Roch Kubatko

Gabino here and Orioles lineup

August 05, 2010, 11:36am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Armando Gabino is listed among the relievers. Here's the lineup: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 3B Luke Scott 1B Adam Jones CF Felix Pie LF Matt Wieters C Corey Patterson DH Cesar Izturis SS Jake Arrieta RHP

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Gentile to be honored

August 05, 2010, 10:15am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

The Orioles have announced that they'll honor Jim Gentile in a special on-field ceremony before tomorrow night's game against the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards. In 1961, Gentile set career highs with a .302 average, 46 homers and 141 RBIs. He finished one RBI behind league-leader Roger Maris, until a baseball researcher discovered several years ago that Maris was credited with an RBI on an error. Major League Baseball recently verified and approved the research, and Gentile appears in...

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Jones: "Everyone knows his reputation"

August 05, 2010, 8:49am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

I found this quote from last night's game to be especially interesting, since we're still gauging how players are accepting new manager Buck Showalter. I'll let Adam Jones do the talking here: "I think what's really going on is everyone knows his reputation as a hard-ass. He's going to get on you for doing this; he's going to say something about everything. I think that's actually worked. Hey, let's get it done. You might as well. You don't want him on you. I think that's the...

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Freaky Tuesday and Wednesday

August 05, 2010, 5:32am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Last night marked the third consecutive game that the opposing starter didn't last six innings. We've entered the Bizarro World. The Angels are a bad baseball team, and it feels strange to type those words. I'm not downplaying a single thing the Orioles have accomplished under Buck Showalter...but the Angels are a bad baseball team. Guys are playing out of position. Can you imagine such a thing? Did you see the botched pop up in foul territory? They actually let the ball fall harmlessly...

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The Showalter must go on

August 04, 2010, 7:41pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

That's two in a row, but who's counting? The Orioles held on for a 9-7 victory after the Angels scored the last six runs of the game. "When you get to six innings, can we keep them from scoring eight runs before we get nine outs? I kind of break it down that way. And we did," said manager Buck Showalter. Special thanks to Torii Hunter for attempting to steal third base with no outs in the ninth inning after the Angels had reduced the deficit to two runs. He already was in scoring...

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Hernandez could be headed to DL (updated)

August 04, 2010, 7:11pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Hernandez could be headed to DL (updated)

David Hernandez came out of tonight's game with a sprained left ankle, and the swelling is severe enough that he's a candidate for the disabled list. Manager Buck Showalter spoke to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about the possibility of a roster move tomorrow. Josh Bell left the game with some cramping, though we're trying to determine whether it's back or legs. Doesn't sound too serious, but it explains why he didn't swing at a 3-2 pitch in the seventh. Update:...

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Strange substitution (& Hernandez update)

August 04, 2010, 6:36pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Strange substitution (& Hernandez update)

We're trying to figure out why Josh Bell left the game in the top of the eighth. Ty Wigginton replaced Bell at third base, and Jake Fox took over at first. Shortstop Cesar Izturis is the only infielder at his original position. Bell struck out in the seventh. He didn't appear to sustain an injury. I can't imagine that he's being punished for loafing on his way back to the bench. We'll find out later. Koji Uehara struck out the side in the eighth and pumped his fist as he left the...

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Roberts leaves game (updated twice)

August 04, 2010, 5:44pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Julio Lugo has replaced Brian Roberts at second base. Don't say I didn't warn you. Roberts has a left shin contusion, according to a club spokesman. I thought the ball hit Roberts on the side of the foot, but I'm not a doctor. Matt Albers will try to hold a 9-1 lead. Update: David Hernandez will try to hold a 9-4 lead. Albers recorded only one out and allowed two singles and two doubles. Left fielder Felix Pie didn't touch the ball while Brian Matusz was in the game, despite the...

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Rain delayed reaction (updated)

August 04, 2010, 5:25pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

The tarp is on the field and the rain is coming down hard. Don't say I didn't warn you. Update: Now the tarp's off the field and play is expected to resume at 9:40 p.m. Tonight's attendance: 13,467. Brian Matusz was done for the night, no matter the weather. He allowed one run and seven hits over six innings, walked none and struck out three. He threw 93 pitches. On a night when he didn't need much offensive support, the Orioles gave him nine runs. He won't complain. I'm told that...

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Matusz through four (updated three times)

August 04, 2010, 4:28pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Matusz through four (updated three times)

The Angels have collected six hits off Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz through four innings. Half of them haven't left the infield. The only run scored on a broken-bat grounder by Mike Napoli in the fourth. Howie Kendrick doubled and moved to third on a grounder. Matusz hasn't walked a batter, which is encouraging when you consider that he issued 13 in his last four starts covering 13 innings. He's struck out two and thrown 61 pitches. Big nights for Adam Jones and Felix Pie, who are a...

