Oakland starter Vin Mazzaro drilled Julio Lugo in the back with his third pitch of the fifth inning, obvious retaliation for Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz hitting Daric Barton. It's not like Mazzaro tried to hide it.
Lugo took a few steps toward the mound before his path was blocked. I thought we might have a brawl.
It didn't go unnoticed that interim manager Juan Samuel was the first person out of the Orioles dugout. Luke Scott stood beside him, hands on hips.
Ty Wigginton and bench...
Cal Ripken confirmed tonight that talks are ongoing with owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about a future role in the front office, but he isn't prepared to place a timeline on his return to the organization.
"I love the fact that it's an open exploration and we're talking," Ripken said in a phone interview with MASNsports.com and The Sun.
"My goal truly was to be available to (son) Ryan, my kids, but you start to look at it and it's a short period...
Corey Patterson LF
Miguel Tejada 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott DH
Adam Jones CF
Craig Tatum C
Julio Lugo 2B
Cesar Izturis SS
Brian Matusz LHP
So much for Jake Fox facing his former team.
Dallas Braden was scratched because of stiffness in his left elbow.
Update: Dallas Braden has been scratched from tonight's start. Vin Mazzaro (2-2, 4.71 ERA) will replace him. The Orioles' lineup could change. More to come.
Tonight's game pits two teams with the longest winning streaks in baseball. The Orioles have won four in a row, and Oakland has won three straight.
The Orioles have won their last four one-run games, improving their record to 13-11. They've scored 28 runs in the last four games after totaling 27 in the previous seven.
Oakland leads...
Michael Gonzalez will pitch out of the bullpen tonight at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Gonzalez has been working the first inning on his injury rehab assignment, but the Orioles want him to get more accustomed to his normal role.
Gonzalez probably will take tomorrow off and pitch again on Thursday. It's not known when the Orioles will activate him.
Gonzalez gave up a two-run homer in his last outing against Brooklyn, but interim manager Juan Samuel noted that the unfortunate pitch was a...
For the Orioles:
Julio Lugo 2B
Miguel Tejada 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott LF
Adam Jones CF
Jake Fox DH
Craig Tatum C
Cesar Izturis SS
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Athletics:
Crisp CF
Barton 1B
Jackson LF
Suzuki C
Kouzmanoff 3B
Rosales 2B
Ellis DH
Davis RF
Pennington SS
Braden LHP
Did the Phillies pick up Garret Atkins today, or is it just a rumor? I haven't seen it confirmed.
Former Orioles catcher and coach Rick Dempsey had his scheduled interview for the full-time managerial position postponed until Thursday.
The interview had initially been scheduled for this afternoon.
The interview has been moved to Peter Angelos' law office. The delay will allow certain members of the organization to attend who wouldn't have been available today.
As I wrote earlier, Felix Pie will continue his injury rehab assignment tonight at Double-A Bowie after working out yesterday. He could return to the Orioles on Friday when they begin a three-city road trip in Boston.
They'll need to figure out how to use him.
Does Pie become the starting left fielder and leadoff hitter, with Corey Patterson taking a seat on the bench?
Patterson has provided a spark at the top of the order, batting .272 and going 10-for-28 in his last seven games, but he...
Felix Pie took batting practice and shagged fly balls at Double-A Bowie before retreating indoors because of the rain. He'll officially join the Baysox for tonight's game against Erie.
Pie's injury rehab assignment began with the Gulf Coast League team and continued at Single-A Frederick. He's 6-for-20 with two RBIs, two walks and four runs scored.
Once he's done with the Baysox, he could be activated from the disabled list this weekend.
Pie played left field on Sunday and will continue...
Nolan Reimold hit his fourth home run tonight for Triple-A Norfolk, which is trailing Louisville, 7-2, in the ninth inning. Reimold started at first base, where he's seeing regular action.
Robert Andino, starting at shortstop, is 1-for-3 with a double and his 15th error.
Ryan Adams hit a three-run homer in Double-A Bowie's 10-9 win over Erie.
Steve Johnson didn't get the decision after allowing eight runs in 4 2/3 innings. He walked four, struck out six and surrendered two home...
