Roch Kubatko

Lee comes through with RISP (updated)

May 15, 2011, 10:35am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Before yesterday's game, Derrek Lee was 2-for-28 with runners in scoring position, ranking last in average among American League hitters with at least 25 at-bats. He was 3-for-31 (.097) with five RBIs before today. Better, but still not good. He continued to rank last among active players. Detroit's Magglio Ordonez is worse, but he's also on the disabled list. Lee came up big in the third inning today, driving in two runs with a single off Rays starter Andy...

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Wieters, Arrieta off to good starts

May 15, 2011, 10:03am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Matt Wieters gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a two-out single that scored Vladimir Guerrero, who led off with a double and moved to third on a ground ball. Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach set up outside with Guerrero batting. Andy Sonnanstine hit the target and Guerrero reached for the ball and poked it down the right field line. Not a bad pitch, just a good bad-ball hitter. Wieters is 13-for-23 (.565) with three doubles, three homers and 20 RBIs with...

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A few early notes

May 15, 2011, 8:41am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Left-hander Brian Matusz will be restricted to 55-60 pitches tomorrow night at Single-A Frederick. The Orioles would like to get at least four innings out of him, but it depends on his pitch count. Matusz will be extended to 75-80 pitches in his next start on Saturday. The Orioles haven't decided whether he'll join Triple-A Norfolk or Double-A Bowie. Justin Duchscherer will go three innings Wednesday in a simulated game in Sarasota, and four innings in the next...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

May 15, 2011, 6:38am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Mark Reynolds have moved up to eighth in the lineup today. That's what a home run will do for you. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 3B J.J. Hardy SS Jake Arrieta RHP For the Rays: Fuld LF Zobrist 2B Damon DH Longoria 3B Joyce RF Upton CF Kotchman 1B E. Johnson SS Shoppach C Sonnanstine RHP

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It's a start

May 15, 2011, 4:52am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- I'll be checking out of my hotel and heading to Tropicana Field in the next hour. It seems like I just got here. I didn't bother to unpack my suitcase. Do you realize that the Orioles haven't used their bullpen in regulation in the last three games? Kevin Gregg and Jim Johnson followed Zach Britton to the mound on Thursday after the rookie tossed nine scoreless innings. Jeremy Guthrie and Brad Bergesen went the distance in the first two games of the Rays series. The...

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Showalter speaks after 6-0 win

May 14, 2011, 3:58pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter addressed a few topics in his postgame session with the media, but Brad Bergesen was the focal point. "He keeps battling through it and he doesn't wallow around in self-pity, and that's a big thing of mine," Showalter said. "Nobody really cares. We do, but the opposition doesn't. He pitched pretty well the last time against Tampa, too. I thought he and Jake (Fox) had a real good tempo going. And he had command of his fastball. Something I...

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Bergesen on Bergesen

May 14, 2011, 3:42pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brad Bergesen earned his first win of the season by tossing his first career shutout and fourth complete game. Escaping that jam in the first inning propelled him in the right direction. "It was a really good feeling," he said. "To have those couple pitches go your way or to be able to make those crucial pitches, especially early on and getting out of a couple jams, it is a huge momentum shift that goes in your favor. And to be able to put up zeroes after we score,...

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Fox talks about Bergesen and his home run

May 14, 2011, 3:24pm

Orioles

Fox talks about Bergesen and his home run

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It looks like the Orioles can turn in a quality start with Jake Fox behind the plate. Just when you think you've got this game figured out... Brad Bergesen shut out the Rays on four hits, retiring 20 of the last 22 batters he faced in a 6-0 victory. The Rays didn't have a hit after Sam Fuld's single with one out in the third inning. Jake Fox talks about his big 2-run HR and how he battled within that at-bat "I think Brad showed what he's capable of tonight,"...

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Bergesen blanks Rays

May 14, 2011, 2:43pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brad Bergesen escaped jams in the first three innings, retired 11 in a row and won his first game of the season, 6-0, over the Rays at Tropicana Field. Bergesen retired 17 of 18 going into the bottom of the ninth. He walked leadoff hitter Ben Zobrist on four pitches, but retired the next three batters. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five. He threw 103 pitches, 68 for strikes. The Orioles had lost the last nine games that Bergesen pitched, including a...

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The Fox and the Home Run

May 14, 2011, 1:46pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jake Fox has taken his share of heat, but he's catching a shutout and padding a lead today. Fox is giving the signs to Brad Bergesen, who's blanking the Rays on four hits over six innings. And he gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead with a two-run homer in the sixth that drove Rays starter Wade Davis from the game. Fox won a 10-pitch battle with Davis by launching his first home run since April 16 in Cleveland. It was a no-doubter. Davis had allowed two homers in seven career...

