BOSTON - The First-Year Player Draft continues today, and the Orioles selected University of Virginia pitcher Branden Kline with the 65th overall pick.
Kline, a graduate of Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, was 7-3 with a 3.56 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings, and was named second-team All-ACC for the Cavaliers. He served as their closer last year before moving into the rotation as a junior.
We'll find out later whether the Orioles project him as a starter or reliever.
The Red...
BOSTON - Yesterday was a good day.
The Orioles didn't lose a game or suffer an injury. Those open dates on the schedule can be a blessing.
Adam Jones' MRIs in Sarasota came back negative. The left wrist and hand are fine except for the contusions. The right wrist and hand are fine except for the contusions.
His ego might be bruised, too, because of the offense's struggles, but look for Jones to be in tonight's lineup.
Nick Markakis was told yesterday that his right wrist is healing...
BOSTON - In the end, the Orioles couldn't resist the allure of a college pitcher. And they had their pick of the best ones.
Despite strong interest in high school left-hander Max Fried and San Francisco right-hander Kyle Zimmer, and the unexpected availability of Stanford's Mark Appel, the Orioles chose LSU right-hander Dylan Bundy in 2011,
BOSTON - Bill Hall is an Oriole. Then he isn't. Then he is. Then he isn't.
Where he stops, nobody knows.
Well, we know that he's rejoining Triple-A Norfolk after clearing waivers today and again being outrighted. He'll meet up with the Tides in Rochester.
Teams had until 1 p.m. today to put in a claim.
The Orioles designated Hall for assignment on Saturday to make room on the 25- and 40-man rosters for first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce, obtained from the Yankees for cash...
BOSTON - It's cold and raining in Boston today. I'm told it will be cold and raining for the rest of the week.
Today might not be the last day off for the Orioles on this trip.
In case you missed the Adam Jones update from earlier today, which is attached to a previous blog entry, MRIs taken on both hands and wrists came back negative. He's got contusions - or bruises, to you and me - and is expected to play tomorrow night if the weather allows it.
Jones and Nick Markakis were examined by...
TAMPA - A three-city road trip for the Orioles has been filled with bumps and potholes and strange detours.
They were swept in Toronto and lost two of three in St. Petersburg. They flew to Boston last night unsure whether center fielder Adam Jones would be in the lineup tomorrow night because of a sore right wrist. The rotation no longer can crank out quality starts and the offense is challenged to crank out more than a few runs.
The Orioles have scored 20 runs in their last eight games, an...
TAMPA - Adam Jones got hit on the left wrist Wednesday in Toronto, but his right wrist is sore.
It's been that kind of stretch for the Orioles, who can't keep anyone healthy or leave their roster untouched.
Jones reportedly will get an MRI on the wrist tomorrow in Tampa before joining the Orioles in Boston for a three-game series that starts Tuesday night.
Manager Buck Showalter said that Jones aggravated the wrist while sliding during today's game. Jones told reporters that the wrist has...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles pitcher Jake Arrieta vowed to continue working hard and not allow himself to get too down after a third straight poor outing resulted in his seventh loss.
Asked what went wrong after retiring the first nine batters, Arrieta paused before saying, "Honestly, I'm not really sure. I was commanding the ball well. I wasn't able to get ahead of a few guys there in the fifth inning. They weren't hitting me. I was letting them on base for free. That's pretty...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter wouldn't promise that Jake Arrieta makes his next start, but he seemed to be leaning in that direction while meeting with reporters following today's 8-4 loss to the Rays.
"We just got through this game here and we've got off-days," Showalter said. "We'll see what's best for Jake and the Baltimore Orioles, but that's the plan right now."
Arrieta retired the first nine batters he faced, but walks proved to be his undoing. He issued...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jake Arrieta retired the first nine batters he faced today, striking out three along the way.
Then came the fourth inning, and a different set of results for Arrieta.
Carlos Pena led off with a walk and B.J. Upton singled. We wouldn't have a historic day at Tropicana Field unless the Rays cracked 25,000 in attendance.
Matt Joyce followed with a fly ball to center field to score Pena. Adam Jones sailed a throw over third baseman Steve Tolleson's head, allowing Upton...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters is heating up.
Wieters has collected four hits in his last nine at-bats, including his ninth home run today leading off the top of the second inning.
Wieters hadn't homered since May 13 against Tampa Bay's James Shields. He hadn't homered from the right side all season.
It's going to be a process for Wieters to fatten up his average. He's 11-for-73 in his last 22 games, taking his average from .300 to .237. But it's slowly on the rise.
Maybe...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles played with a short bench yesterday, and they could be doing the same thing today.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Each day brings another unique lineup from Orioles manager Buck Showalter.
Today, he's got Steve Pearce in right field and Ronny Paulino serving as the designated hitter against Rays left-hander Matt Moore.
Robert Andino is leading off, with Endy Chavez batting second.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
Endy Chavez LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Mark Reynolds 1B
Ronny Paulino DH
Steve Pearce RF
Steve Tolleson 3B
Jake Arrieta RHP
Pearce is...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles snapped a five-game road losing streak yesterday, and now they have a chance to win this series after dropping the last three.
Left-hander Brian Matusz's gem made it easy to overlook the offense, which continued to scuffle. Two runs were enough yesterday, but that won't usually be the case.
The Orioles have scored 16 runs in their last seven games, an average of 2.3. I'm sure Jake Arrieta would appreciate more support today, just in case he doesn't bring...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brian Matusz worked a season-high 7 1/3 innings today in a 2-1 win over the Rays before 21,693 at Tropicana Field. It was his longest outing since Aug. 19, 2010, when he pitched eight innings against the Rangers.
"It's as good as I've felt in a while," he said. "I like pitching here in The Trop. You expect it to be 72 degrees every time you go out there to pitch, so it's nice.
"I had a great feel. Worked well with (Matt) Wieters. And the defense was great. The...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters to hurry with their postgame questions. LL Cool J is performing at Tropicana Field, and Showalter wanted to rush back into the dugout and enjoy the concert.
Winning is fun, especially after six straight losses.
Brian Matusz held the Rays to one run and two hits over 7 1/3 innings for his fourth consecutive quality start. He's 5-5 with a 4.41 ERA. And he's now the club's stopper.
"Brian's a rare left-hander in that...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Has Brian Matusz become the Orioles' ace?
Too soon?
Matusz is headed toward his fourth consecutive quality start, holding Tampa Bay to one run and two hits today over a season-high seven innings. He's walked two and struck out seven.
Only one Tampa Bay batter has reached second base, when Sean Rodriguez doubled to lead off the fifth inning and later scored on Drew Sutton's ground ball.
B.J. Upton walked with one out in the sixth inning, broke too soon for second...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - OK, who had Endy Chavez in today's home run pool?
Chavez broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with his first homer as an Oriole, lining a 2-1 pitch from Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson over the right field wall.
It was the Orioles' first hit of the day and their first extra-base hit in three games.
J.J. Hardy followed with a double, but Chris Davis struck out.
Extra-base hits in back-to-back at-bats by the Orioles? The floodgates have opened here at Tropicana...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada made his first appearance today in an Orioles clubhouse since undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow.
Wada made the drive from the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota.
"Since the surgery, my elbow is getting better and better," Wada said through his interpreter. "I started doing some lower-body exercises this week, and starting next week, I'll start some shoulder exercises. About when I can come back, that's kind of too far...