Michael Gonzalez's fastball was clocked again at 90-91 mph yesterday, according to a team official, during his start at Aberdeen. Gonzalez allowed two hits, including a two-run homer, in one inning against Brooklyn.
Most pitching staffs on All-Star teams are comprised of starters and closers. You also might find the random set-up guy.
Relievers like Jason Berken largely go ignored.
Berken has the numbers to warrant strong consideration, but not the role.
He was a long man who became a...
I'll give Karl Ravech and ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew credit for not ignoring the elephants in the room.
Two of the network's studio analysts, Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter, have recently interviewed for managerial jobs. Ravech talked to them separately on the air before last night's game between the Yankees and Dodgers.
Valentine mentioned how the Marlins are going through "the process." It sounds like he's still interested in the job - and still the favorite. Showalter...
Michael Gonzalez's injury rehab assignment continued today in Aberdeen, where he gave up two runs and two hits in one inning.
The big blow off Gonzalez was a two-run homer by Brooklyn's Cory Vaughn.
Gonzalez induced three ground balls, one of them back to the mound that he turned into a force at second base. Tyler Sexton replaced him in the second inning.
Gonzalez had thrown two scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Orioles, allowing one hit and striking out three, before moving up...
Interim manager Juan Samuel didn't excuse Julio Lugo's baserunning blunder in the eighth inning.
Lugo broke for third base with one out and Corey Patterson at the plate, tried to get back to second and was picked off by Nats catcher Wil Nieves. Patterson doubled and scored the go-ahead run on Miguel Tejada's single.
"That is not a smart play. That is just not a smart play," Samuel said. "Lugo knows it. He's trying to help the club win, but that is just not something we want to try in...
Alfredo Simon recorded his ninth save, and the Orioles pieced together their first four-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Nationals.
Simon struck out Mike Morse to open the ninth, but he walked pinch-hitter Willie Harris. Pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez flied to right, with Nick Markakis making an outstanding running catch in the corner, and Nyjer Morgan grounded sharply to first baseman Scott Moore.
Moore had moved over from second base, and he made a clutch play on a ball that...
Today's attendance: 22,951
Jason Berken tossed another scoreless inning today, getting a ground ball, pop up and fly ball in the seventh to keep the game tied, 3-3.
Interim manager Juan Samuel removed Berken after one inning and brought in left-hander Will Ohman with two lefties, Adam Kennedy and Adam Dunn, due up for the Nationals in the eighth.
Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Dunn struck out swinging, and David Hernandez replaced Ohman...
The Orioles have rallied from deficits of 3-0, 6-0 and 5-0 to win three straight games heading into today.
They were down, 3-0, going into the bottom of the fifth, which must have made the Nationals uncomfortable.
What transpired didn't improve their collective mood.
Back-to-back doubles by Luke Scott and Adam Jones produced the Orioles' first run off Nats right-hander Luis Atilano, whose six wins tie him for second among National League rookies.
So this is the phenom everybody has been...
Nationals starter Luis Atilano has retired the first nine batters he's faced, striking out three along the way.
Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie hasn't allowed a hit in three innings, but he's walked three batters. Two of those walks came in the second, but were sandwiched around a double play.
Guthrie threw eight pitches in the first, but his count is up to 52 heading into the fourth.
Guthrie has lost five straight starts, but he's gone at least six innings in 10 consecutive outings and...
The Orioles are activating Koji Uehara from the disabled list this morning. The corresponding roster move was expected to involve a reliever, but interim manager Juan Samuel summoned first baseman Garrett Atkins into his office.
The meeting includes president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.
Atkins had just arrived at the ballpark and was getting dressed when Samuel motioned for him.
Update: Atkins was designated for assignment to make room for Uehara.
The Orioles figure that Felix...
The Orioles will decide within the next two hours whether to activate Koji Uehara from the disabled list or wait until the homestand resumes on Tuesday.
Uehara threw a simulated game on Thursday and needed a few days to recover. Interim manager Juan Samuel had suggested that Uehara could rejoin the 25-man roster yesterday, but it didn't happen.
I'm probably reading too much into it, but I was curious about Samuel's short responses when asked about Uehara before and after yesterday's game....