Roch Kubatko

Quick Berken update (with Lee update)

June 09, 2011, 10:03am

Orioles

Jason Berken made his fourth start for Triple-A Norfolk today, going five innings and leaving with the Tides trailing Pawtucket, 2-1. The Orioles want to stretch out Berken, and he cooperated by throwing 93 pitches today. However, I'm sure they want him going deeper into the games. Berken allowed two runs and six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 56 strikes among his 93 pitches before left-hander Mark Hendrickson replaced him. Berken threw 84 pitches over 5 2/3 innings in...

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This, that and the other (and more)

June 09, 2011, 8:23am

Orioles

The Orioles swept Oakland by scores of 4-2, 4-0 and 3-2. According to Elias, it's the first time in nine years that they won three straight despite scoring four runs or fewer in each game. The three starting pitchers back in 2002 were Travis Driskill, Jason Johnson and Sidney Ponson. You can look it up. Update: The A's fired manager Bob Geren this morning and replaced him with former Orioles catcher Bob Melvin. A nine-game losing streak will do that to you. It might not have gained much...

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Streaking through the season

June 08, 2011, 8:57pm

Orioles

If it's Thursday, the Orioles must be off. It happens three times on that day until we move to a new month. Today's open date either was planned or it melted off the schedule from the heat. The temperature for last night's first pitch was 96 degrees. That's just wrong. The Orioles have won three in a row and four of five. They lost five straight on the West Coast before returning home. They won five straight before making that trip. They had lost four in a row before getting hot....

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Hearing from Britton and Reynolds

June 08, 2011, 6:26pm

Orioles

Here are some quotes that flowed in the Orioles' clubhouse tonight and splattered on my laptop: Zach Britton talked about his outing: "I thought it was pretty good, obviously better than the previous couple outings. It felt good to kind of get back in a groove and make some good pitches, especially after they gave us some runs. I was a little frustrated that I gave up some more hits right there, started falling behind guys, but to get out of that inning was big for me." On listening to...

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Showalter speaks after sweep

June 08, 2011, 6:13pm

Orioles

The Orioles swept the Athletics in a three-game series for the first time since Aug. 15-17, 2005. They hadn't swept the A's in a three-game series in Baltimore since July 21-23, 1998. Didn't the A's sweep the Orioles in Oakland two weeks ago? Yes, they did, but they've now lost nine games in a row. Buck Showalter talks to the media about riding this win streak "I didn't bring it up and I've got to tell you, until somebody told me before we started the series, I hadn't really...

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Klein will undergo MRI

June 08, 2011, 5:04pm

Orioles

Double-A Bowie pitcher Dan Klein, a third-round pick out of UCLA last year, will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder Monday when the Baysox return home. Klein was officially placed on the seven-day minor league disabled list earlier today with tendinitis in his shoulder. He was shut down over the weekend, and a team official said the soreness continued today. The MRI was scheduled as a precaution. The Orioles wanted Klein to pitch three innings in his next outing and move up to Triple-A...

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Fit to be untied (updated)

June 08, 2011, 4:19pm

Orioles

We're no longer scoreless at Camden Yards, but we are sweating off a pound a minute. Vladimir Guerrero led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. After two strikeouts and a wild pitch, J.J. Hardy produced the game's first run with a single into right-center field. He homers when he bats leadoff, he hits run-scoring singles when he bats seventh. Mark Reynolds followed with his 10th home run, a 398-foot shot to left-center field that increased the Orioles' lead to 3-0. Reynolds leads...

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Leftovers for dinner (updated twice)

June 08, 2011, 3:23pm

Orioles

Orioles pitcher Chris Jakubauskas has a little discoloration near his left foot today after being hit by Cliff Pennington's sharp grounder up the middle last night, but he said there's no pain and he's fine. Jakubauskas faced one more batter to complete the fifth inning and pass along the shutout to Clay Rapada. The Orioles will need a fifth starter again on June 18 in Washington, and Jakubauskas figures to get the assignment. With five scoreless innings, he did nothing to cause manager...

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Roberts on Roberts

June 08, 2011, 1:41pm

Orioles

Second baseman Brian Roberts will spend a few days with the team before heading back to the minor league complex in Sarasota. Roberts received some encouraging news yesterday from Dr. Michael Collins, the concussion-specialist in Pittsburgh. Though he still isn't cleared to begin baseball activities for two more weeks, his symptoms are less severe. "I think anytime that they say you're getting better, that's always good," Roberts said. "Two weeks had gone by. If I went up there and he...

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Trying to solve the Markakis mystery

June 08, 2011, 12:59pm

Orioles

Nick Markakis remains in the second spot in the lineup, with Adam Jones batting third. He's looking for his first extra-base hit since May 15, a span of 84 at-bats. His average is down to .236 with four homers, 19 RBIs, a .298 on-base percentage and a .304 slugging percentage. He's totaled at least 40 doubles in each of the last four seasons, but he's stuck on four this year. I'm watching Markakis take batting practice now and he's launching a few balls into the right fields seats and...

