The Orioles are 1-12 in games that decide the winner of a three-game series, including 1-7 at Camden Yards. Their only victory came on May 13 against Seattle.
Better execution in the field might have changed tonight's outcome.
Ty Wigginton committed a costly error at first base and couldn't field Brian Roberts' one-hop throw on a potential double play. Josh Bell threw behind Roberts, which disrupted the second baseman.
"There are situations in a game that you can go back on," manager...
But enough about my love life.
The Orioles put the potential tying runs on base in the ninth inning against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Too bad the bottom of the order was coming up.
Pinch-hitter Corey Patterson laid down a nice bunt to advance Felix Pie and pinch-runner Julio Lugo, who entered the game for Matt Wieters (3-for-4, two RBIs). Patterson's neck must be feeling a little better, though he didn't have to take any swings against Papelbon.
Manager Buck Showalter let Cesar...
Rick VandenHurk is appearing in his third game with the Orioles. Call off the search.
VandenHurk replaced Brad Bergesen with one out in the sixth and coaxed a double-play grounder from Victor Martinez. Two pitches and he was done.
We'll see him again in the seventh.
VandenHurk tossed a scoreless inning against Texas, striking out two, in his Orioles' debut on Aug. 22. He gave up two runs (one earned) in three innings in an Aug. 26 game in Chicago.
The Orioles acquired VandenHurk from the...
Brad Bergesen got into another jam in the third inning with a one-out single and two-out walk.
I stress that it was a two-out walk.
Marco Scutaro sent a grounder up the third base line. Josh Bell fielded the ball and stepped on the bag. The inning was over, except Bell forgot the number of outs. He went for the unnecessary double play, firing the ball to first baseman Ty Wigginton, who tried to knock it down as it skipped in the dirt.
Players sort of milled around the infield for a few...
A very underrated movie. Also a keen strategy by the Orioles that got Brad Bergesen through the first inning without any real damage.
The Orioles shifted their infield with two outs in the first inning, Victor Martinez on first base and left-handed slugger David Ortiz at the plate. A typical maneuver that worked perfectly as Ortiz sent a sharp grounder past first baseman Ty Wigginton. The ball was headed for right field, but Brian Roberts had moved to the exact spot and made the pickup and...
Breaking news: Jake Arrieta shaved off his mustache.
Double-A Bowie outfielder Xavier Avery has been added to the Scottsdale Scorpions' roster in the Arizona Fall League. He'll join pitchers Kam Mickolio, Wynn Pelzer, Oliver Drake and Pat Egan, infielders Ryan Adams, Greg Miclat and Tyler Townsend, and catcher Caleb Joseph. Single-A Frederick pitching coach Blaine Beatty will serve as pitching coach for Scottsdale.
Manager Buck Showalter says he's familiar with Bowie's Joel Guzman, who...
Adam Jones doesn't think he'll be cleared to play for a few more days because of soreness in his upper back. Felix Pie is starting in center field tonight.
"He had that one swing that really bit him last night," manager Buck Showalter said.
Update: Jones was given the option of receiving a cortisone injection, but he's undecided. He's never had one. For now, he still hopes to return in a few days.
Showalter said it's too soon to determine whether the club will call up an outfielder...
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott DH
Felix Pie CF
Matt Wieters C
Nolan Reimold LF
Cesar Izturis SS
Josh Bell 3B
Brad Bergesen RHP
For the Red Sox:
Scutaro SS
Drew RF
Martinez C
Ortiz DH
Beltre 3B
Lowrie 2B
Lowell 1B
Nava LF
Kalish CF
Matsuzaka RHP
Update: Brian Matusz was named AL Rookie of the Month for August. In six August starts, Matusz went 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA. He's the first Oriole to be named Rookie of the Month since Nolan Reimold (June...
Brad Bergesen might not have flipped the page on his calendar.
Bergesen was 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in five starts last month. In his most recent outing, he held the Angels to one run over eight innings, and it scored on a questionable balk call. He doesn't look like a pitcher who needs to be shut down.
Tonight, Bergesen faces the Red Sox in September. He's hoping that change is good.
Bergesen is 1-2 with a 3.71 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox, with three walks and 20 strikeouts in 26 2/3...
September means roster expansion. It also means shutting down the occasional player.
