Roch Kubatko

A new day

June 04, 2010, 3:41am

Orioles

I sat next to Dave Trembley in the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field back in 2007 as he relayed the story of how he broke the news to his wife, Patti, that the Orioles had just named him interim manager, that all those years riding buses through the minor league landscape had brought him to a most unexpected stop - his dream job. Trembley was supposed to drive her to the airport. Instead, he invited her to take a walk, held her hand and told her about the phone call he received that would...

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Orioles

Trembley's tenure apparently nearing end

June 03, 2010, 6:16pm

Orioles

Trembley's tenure apparently nearing end

The rumblings are become more intense at this late hour that Dave Trembley has been notified, or will be told early tomorrow morning, that he's been replaced as Orioles manager. I can't get confirmation from the Orioles, but look for an announcement in the morning. It won't drag out much longer, but nothing is going to be made official tonight. Third base coach Juan Samuel is expected to take over on an interim basis, which also has been widely speculated. No word on who would take over...

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Interested, real interested...not so interested anymore

June 03, 2010, 12:12pm

Orioles

Interested, real interested...not so interested anymore

The Orioles lost their eighth consecutive game today, but they brought the tying run to the plate with no outs in the ninth inning. Also with one out. And with two outs. If this is manager Dave Trembley's final game, as so many people are speculating, he could point to how his club didn't quit after falling behind, 6-1. It just didn't win. Gary and Mike ask Dave Trembley about the O's 6-3 loss to the Yankees Yankees closer Mariano Rivera walked Nick Markakis (interested) and hit Ty...

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Who woke up the bats?

June 03, 2010, 11:30am

Orioles

Just as I was preparing an entry on how the Orioles scored four runs in their last four games and 12 over their last eight, Luke Scott made me reach for the delete key by drilling a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Thanks for the re-write. The Orioles had one hit, an Adam Jones home run, and two baserunners through the sixth. Ty Wigginton singled and Scott took CC Sabathia deep to cut the Yankees' lead to 6-3. That qualifies as an offensive uprising. It didn't reach Triple-A Norfolk,...

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Things are tough all over

June 03, 2010, 9:34am

Orioles

It's gotten so bad for Kevin Millwood, the commissioner's office is reviewing his no-hitter from 2003. Millwood is looking for his first win today, but the Orioles will have to rally from a 2-0 deficit. He issued a leadoff walk in the first, gave up a single, committed a balk that allowed Derek Jeter to score after a stolen base, and surrendered Robinson Cano's RBI double. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet inning. Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk's Brandon Erbe was charged with...

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Today's lineups (w/notes)

June 03, 2010, 6:29am

Orioles

For the Orioles: 2B Julio Lugo 3B Miguel Tejada RF Nick Markakis DH Ty Wigginton LF Luke Scott 1B Garrett Atkins CF Adam Jones C Craig Tatum SS Cesar Izturis RHP Kevin Millwood For the Yankees: SS Derek Jeter RF Nick Swisher 1B Mark Teixeira 3B Alex Rodriguez 2B Robinson Cano DH Jorge Posada CF Curtis Granderson C Francisco Cervelli LF Brett Gardner LHP CC Sabathia Including today, the Orioles will face seven starting pitchers (Sabathia twice) with a combined 59-11 career record against...

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Waiting for the inevitable

June 03, 2010, 3:24am

Orioles

Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga loses a perfect game last night, and the Orioles just seem lost. At least Galarraga can blame an umpire. The Orioles decided to skip the late-inning drama and second-guessing by dismissing themselves from last night's game at the first bell. They can't score runs and they've got CC Sabathia waiting for them. They can't score runs for Kevin Millwood, who starts today, and they've got CC Sabathia waiting for them. Is a loss inevitable? Yeah, it sure...

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The Bronx and the farm

June 02, 2010, 6:09pm

Orioles

The Orioles scored one run tonight. Miguel Tejada collected three hits and scored the one run. This offense continues to give me a rash, but at least the Orioles get CC Sabathia tomorrow. Where's the ointment? Manager Dave Trembley, taking questions from the MASN booth, said he didn't remove Tejada because of an injury. Tejada's head slammed into Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli as he dived into home plate, but Trembley used a blowout loss as an opportunity to rest his veteran third...

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Let the speculation continue

June 02, 2010, 5:28pm

Orioles

Jake Arrieta is dominating International League batters. Brad Bergesen lasted 2 1/3 innings tonight at Yankee Stadium. You can do the math. Bergesen was outstanding in his previous start, but he looked inconsolable in the dugout after coming out of tonight's game. I had the same feeling. Trust me. His abbreviated outing - six runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings - will have fans wondering if it's time to replace him in the rotation. Maybe he should return to Triple-A Norfolk. Maybe he...