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Lee leaving team tomorrow, another local kid drafted

June 08, 2011, 12:26pm

Orioles

Lee leaving team tomorrow, another local kid drafted

First baseman Derrek Lee will leave the team tomorrow to attend his grandfather's funeral. Lee expects to be gone through Sunday, which means he'll miss three games. The Orioles will place Lee on the bereavement list that covers three days, including tomorrow's open date on the schedule. Technically, Lee could return Sunday, but he's informed the team that he'll be gone through the weekend. Right now, the Orioles are leaning toward bringing up a position player, with Triple-A Norfolk...

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Andino leading off, draft update through 47th round

June 08, 2011, 11:08am

Orioles

Andino leading off, draft update through 47th round

Robert Andino is leading off tonight, with J.J. Hardy moving down to seventh. Nolan Reimold returns to left field after being unavailable last night because of neck spasms. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Derrek Lee 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold LF Zach Britton LHP Here are the Orioles' draft picks today through the 46th round: 31st round: John Costa, RHP, Summit Christian (Fla.) School 32nd...

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Leftovers for lunch (31st-round pick and Terp taken)

June 08, 2011, 6:58am

Orioles

Leftovers for lunch (31st-round pick and Terp taken)

Rhyne Hughes tied a Triple-A Norfolk record last night by striking out five times. Then he hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Tides a 4-3 win over Pawtucket. Left-hander Troy Patton improved to 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA by allowing one hit over four scoreless innings. He retired nine straight batters and 10 of the last 11 that he faced. Then he flew to Baltimore, sat at one of the lockers for a few hours and flew back to Norfolk. Pedro Viola threw two scoreless...

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Who bats first?

June 07, 2011, 7:04pm

Orioles

The Orioles will make their last 20 picks today in the First-Year Player Draft. Maybe there's the son of a coach or team employee who will get the call in the late rounds. The sons of Mike Hargrove, Jeff Newman and Sam Perlozzo have been drafted by the Orioles in past years. The Orioles face another left-hander tonight, Oakland's Josh Outman, who held them to two runs in six innings in a 4-2 victory on May 28. Outman gave up six hits and walked five. It's not like the Orioles didn't...

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Hearing from Jakubauskas, Hardy and Scott

June 07, 2011, 6:35pm

Orioles

Hearing from Jakubauskas, Hardy and Scott

Chris Jakubauskas held the Athletics to three hits over five scoreless innings, walking one and striking out five to earn his first win since Aug. 12, 2009. He also came away with a bruise on his left shin, courtesy of Cliff Pennington's smash up the middle, but he stayed in the game long enough to record the final out in the fifth. "It hurt pretty good right off the bat," he said. "I threw it, he hit it, I was like, 'Let it miss me,' but it didn't. As Buck (Showalter) said on the...

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Showalter speaks after 4-0 win

June 07, 2011, 6:16pm

Orioles

Nolan Reimold wasn't available tonight because of neck spasms. He could only pinch-run, but the Orioles are hoping that he returns to the lineup tomorrow night against Oakland left-hander Josh Outman. The Orioles won the series over Oakland after losing the last eight. Their last series win over the Athletics came in July 2007. Looking for nights to attend games at Camden Yards? The Orioles are 5-0 at home on Tuesdays. By the way, the Orioles will face Jeremy Hellickson, David Price and...

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Bowie's S. Johnson leaves game after being hit (O's win 4-0)

June 07, 2011, 5:06pm

Orioles

Bowie's S. Johnson leaves game after being hit (O's win 4-0)

Double-A Bowie's

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Scott back in lineup and HR mode (updated)

June 07, 2011, 4:31pm

Orioles

Scott back in lineup and HR mode (updated)

Two days after receiving a cortisone injection in his ailing shoulder, Luke Scott returned to left field and rediscovered his power stroke. Scott homered onto Eutaw St. for the sixth time in his career, the most in Camden Yards history, to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. The ball traveled an estimated 418 feet. Scott hadn't hit a home run since May 3 in Kansas City. He sat out the past two games after receiving the injection, and with the opposition starting...

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Draft and game updates (updated)

June 07, 2011, 4:07pm

Orioles

The Orioles have made it through the first 30 rounds of the First-Year Player Draft. Bring on the last 20 picks tomorrow. So far, they've taken 10 right-handers, five left-handers, two catchers, one first baseman, four third basemen, two shortstops and six outfielders. They've selected 21 college or junior college players, including 12 of their 15 pitchers. Orioles right-hander Chris Jakubauskas is shutting out Oakland on two hits over four innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. He...

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Hardy homers as leadoff hitter (with draft update)

June 07, 2011, 3:19pm

Orioles

Hardy homers as leadoff hitter (with draft update)

J.J. Hardy didn't have an official at-bat as a leadoff hitter in the majors until tonight. On the second pitch thrown to him, Hardy homered to left field to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. It wasn't supposed to work out that way, but manager Buck Showalter will take it. Baseball-reference lists Hardy as appearing in the leadoff spot in one game, but not having an at-bat. Hardy can't remember the circumstances. Maybe he was part of a double-switch. Hardy jumped on an 0-1 pitch tonight from...