I knew that Mike Gonzalez left the team to be present for the birth of his daughter in Arizona.
I didn't know he took most of the city with him.
You probably can't blame last night's record-low attendance entirely on the Orioles' lousy start. Monday night games against the Rays aren't a big draw. But it's still painful.
Brian Matusz takes the ball tonight, and I'm asking him again to behave like a veteran anchor of the pitching staff and end this skid.
No pressure, kid.
Matusz...
Brandon Erbe took the loss tonight in his Triple-A debut.
Erbe allowed four runs and six hits, with three walks, in 4 1/3 innings in Norfolk's 6-3 loss to Charlotte. Erbe struck out three, but his pitch count soared to 85 before Jim Miller replaced him.
Charlotte starter Dan Hudson allowed a leadoff homer to Jeff Salazar before retiring 14 in a row.
Josh Bell had an RBI double in the ninth, and he scored on Rhyne Hughes' single. The rally ended when former Oriole Greg Aquino retired...
During his post-game session with the media, Orioles manager Dave Trembley said, "I think for the most part guys are doing the best they can."
Dave Trembley talks with the media after the O's 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay
I'd love to hear the exceptions.
Jeremy Guthrie turned in a solid start, one that was worthy of a victory. His ball has more movement than last season. He's not pitching up in the strike zone as much. His slider is better.
His record would be better if the Orioles would score...
Tonight's attendance: 9,129. That's the smallest crowd in the history of Camden Yards.
Just when it appeared that Garrett Atkins would come up with a big hit in the seventh, Carl Crawford raced into left-center field and made a sensational diving catch.
Crawford looked like an NFL receiver laying out for a pass, except he only used one hand to make the grab and it was covered with an outfielder's glove. So it wasn't exactly like an NFL receiver. No shoulder pads, either.
Luke Scott...
Ben Zobrist just tripled in the sixth inning to score Carl Crawford and break a 1-1 tie. Zobrist came home on Evan Longoria's fly ball.
Rays 3, Orioles 1.
Jeremy Guthrie retired eight in a row before Crawford doubled with one out, making him 3-for-3. Guthrie's completed six innings, but his pitch count has exceeded 90 and the bullpen is busy.
The Orioles are 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position tonight, including two chances in the second inning, to leave them 9-for-58 on the season....
Felix Pie led off the bottom of the first with a home run off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza.
Orioles 1, Rays 0.
Pie could get a lot of opportunities to bat first while Brian Roberts stays on the disabled list, though it's less likely to happen when the Orioles face a left-handed starter. And you never know what you'll get with Pie, as manager Dave Trembley has pointed out.
Pie could jump on the first pitch and hit it a long way. He could work the count in his next at-bat. He could swing at...
You can include Juan Samuel, who works with the infielders, among the observers who rank second base as Justin Turner's best position.
"To me, his best position from what I've seen is second base," Samuel said.
See, I told you.
"He's got a good bat and he can turn the double play at second base," Samuel added. "He came up last year and played a little third base for us. I haven't seen him play much at short, but his best position is second base."
Shortstop is Turner's third-best...
Orioles manager Dave Trembley confirmed that second baseman Brian Roberts received another epidural on his lower back today after an MRI didn't reveal any new information.
Roberts has been told to rest for four or five days before attempting to work out. He'll probably go on an injury rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list.
The question is, when will Roberts be ready? And are we back to worrying more about his back? What about the strained abdominal muscle?
Fifteen...
Justin Turner and his Norfolk teammates were watching the Orioles' home opener on a clubhouse television when Brian Roberts left the game with a strained abdominal muscle.
Turner knew about the injury. He just wasn't sure how it would impact him.
It wasn't until yesterday morning that Turner found out about his promotion to Baltimore, the news coming in a meeting with Tides manager Gary Allenson about an hour before their game.
"I knew Brian was hurt but I didn't know what was going to...
Injured second baseman Brian Roberts won't accompany the team to the West Coast after undergoing an MRI today. Roberts also might receive another epidural after being re-examined.
Roberts has been instructed to take off the next three days before attempting to work out. He also will need to get some at-bats at the minor league camp or with an affiliate before returning to the lineup.
The Orioles don't know whether Roberts will be ready to come off the disabled list when he's eligible on...
