Quick B-Rob update

Quick B-Rob update
Brian Roberts went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and run scored today for the Gulf Coast League Orioles in their 4-1 victory over the GCL Rays. Bring on the GCL Yankees. Serving as the Orioles designated hitter, Roberts lined a single into center field and a double into left. His only out in two rehab games came on a fly ball to center. Roberts is 5-for-6 with a double and walk since reporting to the GCL team. He's scheduled to join Double-A Bowie next week and hopes to be activated from the...
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Another loss for the Yankees (updated)

Another loss for the Yankees (updated)
Brian Roberts has singled and walked in three plate appearances as the Gulf Coast League Orioles' designated hitter. He's 4-for-5 in the first two games of his injury rehab assignment. I know the Yankees don't elicit much sympathy around here, but it's been a rough week with the passing of Bob Sheppard, the team's revered public address announcer, and owner George Steinbrenner within the past three days. Steinbrenner died early this morning in Tampa after suffering a massive heart...
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Reflecting on the past

Reflecting on the past
I watched about 12 seconds of the Home Run Derby before realizing that I no longer care about the Home Run Derby. David Ortiz won? Fabulous. Does the winner get a free spot in the slam dunk contest? Did Dwyane Wade really claim that he's now part of the greatest trio in NBA history? Bird, McHale and Parish would like a minute for rebuttal. They'll have to beat Magic, Kareem and Worthy to the door. And we'll wait for Wilt, West and Baylor to park their cars. Just leave enough room for...
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Down on the farm

Down on the farm
Luke Scott says he'll start a rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League team on Thursday. Brandon Waring hit his 14th home run tonight for Double-A Bowie, and Caleb Joseph belted his 10th, but Trenton scored seven runs in the ninth inning in a 10-5 victory over the Baysox. Bob McCrory took the loss after being charged with three runs. Pedro Beato, named to the Eastern League All-Star team, gave up four runs and three hits, with one walk, after replacing McCrory in the ninth. Billy Rowell...
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Manager, injury and draft updates (updated)

Manager, injury and draft updates (updated)
Don't look for a new manager to take over the club when the season resumes on Friday. An announcement isn't on the horizon. Buck Showalter clearly has emerged as the leading candidate after meeting with team officials again over the weekend, but I'm told that a lot needs to get done before anything is finalized. Nothing is going to happen in the near future unless there's an abrupt change. Brian Roberts has started an injury rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League Orioles, going...
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All-Star Game lineups

All-Star Game lineups
Tampa Bay left-hander David Price will start for the American League in tomorrow night's All-Star Game. He'll be opposed by Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez. Why wait until tomorrow? Here are the lineups: American League: Ichiro Suzuki, RF, SEA Derek Jeter, SS, NYY Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET Josh Hamilton, CF, TEX Vladimir Guerrero, DH, TEX Evan Longoria, 3B, TB Joe Mauer, C, MIN Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY Carl Crawford, LF, TB David Price, LHP, TB National League: Hanley Ramirez, SS,...
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Streaking into the break

Streaking into the break
We've reached the All-Star break without the Orioles folding or going 2-86. I had serious concerns back in April about both possibilities. A four-game sweep in Texas has invigorated some fans whose loyalty was being severely tested, who were scrambling for reasons to maintain interest (tracking the prospects, the managerial search, the race against the '62 Mets and '88 Orioles). The first four-game road sweep since 1995 has left the Orioles with a 29-59 record, still the worst in...
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Breaking out the brooms

Breaking out the brooms
Forget what I said about the All-Star break coming at the perfect time. It's coming at the worst-possible time. That's five quality starts in seven games for Jake Arrieta, who held the Rangers to one run over 6 1/3 innings today and exited after 90 pitches. Jake Arrieta talks to Mark Viviano about his performance in the Orioles' 4-1 win Interim manager Juan Samuel left himself open to the usual second-guessing when he removed Arrieta in favor of left-hander Will Ohman, who walked a batter...
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The decision

The decision
Do I save the leftover chicken piccata for dinner or eat it for lunch? Does it have to be one or the other? OK, here's the actual decision that I'm referencing: The Rangers put a runner on second base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Nelson Cruz represented the tying run. Jake Arrieta fell behind, 2-0, on two sliders. He got a strike on a 91 mph fastball, and missed with the same pitch to leave the count at 3-1. Cruz had to be looking fastball, but Arrieta went back to the...
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Craig's list can't include an injury

Craig's list can't include an injury
Backup catcher Craig Tatum fouled a ball off his left foot in the fourth inning and collapsed to the ground. He limped out of the batters box, a grimace on his face. He'll have to play through the pain. The Orioles are short on reserves with Matt Wieters unavailable and Felix Pie recovering from a strained quad. Pie says he's ready. Interim manager Juan Samuel says he'd rather wait until after the break. Jake Fox is the backup catcher again today, except he's also the starting first...
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Can't stop this offense

Can't stop this offense
You can only hope to contain it. The Orioles haven't swept a four-game series on the road since June 1995 in Chicago. They've already taken a 3-1 lead today in the top of the second inning. Who are these guys? They failed to score after Miguel Tejada reached third base with one out in the first inning, but Julio Lugo doubled in the second to tie the game, and Corey Patterson looped a double to left field with two outs to bring home two more runs. That's three doubles in the second...
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Orioles lineup: If it ain't broke...