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Tonight's lineups

June 02, 2010, 12:22pm

Orioles

For the Orioles: LF Corey Patterson 3B Miguel Tejada RF Nick Markakis 1B Ty Wigginton DH Luke Scott C Matt Wieters CF Adam Jones 2B Scott Moore SS Cesar Izturis RHP Brad Bergesen For the Yankees: SS Derek Jeter RF Nick Swisher 1B Mark Teixeira 3B Alex Rodriguez 2B Robinson Cano DH Jorge Posada CF Curtis Granderson C Francisco Cervelli LF Brett Gardner RHP Phil Hughes

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Caught in the draft

June 02, 2010, 8:37am

Orioles

I have to keep reminding myself that Monday is an off-day for the Orioles, but not the people who cover the team. The First-Year Player Draft begins that night, so I've been doing my homework in preparation for it. I'll still end up guessing wrong, but I wanted to chime in anyway. It's not an exact science, but everyone knows the Nationals will take catcher Bryce Harper with the first overall pick. I don't see how they'd pass on him unless Stephen Strasburg is named president of baseball...

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Hernandez ready to take the ninth?

June 02, 2010, 2:54am

Orioles

We've been debating the merits of finding a new left-handed specialist or erasing the term. Perhaps the Orioles, as a few fans have suggested here, should just make David Hernandez the closer and return Will Ohman to his original role. I'm beginning to think the club is headed in that direction. Manager Dave Trembley likes using Hernandez in the late innings for short bursts, taking full advantage of that mid-90s fastball. "Power against power," as he called it after last night's...

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Feat of Cla (updated twice)

June 01, 2010, 5:45pm

Orioles

Cla Meredith entered tonight's Triple-A game in the eighth inning with Norfolk leading Rochester, 3-1, and proceeded to give up two runs on three hits. This might take a while. Meredith threw 30 pitches, 19 for strikes. Fortunately for the Tides, Matt Angle singled in the ninth to score Joey Gathright and give Norfolk a 4-3 lead. Left-hander Chris George limited Rochester to an unearned run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Is he a specialist in the making? Dennis Sarfate picked up his...

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Decision time

June 01, 2010, 5:27pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Dave Trembley could have let Brian Matusz pitch to Alex Rodriguez with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Trembley could have ordered an intentional walk with first base open and let Matusz pitch to Robinson Cano. Those are the choices that the Yankees' lineup gives you. It's like asking if you want to drink drain cleaner or gasoline. Trembley went with "C," which was bringing in David Hernandez to face Rodriguez. Rodriguez appeared...

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Jones hurt? (updated)

June 01, 2010, 4:55pm

Orioles

If you're watching the game, you see Adam Jones flexing his left hand and grimacing after diving for Alex Rodriguez's liner in right-center field that reached the fence for a double in the sixth inning. Jones' glove hand slammed into the ground and it's clearly bothering him. He keeps removing the glove and making a fist. At one point, he was grabbing his pant leg as if testing the strength in his hand. Well, what's one more injury? Closers, outfielders. The Orioles don't discriminate....

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Will one mistake decide the outcome? (updated)

June 01, 2010, 4:33pm

Orioles

Will one mistake decide the outcome? (updated)

Left-hander Brian Matusz surrendered a leadoff home run to Curtis Granderson in the bottom of the fifth inning. That's the only run for the Yankees tonight. It's fair to wonder if that's all they will need. Granderson's homer was his first against a lefty and his first at the new Yankee Stadium. It represented the third hit for New York tonight. Matusz was on a roll, but the Orioles' offense is on ice again. They've managed one hit against Javier Vazquez, who allowed five runs and...

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And another thing... (updated)

June 01, 2010, 3:50pm

Orioles

I predicted over the winter that Miguel Tejada would bat second for the Orioles. I meant June 1. The Orioles couldn't take batting practice on the field today because of the rain. That's four straight days, if you count yesterday. Adam Jones collected the Orioles' first hit tonight with a leadoff single in the third inning. Now we'll wait for that first extra-base hit. They've totaled once since Garrett Atkins' third-inning homer on Wednesday. MASN play-by-play man Gary Thorne noted...

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A few more injury updates

June 01, 2010, 2:23pm

Orioles

Outfielder Felix Pie will begin some baseball-related activities this weekend after being restricted to exercises as he recovers from a torn muscle in his back. The word out of Sarasota is he might be ready to take batting practice by Monday. Reliever Michael Gonzalez did some long-tossing again today, but he still isn't pitching in extended spring training games. Here's a little something from Gary Kendall regarding reliever Bob McCrory, the subject of an earlier blog entry: "He's...

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Roberts making significant progress

June 01, 2010, 11:57am

Orioles

Injured second baseman Brian Roberts is scheduled to play in his first extended spring training game on Friday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. Roberts will take infield and batting practice tomorrow and Thursday - a normal workout day - before playing five innings at second base on Friday. The plan is for Roberts to get four at-bats, so he could lead off each inning. The rules are a lot more relaxed down there. Assuming there are no setbacks, Roberts will get five at-bats as...

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Leftover note from Sarasota

June 01, 2010, 10:10am

Orioles

As I sat outside the clubhouse entrance at Ed Smith Stadium a few weeks ago, a player walked past me who looked exactly like former Orioles reliever Bob McCrory. I mean, they could have been separated at birth. It was uncanny. It also was Bob McCrory. The Orioles re-signed him about a week before Opening Day. I had completely lost track of him after he underwent shoulder and biceps surgery on Oct. 2. Can you believe that McCrory is already pitching in extended spring training games? And...