It also means shopping for school supplies, which ranks in the top three of my least-favorite tasks in life. I'd rather remove my appendix with a melon baller. But I digress...
We already know that the Orioles are going to add more players from the minors, including pitcher Chris Tillman. At least one more reliever is coming up - and that doesn't include David Hernandez, who will be activated from the...
The Orioles' bullpen gave up six runs in the seventh inning. That equals the total it allowed in the previous nine games spanning 18 innings.
Alfredo Simon, who hadn't pitched since Aug. 24, has surrendered home runs in five of his last eight outings.
Mark Hendrickson hadn't pitched since Aug. 22, and it's strange that I didn't notice the layoff.
That's what happens when your starters are going deep in games. Heck, Rick VandenHurk moved his locker after Jim Johnson returned and I...
Tonight's attendance: 16,210.
It's loud here, and only because the Red Sox have taken a 9-5 lead.
Mark Hendrickson is charged with three runs in the seventh, and Alfredo Simon served up three more on Adrian Beltre's homer.
Simon hasn't pitched since Aug. 24, when he gave up a run and three hits in one inning against the White Sox. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters a few days ago that Simon was fine physically, and the right-hander threw after last night's game to stay sharp.
He's...
A victory tonight would give the Orioles their first five-game winning streak since June 17-21, 2009.
Jake Arrieta has allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. He hasn't walked a batter, but he's sitting on 95 pitches.
Mark Hendrickson has been warming up for a while. David Ortiz is leading off the sixth. We're facing a pitching change.
Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk's Tim Bascom is shutting out Gwinnett on three hits through five innings. Blake Davis is playing shortstop...
The Orioles must be taking advantage of the soft spot in Jon Lester's start.
They scored four runs on four hits, a hit batter and a wild pitch in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead. As you know, the Orioles have tallied more than three runs against Lester only once in his 12 victories against them.
In three previous starts against the Orioles this season, the left-hander has surrendered only one earned run and has owned them so convincingly, he should carry a sales receipt in his...
And lots of it.
Manager Buck Showalter went with the front office's recommendations when it came to adding Nolan Reimold, Robert Andino and Brandon Snyder to the expanded roster.
"I leaned on what everybody told me. It wasn't me," Showalter said. "That's who everybody felt like we should get a look at."
Showalter is using Reimold as the designated hitter tonight. Keep in mind that Reimold is 3-for-7 with a double lifetime against Jon Lester.
Reimold's season numbers at Triple-A...
Reliever David Hernandez threw 30 pitches during today's batting practice session in Sarasota, and manager Buck Showalter said the reports were favorable.
Showalter sounds encouraged, and it's possible that Hernandez, who's recovering from a badly sprained left ankle, could rejoin the Orioles within a week to 10 days.
Hernandez will take two days off and report to Double-A Bowie, which is closing the regular season at Richmond. He's scheduled to throw one inning.
Hernandez could pitch...
Brian Roberts 2B
Julio Lugo SS
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Adam Jones CF
Felix Pie LF
Matt Wieters C
Nolan Reimold DH
Josh Bell 3B
Jake Arrieta RHP
The Orioles have designated outfielder Lou Montanez for assignment to make room for infielder Robert Andino on the 40-man roster.
Montanez is batting .289 with five doubles, two triples, two homers and 20 RBIs in 24 games at Triple-A Norfolk. He's missed a significant chunk of the season with an oblique injury.
Montanez has batted .223 in 93 games over parts of the last three seasons with the Orioles, including .140 in 26 games this year.
Andino, outfielder Nolan Reimold and first baseman...
Jim Johnson has made two appearances since coming off the disabled list, and they've been under drastically different circumstances.
He entered a 5-0 game in the ninth inning, manager Buck Showalter's way of easing him back into major league competition. And he replaced Brian Matusz last night with the potential tying run on first base and no outs in the seventh.
The easing process didn't take long.
Johnson gave up a single before retiring the next three batters, striking out pinch-hitter...
Manager Buck Showalter needs to go 0-24 to match Juan Samuel's record.
The pressure's on.
I like how Showalter walks into the interview room after the final out and asks for the time of game, as if he's hoping that his club took care of us.
"Stay under three, right?"
Exactly. Anything under three hours is good. And 2 ½ will make us do a happy dance.
So I guess the Orioles took advantage of the soft spot in Boston's rotation last night. That must have been it.
They...