Orioles lineup: If it ain't broke...
Look familiar? Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton DH Adam Jones CF Jake Fox 1B Craig Tatum C Julio Lugo 2B Cesar Izturis SS Jake Arrieta RHP Bengie Molina is the only Ranger who has faced Arrieta, going 1-for-3 with a strikeout. For the Rangers: Julio Borbon CF Michael Young 3B Ian Kinsler 2B Vladimir Guerrero DH David Murphy LF Nelson Cruz RF Bengie Molina C Chris Davis 1B Andres Blanco SS C.J. Wilson LHP
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Road raves

Road raves
It feels like I just got to Ocean Pines and I'm already prepared to make the return trip to Sykesville. I'll post the lineups and check the comments once I'm home. The usual drill. Before hitting the road, I wanted to point out the following: * The Orioles are hitting on the road. They're batting .301 in this series, with seven home runs and 14 extra-base hits. * The last time Cesar Izturis homered before last night, Brian Matusz was making his major league debut on Aug. 4 in Detroit....
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Fun while it lasted (updated 3 times)

Fun while it lasted (updated 3 times)
Chris Tillman lost his no-hitter with one out in the seventh inning when Ian Kinsler grounded a single into left field. Now we can talk about it. Tillman had allowed one baserunner, walking Elvis Andrus, before Kinsler broke up the no-no. Tillman deserves credit for maintaining his focus and retiring Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton, protecting a 5-0 lead that was built in part on home runs by Nick Markakis, Cesar Izturis and Adam Jones. With his pitch count at 101, a complete-game...
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Three up, Rangers down

Three up, Rangers down
Once again, here are three things from tonight's game that jumped out at me, got me in a headlock and gave me a noogie. 1. The Orioles swung at the first two pitches from Cliff Lee and took a 1-0 lead. Corey Patterson doubled and Miguel Tejada singled. That's it. If you blinked, you missed it. The crowd erupted when Lee's third pitch didn't produce a hit. Talk about a short honeymoon. 2. Cesar Izturis hit a home run, which is about as rare as Mark Hendrickson not meeting the height...
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Gonzalez goes back-to-back

Gonzalez goes back-to-back
Left-hander Michael Gonzalez took an important step in his eventual return to the Orioles, pitching at Double-A Bowie for the second consecutive night. Gonzalez retired the side in order, striking out one. He also tossed a scoreless inning last night, but he allowed a hit and walked a batter. Gonzalez, replacing starter Rick Zagone in the seventh inning tonight, recorded two outs on fly balls. I'm told that he relied mostly on his breaking ball against the first two hitters, and his fastball...
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Luke Scott: "I'm doing great"

Luke Scott: "I'm doing great"
I exchanged text messages with Luke Scott earlier tonight, and it sounds like his injured hamstring is improving by the day. Scott has been rehabbing at the minor league complex in Sarasota. He took a "light jog" and hit today without experiencing any discomfort in his left leg. "I'm doing great," he wrote. "No pain. A little fatigue with all the repetition, but that's normal. Feeling good." Scott went on the disabled list retroactive to July 1 after straining his hamstring on a home...
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Fox at first (w/Rangers lineup)

Fox at first (w/Rangers lineup)
Bring on Cliff Lee: Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton DH Adam Jones CF Jake Fox 1B Craig Tatum C Julio Lugo 2B Cesar Izturis SS Chris Tillman RHP Here's the Rangers lineup: Elvis Andrus SS Michael Young 3B Ian Kinsler 2B Vladimir Guerrero DH Josh Hamilton LF David Murphy RF Matt Treanor C Chris Davis 1B Julio Borbon CF Cliff Lee LHP
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Tillman time

Tillman time
Let's hear it for hour naps! Actually, they leave me groggy and feeling like the day is being wasted, but it's raining here in Ocean Pines, I ate lunch and the game hasn't started. A nap seemed like a good plan, even if the original intention was to close my eyes for a few minutes and listen to Wall to Wall Baseball on MASN. A few minutes. Yeah, right. An hour later, Tom Davis and Dave Johnson were signing off and my mother was flipping through her Sopranos cookbook for that piccata...
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Grand east station

Grand east station
You people are impressive. I posted an entry at 1:45 a.m. that attracted more than 40 comments before I finally shut off the laptop around 2:30 a.m. and stumbled upstairs to bed. I wondered if I was the only person still awake and interested in the outcome of a game involving the team with the worst record in baseball. Silly me. The Orioles will face newly acquired Cliff Lee tonight, and they'll be packing a short bench. Catcher Matt Wieters isn't available after straining his right...
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