For the Orioles:
Felix Pie LF
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Miguel Tejada 3B
Matt Wieters C
Luke Scott DH
Garrett Atkins 1B
Julio Lugo 2B
Cesar Izturis SS
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
For the Rays:
Bartless SS
Crawford LF
Zobrist RF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Upton CF
Burrell DH
Brignac 2B
Navarro C
Matt Garza RHP
MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko, who is providing constant updates on the Ravens-Colts game today from M&T Bank Stadium, noted that Orioles center fielder Adam Jones stood on the sideline during warmups wearing a Johnny Unitas jersey.
Jones is playing it smart.
He's a Colts fan because he's a huge Peyton Manning fan, but he must know how poorly that choice would be received in Baltimore. Better to sport the Unitas jersey. That softens the blow. And you can't go wrong anytime you pay tribute...
Brad Bergesen continued his running program yesterday, the third time he's picked up the pace without having any issues with his leg.
Bergesen told me that he starts with a five-minute walk, then a five-minute run, then a five-minute power walk.
"It all felt good," he said. "I've been doing my core training for three weeks now, going into a fourth. Everything's good. I still feel (the leg) a little, but I'm able to do everything. It's not like it's painful or anything."
Asked if...
A report from FOXSports.com that free-agent outfielder Jermaine Dye is willing to play first base next season, and how he could be "a right-handed hitting alternative at first for several clubs, including the Braves, Mets, Giants and Orioles," has stirred up some readers.
It's important to stress that the report doesn't state that the Orioles are interested. They're just tossed into the mix because they need a first baseman and a right-handed bat for the middle of their lineup.
Back on...
I caught up to pitcher Matt Albers yesterday as he was heading to the Texans-Titans game (I didn't have the heart to tell him that I took Tennessee +4 ½).
For the past two weeks, Albers and Triple-A Norfolk left-hander Troy Patton have been working out at a facility about 20 minutes north of Houston.
"There are about 20 to 25 guys who either play pro ball or just finished," Albers said.
Albers won't start throwing until mid-December, but it's more important for him...
Free-agent pitcher Mark Hendrickson isn't preoccupied with thoughts of his next contract. He got married over the weekend, so his priorities have shifted.
Hendrickson just told me that he remains encouraged that he'll re-sign with the Orioles, but nothing is imminent.
"Right now, it's always kind of tough because it's the Thanksgiving week. Usually, everything slows to a crawl in the world of Major League Baseball," he said.
"If I don't hear anything, we've already had discussions...
Topps is unveiling its 51st All-Rookie team this morning, and a certain highly touted and much-publicized Oriole went ignored.
Matt Wieters didn't make the list.
I'll take my eggs over-easy, with a side of outrage.
The New York Mets' Omir Santos beat out Wieters for top (or Topp) rookie catcher after batting .260 with 14 doubles, seven homers, 40 RBIs and a .688 OPS in 281 at-bats. Wieters batted .288 with 15 doubles, nine homers, 43 RBIs and a .753 OPS in 354 at-bats.
I forgot that...
The San Diego Padres have claimed pitcher Radhames Liz off waivers.
Now he can be reunited with Oscar Salazar.
Liz, 26, appeared in two games with the Orioles this season and allowed 10 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. He was 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight starts with Double-A Bowie, and 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 17 games (six starts) with Triple-A Norfolk.
Live arm, bad mechanics.
The Padres must figure out what to do with Liz, something the Orioles never did. Is he a starter or a two-inning power...
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
I hope you ate a light breakfast. Today is a marathon of eating, not a sprint. Pace yourselves.
So is it the tryptophan in the turkey that makes you drowsy, or the carbohydrates in the potatoes and stuffing?
Or maybe it's the boxed wine.
That's my theory.
We tend to blame the turkey, but it's apparently built around a myth. Says so here, too.
I always eat too much and then collapse on the couch. My sister volunteers to turn me over every 30 minutes so...
I'll be heading to Ocean Pines later today with my daughter, who retains complete control of the radio, to spend the weekend with my parents, sister and niece.
I barely moved from my couch yesterday while going 1-2 picking against the spread. I guess somebody woke up the Broncos. Just my luck.
I allowed my daughter to accept an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with her best friend's family. The kid suffers enough from my cooking. I figured that she deserved a break. And I knew she'd have...