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Bergesen's escape route (updated)

May 14, 2011, 12:59pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brad Bergesen has held the Rays scoreless through three innings, though he's allowed four hits and a few loud outs. Ben Zobrist doubled and Johnny Damon singled in the first, but Evan Longoria grounded into a 5-4-3 double play on the next pitch. B.J. Upton doubled with one out in the second, but Casey Kotchman grounded out on a changeup and Reid Brignac flied to the warning track in center on another changeup. Sam Fuld singled and stole second base with one out in the...

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Leading off with Roberts item

May 14, 2011, 11:22am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If second baseman Brian Roberts is going to bust out of his slump, he'll do it from atop the order. No big surprise here. Roberts is the club's leadoff hitter and there aren't many options if manager Buck Showalter wants to lower him. J.J. Hardy would be the likely replacement. Felix Pie has speed, but he doesn't play every day and he doesn't steal bases. It's a moot point. Showalter has dropped Mark Reynolds to ninth and he's willing to make other changes, but...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

May 14, 2011, 9:01am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Mark Reynolds is batting ninth again today. Luke Scott returns to left field, and Jake Fox starts behind the plate. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF J.J. Hardy SS Jake Fox C Mark Reynolds 3B Brad Bergesen RHP For the Rays: Fuld LF Zobrist 2B Damon DH Longoria 3B Joyce RF Upton CF Kotchman 1B Brignac SS Jaso C Davis RHP

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No offense, but ...

May 14, 2011, 8:34am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in just one of their last 23 innings - two runs total - dating back to the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against Seattle. They're batting .215 (17-for-79) with one extra-base hit and only four batters advancing beyond second base during that span. The pitchers, meanwhile, have posted a 1.95 ERA in those 23 innings. The rotation has recorded four straight quality starts, positing a 1.86 ERA. Brian Roberts is in a 2-for-35 slump, or a...

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Big day for the battery

May 14, 2011, 5:59am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles and Rays have a 4:10 p.m. start today, which means staying in bed a little longer and getting out of the ballpark a little earlier. It's a win-win situation. I'm a huge fan of the late-afternoon games. Wish there were more of them on the schedule. I won't suggest that jobs will be kept or lost based on today's outcome, but Brad Bergesen needs to steer away from the rocks and Jake Fox needs to guide him. Another crash won't do them any favors. Matt...

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Guthrie: No run support, no excuses

May 13, 2011, 6:26pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in one of their last 23 innings. Naturally, it didn't happen tonight with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound. You should have it all memorized by now. The Orioles haven't scored in five of Guthrie's last seven starts while he's been in the game. They've totaled six runs in his last seven starts while he's been on the mound. It's nothing personal. It's nothing they can control. It just keeps happening. Jeremy Guthrie talks about his complete...

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Jones talks about Hellickson and Guthrie

May 13, 2011, 6:14pm

Orioles

Jones talks about Hellickson and Guthrie

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones described Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as "a little different." It was the result that looked familiar. Another pitcher flattened the Orioles' bats. Hellickson went the distance tonight, shutting out the Orioles on four hits, walking one and striking out three. Adam Jones talks about the difficulties the O's had hitting Jeremy Hellickson "He threw everything - first-pitch strikes, curveball, changeup," Jones said. "He just...

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Showalter: "We've got to figure it out"

May 13, 2011, 6:05pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles won last night despite being shut out for the first 11 innings and falling behind by a run in the 12th. They didn't score through nine innings tonight and weren't nearly as fortunate. "We've got to figure it out. Just because we're facing good pitching...that's why they call it the major leagues. You've got to figure it out," said manager Buck Showalter. Gary Thorne asks Buck Showalter about the O's tough 3-0 loss to the Rays Jeremy Guthrie turned...

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The game within the game (updated)

May 13, 2011, 5:00pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter ordered an intentional walk to Rays left fielder Matt Joyce with first base open and two outs in the sixth inning. Another left-handed hitter, Casey Kotchman, stood on deck, but Showalter didn't want the Guthrie-Joyce matchup in that situation. Here's why it made sense: Joyce homered and singled tonight, making him 8-for-20 lifetime against Jeremy Guthrie. Joyce also led the American League in batting before tonight with a .358...

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Roberts still scuffling

May 13, 2011, 4:34pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brian Roberts stepped to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs in the fifth and the Orioles trailing by two runs. He swung at the first pitch and flied to shallow center field. Roberts is 0-for-3 tonight, making him 3-for-42 since May 1. Mark Reynolds reached on an infield hit after almost striking out for the second time. Plate umpire Ron Kulpa ruled that Reynolds got a piece of the Jeremy Hellickson pitch, which catcher John Jaso couldn't hold. On the...