Brandon Snyder has collected his second RBI double in two games, lining a ball over the head of Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Travis Snider in the top of the second inning to score Adam Jones and give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Snyder is getting a look in back-to-back games because the Blue Jays started left-handers Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero. He needs to take advantage of any opportunity.
Manager Buck Showalter was asked before the game about the Orioles' need to add more power to their...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian Roberts
DH Julio Lugo
RF Nick Markakis
3B Ty Wigginton
CF Adam Jones
C Jake Fox
LF Nolan Reimold
1B Brandon Snyder
SS Cesar Izturis
RHP Jeremy Guthrie
For the Blue Jays:
LF Travis Snider
SS Yunel Escobar
RF Jose Bautista
CF Vernon Wells
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Aaron Hill
DH Adam Lind
3B Edwin Encarnacion
C Jose Molina
LHP Ricky Romero
I'm told that Matt Wieters is fine physically, so his exclusion from the lineup the past two games isn't for health-related...
Jeremy Guthrie needs to play the role of stopper today and end this losing streak at two games.
I guess two games constitute a streak.
Guthrie is 7-4 with a 2.92 ERA over his last 11 starts dating back to July 23. Only three other pitchers have won more games since that date: Roy Halladay (10), Ervin Santana (nine) and Trevor Cahill (eight).
Guthrie has won his last two road starts - his first back-to-back road victories this year - and hasn't allowed an earned run spanning 15 1/3 innings....
The Orioles outhit the Blue Jays, 16-5. Chris Tillman walked only one batter over six innings.
So why aren't they celebrating a win?
Because, as a reader pointed out earlier today, Tillman didn't need to worry about walks. The Jays come out swinging like Hugh Hefner in a smoking jacket.
Unfortunately, they also connect.
Jose Bautista homered twice, giving him 52 on the year and more explaining to do, and Vernon Wells also took Tillman deep. That's three more home runs on the season for a...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian roberts
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
3B Ty Wigginton
DH Jake Fox
LF Nolan Reimold
C Craig Tatum
1B Brandon Snyder
SS Cesar Izuris
RHP Chris Tillman
For the Blue Jays:
LF Dewayne Wise
SS Yunel Escobar
RF Jose Bautista
CF Vernon Wells
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Aaron Hill
DH Adam Lind
C John Buck
3B Edwin Encarnacion
LHP Brett Cecil
The Orioles have lost 11 consecutive games in Toronto, and 20 of their last 22. They're 0-6 at Rogers Centre this year. The last time they were winless in a season road series of six games or more was 2003 in Oakland.
It won't be easy tonight.
A few more notes of potential interest:
The Orioles are 12-3 in series openers under manager Buck Showalter.
Chris Tillman has posted a 0.64 ERA - one earned run in 14 innings - in his last two road starts (July 10 at Texas and Sept. 12 at Detroit)....
Almost lost in the euphoria of competitive September baseball is manager Buck Showalter's desire to evaluate players for next season to assist in the roster construction that will take place over the winter.
It's worth pointing out that Showalter hasn't closed the book on Josh Bell. He's just taking an extended look at Robert Andino and forming an opinion on whether the infielder fits into his plans.
Showalter heard plenty about Andino before rosters expanded this month, and he wanted...
Former Orioles outfielder Mike Young is moving back to Baltimore, and he's bringing one of his charitable endeavors with him.
Young is pretty busy these days. He runs "Genesis Fitness Concepts" and is partners with friend Walt McCreary in a foundation called "Motivating Our Kids."
If he can still play left field, I think he should report to Sarasota next spring.
I'll let Young explain "Motivating Our Kids," currently based in Centreville but moving forward to the Baltimore...
Kevin Millwood took a no-hitter into the fourth inning last night. Nothing to get excited about - you don't call your friends to make sure they're tuned into the game - but it seemed to be an indication that he was barreling toward a quality start, not a waterfall.
Millwood was charged with six runs and seven hits in five innings, the big blow a three-run shot by David Ortiz in the fourth, when Millwood's slider hung over the inner half of the plate and practically begged to be...
The Orioles accomplished nothing tonight except to reintroduce left-hander Troy Patton to the majors.
Patton finally appeared in a game, his first since 2007 with the Houston Astros. He worked two-thirds of an inning after replacing David Hernandez in the seventh and gave up a hit and walk. He also struck out David Ortiz, who drove in four runs against starter Kevin Millwood.
