results (O's down 13-1)

June 27, 2012, 3:33pm

Orioles

Hammel streak ends, Davis and Hardy with opposite results (O's down 13-1)

Jason Hammel's streak of consecutive scoreless innings ended at 19 tonight when the Angels' Torii Hunter belted a home run in the top of the first inning. Hammel struck out Mike Trout on a 94 mph fastball and Kendrys Morales on a 93 mph fastball, but Hunter jumped on a hanging curveball. Trout got his revenge in the bottom of the first with an incredible leaping catch at the center field fence to rob J.J. Hardy of a home run. Hardy is in a 3-for-41 slump, but he lined out to shortstop last...

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Tolleson, Lindstrom, Hammel and other assorted pregame notes (updated)

June 27, 2012, 1:12pm

Orioles

Tolleson, Lindstrom, Hammel and other assorted pregame notes (updated)

Steve Tolleson, optioned earlier today to make room for reliever Matt Lindstrom, will report to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. Manager Buck Showalter explained to reporters that the club wants Tolleson to get consistent at-bats in the minors. "He's done a good job for us against left-handed pitching," Showalter said. "If they stay on schedule, that'll be seven to nine straight right-handed pitchers against us. But that's a moving target. "We obviously had to make room for Lindstrom...

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Tolleson optioned, Orioles lineup

June 27, 2012, 11:30am

Orioles

The Orioles have optioned Steve Tolleson to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for reliever Matt Lindstrom, who's coming off the disabled list. Dana Eveland also has rejoined the team after flying to California for the birth of his son, Asher Perry. Tolleson was called into manager Buck Showalter's office shortly before the lineup was posted. He's not listed among the reserves, and he later confirmed the roster move, which leaves the team with a three-man bench. "It was a lot shorter meeting...

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Berken and Socolovich honored (corrected)

June 27, 2012, 8:44am

Orioles

Berken and Socolovich honored (corrected)

Norfolk pitchers Jason Berken and Miguel Socolovich have been chosen to participate in the 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo. Berken, 28, is 1-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 14 starts. I'm not sure how he's managed only two decisions in 14 games, but I digress. Berken's ERA ranks third in the league. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his starts while holding opponents to a .248 average. Berken had a shot at breaking camp with the Orioles as a long reliever, but a hamstring...

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Leftovers for breakfast

June 26, 2012, 9:05pm

Orioles

You won't find many Orioles swinging hot bats right now, and shortstop J.J. Hardy definitely needs to knock the frost off the ol' lumber. Hardy is in a 3-for-40 slump that's lowered his average to .239. He went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts last night. The Orioles have played 73 games and Hardy has started 71 of them. The obvious move is to rest him for a night, perhaps giving the start to Robert Andino. Hardy is 0-for-9 lifetime against Jered Weaver, who starts tonight for the Angels. A...

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Matusz on his outing, Jones and Pearce on all the outs with RISP

June 26, 2012, 6:55pm

Orioles

Matusz on his outing, Jones and Pearce on all the outs with RISP

Brian Matusz hasn't gone more than 5 2/3 innings in his last four starts, and tonight he failed to retire a batter in the sixth before exiting. "It's a great hitting team, one through nine," he said. "I made some good pitches to get out of some innings, but when it came down to it, I left some fastballs over the plate." Matusz was allowed to come back out for the sixth, but Peter Bourjos' two-run homer ended his night. "I was fighting all the way through to stay in that game, and...

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Showalter speaks after 7-3 loss

June 26, 2012, 6:39pm

Orioles

It wasn't difficult to figure out the reason why left-hander Brian Matusz struggled again tonight. "He was up just about the whole outing," manager Buck Showalter said following a 7-3 loss to the Angels before 24,296 at Camden Yards. "Was fortunate to still be the game with those hits. They hit a lot of balls hard that found holes. We hit a lot less hard, but didn't find holes. We made a lot of mistakes and Brian wasn't very crisp tonight." Showalter allowed Matusz to come back out...

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Matusz done, Hunter in, Orioles losing 7-3

June 26, 2012, 5:00pm

Orioles

Brian Matusz gave up a career-high 13 hits tonight and is staring at his fourth consecutive loss unless the Orioles rally from a 5-1 deficit. Maicer Izturis singled leading off the top of the sixth and Peter Bourjos slugged a two-run homer - the 21st and 22nd runs allowed by Matusz in the sixth this season, most in the majors. Tommy Hunter replaced him. Matusz is charged with five runs on 13 hits, with no walks and one strikeout, in five-plus innings. He threw 82 pitches, 59 for...

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Matusz littering the bases but limiting the damage (O's down 3-1)

June 26, 2012, 3:52pm

Orioles

Matusz littering the bases but limiting the damage (O's down 3-1)

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz has faced 14 batters in the first three innings tonight. The Angels have six hits. How is the score 1-0? Well, the Angels stranded Albert Pujols at second base in the first inning after his two-out double in his Camden Yards debut. They stranded Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis in the second inning after they singled. And they managed only one run in the third despite a leadoff double by Mike Trout and RBI single by Torii Hunter. Matusz threw eight pitches...

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More random notes before first pitch

June 26, 2012, 2:01pm

Orioles

The Orioles' PR staff has provided the following information in today's game notes: With two more wins in the first half, the Orioles will be assured of posting a winning record at the All-Star break for only the second time since 1998. They were 47-40 at the break in 2005. Brian Matusz, who's starting tonight against the Angels, has allowed 20 of his 49 runs in the sixth inning. According to Elias, that's the most runs allowed in one inning in the majors. Left-hander Troy Patton has a...

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Lindstrom will be activated tomorrow

June 26, 2012, 12:55pm

Orioles

Reliever Matt Lindstrom is in the clubhouse, but he's not on the 25-man roster. The Orioles have decided to activate Lindstrom from the disabled list tomorrow. They want him to do some long-tossing today. Left-hander Dana Eveland is expected to rejoin the team later tonight, but the Orioles aren't short-handed in the bullpen because Tommy Hunter is available in relief. Eveland's wife gave birth to a boy, Asher Perry, late Saturday night. Adding Eveland and Lindstrom to the 'pen will...