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Another painful moment for Roberts (updated)

August 04, 2010, 3:32pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Another painful moment for Roberts (updated)

Angels catcher Jeff Mathis nailed Brian Roberts on the left foot with a pickoff throw in the first inning, but the Orioles' leadoff hitter stayed in the game. Roberts is in obvious pain, but at least it's not his back. Head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter checked on Roberts, who was limping as he took a stroll on the basepaths. The way Roberts was squatting and bending at the waist, you had to wonder whether his back was the issue. But the ball hit Roberts on the...

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Showalter's bullpen philosophy

August 04, 2010, 2:01pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

It's not surprising that we're learning more about new manager Buck Showalter with each passing day. Showalter already has established that he's not ready to anoint a closer and he doesn't care about saves. He also doesn't want his relievers warming up if they're not going to pitch. We tend to forget that a reliever might not enter a game for three or four days, but if he's up every night, he's still taxing his arm. I've heard bullpen guys complain about past managers burning them...

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On this date (w/Angels lineup)

August 04, 2010, 12:41pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Left-hander Brian Matusz, who starts tonight, made his major league debut in Detroit exactly one year ago and picked up his first win. In 2002, Ty Wigginton hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot off Arizona's John Patterson. The Orioles named Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Armando Gabino as the organization's minor league Pitcher of the Month for July after he went 3-0 with a save and a 1.23 ERA in eight games. He walked four batters and struck out 19. Double-A Bowie's Joe...

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Orioles lineup

August 04, 2010, 11:40am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Luke Scott DH Adam Jones CF Felix Pie LF Matt Wieters C Josh Bell 3B Cesar Izturis SS Brian Matusz LHP

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Brian's sad song

August 04, 2010, 9:29am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Left-hander Brian Matusz takes the mound tonight with only one win since April 18, a stretch of futility that I never would have imagined possible back in spring training. Maybe an offense that was so clutch last night will support him. And maybe new manager Buck Showalter will stick with him longer. Matusz hasn't completed the sixth inning in his last four starts. He's surrendered 18 runs and 19 hits, and issued 13 walks, in 13 innings. He's also 0-7 with a 5.55 ERA at home this year. In...

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Going for two in a row

August 04, 2010, 5:55am

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

I was going to wear my Felix Pie T-shirt this morning, but I took a bad route to the dresser and didn't get there in time. Seriously, though... Pie played an outstanding left field last night. He was aggressive going to the ball and ran down a few near the line that saved his pitchers. Probably the best he's looked all season. Didn't stop me from dropping the above line on you, but it might be out-dated by tonight. Heck, he might win a Gold Glove. These things do happen unexpectedly. A...

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Putting on a good Showalter

August 03, 2010, 6:19pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Manager Buck Showalter asked the first question tonight. "What was time of game?" Told that it lasted a mere 2 hours, 23 minutes, he replied, "Everybody's happy here, right?" Right. And there's nothing like a victory to set the tone for the remainder of the season. Right? "It's not imperative, but I'm excited about it and I hope the players are," Showalter said. "You always like to end up on the right side of it, regardless of the situation. But what comes first? That's the...

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Buck's first big decision (updated twice)

August 03, 2010, 5:05pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Buck's first big decision (updated twice)

Remove Jeremy Guthrie after seven innings or send him back out for the eighth? That was the decision facing new manager Buck Showalter, and he chose to pull Guthrie after 92 pitches and bring in left-hander Michael Gonzalez with the top of the order coming up. Showalter wanted Gonzalez to face the two switch-hitters and a left-hander. Gonzalez responded by getting two quick outs, allowing a single to Bobby Abreu and inducing a grounder from Torii Hunter, who represented the potential tying...

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The uprising (updated)

August 03, 2010, 4:45pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

The Orioles scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Luke Scott greeted reliever Francisco Rodriguez with a two-run bomb to right field, and Josh Bell collected his first major league RBIs with a two-run double to left after Felix Pie singled and Matt Wieters was walked intentionally. Wieters scored all the way from first base, which won't happen very often. Speed isn't counted among his tools. Bell lined the ball to the opposite field. Maybe he'll relax...

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Mid-game update

August 03, 2010, 4:05pm

Roch Kubatko

Orioles

Did you know that Angels starter Trevor Bell is the grandson of Bob Bell, the original Bozo the Clown for WGN-TV in Chicago from 1960 until 1984? You can't make this stuff up. You can, however, make up your own joke. Both teams were shut out through four innings, but Howie Kendrick just ripped a two-run homer to left field with no outs in the fifth. Kendrick got hold of a 96 mph fastball. Luke Scott had the only extra-base hit before Kendrick's homer, a two-out double in the fourth. Adam...