Ryan Kalish greeted Patton with a double, and Victor Martinez walked on four pitches with two outs before Ortiz...
Let's review Ty Wigginton's last four games:
He singles in the winning run on Sunday, preventing a Yankees sweep. He lifts a sacrifice fly on Monday that gives the Orioles a lead. He belts a three-run homer last night that gives the Orioles a lead. He doubles tonight to give the Orioles a lead.
Probably a good idea to keep him in the lineup.
Wigginton's RBI total jumped to 74 tonight with his fourth-inning double off John Lackey that broke a scoreless tie. Nick Markakis singled with one...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
1B Ty Wigginton
DH Luke Scott
C Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
LF Felix Pie
3B Robert Andino
SS Cesar Izturis
RHP Kevin Millwood
For the Red Sox:
CF Ryan Kalish
RF J.D. Drew
C Victor Martinez
DH David Ortiz
3B Adrian Beltre
1B Mike Lowell
2B Bill Hall
LF Josh Reddick
SS Yamaico Navarro
RHP John Lackey
You already know that the Orioles will attempt to complete their first three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston since June 10-12, 1994.
Reliever Mike Oquist got the win in relief in the first game. Mike Mussina won the second game. Ben McDonald allowed three runs over eight innings to finish up the sweep. Brady Anderson went 4-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.
McDonald and Anderson have worked in the MASN broadcast booth this season.
Coincidence?
Yes, I'm sure.
You're...
Jets receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested this week for DWI.
Knowing Edwards, the charges also will be dropped.
Now, back to baseball...
Did you know that Catonsville native and former major league pitcher Jeff Nelson recently bought a home in Sykesville?
Well, he did.
Nelson is doing some work for XM radio and MLB.com.
It was nice to see Julio Lugo back in the Orioles' dugout last night. And yes, smiling.
Lugo told reporters in Boston that he's been diagnosed with a "partially...
I really feel bad for Jonathan Papelbon.
Oh wait...I actually feel the exact opposite for Jonathan Papelbon.
The Orioles just tagged him for four runs on five hits in the top of the ninth, increasing their lead to 9-1.
Let me type the last part of that line again: Increasing their lead to 9-1.
This game is being played in Fenway Park. In September. And the Orioles are beating the Red Sox, 9-1.
They can complete the sweep tomorrow night.
Must be the soft part of the schedule again.
Let's start with the hustle.
Adam Jones scored all the way from first base when Boston second baseman Marco Scutaro dropped Felix Pie's pop up with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Jones could have assumed that Scutaro would make the catch, but he ran full-speed and delivered the tying run.
Maybe it's odd to praise hustle - it should be a requirement - but it seems worth noting in this instance. Not every player would have circled the bases on that play.
An inning later, Ty...
When we last left Jake Arrieta, he was prepared to undergo surgery tomorrow to have a bone spur removed from his right elbow. Now he's getting a second opinion from orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum.
Arrieta told reporters in Boston yesterday that he's leaning toward not having the procedure, though it's relatively simple in nature and gives him plenty of time to recover.
I don't get it.
Yocum will take a look at the MRI results and offer his opinion, which usually carries a lot of...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
1B Ty Wigginton
DH Luke Scott
CA Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
LF Felix Pie
3B Robert Andino
SS Cesar Izturis
P Brad Bergesen
For the Red Sox:
2B Marco Scutaro
RF JD Drew
CA Victor Martinez
DH David Ortiz
3B Adrian Beltre
SS Jed Lowrie
CF Ryan Kalish
LF Daniel Nava
1B Lars Anderson
P Clay Buchholz
I've had this discussion in the press box with a friend and fellow scribe on multiple occasions. OCJ touched on it in his most recent comment.
The last month of the season usually brings pain and suffering. It's like jamming toothpicks underneath your fingernails, watching Sidney Ponson dress at his locker or taking the Saints -5 1/2 last night.
(Who dat? The team that didn't cover for me. Nice defense, fellas. And don't be shy about punching it in from the 1.)
So here we are, down to...
I guess that 38-pitch first inning didn't take too much out of left-hander Brian Matusz.
Matusz blanked the Red Sox over the next four innings. He's allowed three hits, walked three and struck out four.
Unfortunately, his pitch count is up to 102 because of that early workload and David Hernandez has replaced him. Matusz falls an inning short of a quality start.
If you want to get under manager Buck Showalter's skin, suggest that a young pitcher is getting stronger as we approach the end...
