Roch Kubatko

Orioles win finale 7-5 to secure fourth place (updated)

September 27, 2020, 1:59pm

Orioles

The Orioles will not surrender fourth place. Their heels dug in one last time in 2020. The final notation on the season came this afternoon in Buffalo, where the Orioles rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the Blue Jays 7-5 at Sahlen Field. Keegan Akin surrendered a solo home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third and a two-run shot to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with a Randal Grichuk single in between, to destroy a 1-1 tie. But the Orioles knotted the score again with three runs in the...

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Hyde's final pregame media session of 2020

September 27, 2020, 9:44am

Orioles

Hyde's final pregame media session of 2020

The Orioles are finishing their "two-part season" today, as manager Brandon Hyde calls it. Players who were hot early and faded this month. A team that made a run at the playoffs and fell hard down the stretch. "I think a lot of guys are disappointed in the last 20 games and how they're finishing up, and that's really them putting pressure on themselves, wishing from a team aspect they could have done more to help us in the last 20 games," Hyde said today in his final pregame Zoom...

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Final Orioles lineup for 2020

September 27, 2020, 8:35am

Orioles

The 2020 season ends today for the Orioles with Keegan Akin on the mound for his sixth major league start. The Orioles are one game ahead of the Red Sox for fourth place in the American League East. Akin made his first start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo and was tagged with two unearned runs with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He's walked one batter and struck out 15 in his last two starts over nine innings. Austin Hays is batting .388/.423/.612 (19-for-49) with three home runs and 11...

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Means finishes strong in Orioles' 5-2 loss (updated)

September 26, 2020, 5:37pm

Orioles

The penultimate game of the 2020 season found John Means on the mound again for the Orioles and Randal Grichuk out of the Blue Jays' lineup. Means hasn't caught a lot of breaks this summer. Give him that one. Then again, maybe he didn't need it the way he's been pitching down the stretch. Coming off a 12-strikeout gem last weekend in Baltimore, Means kept the Blue Jays hitless tonight until Cavan Biggio homered with two outs in the sixth. Grichuk entered the game in the top half of the...

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Lots of positive developments in losing 2020 season

September 26, 2020, 5:36pm

Orioles

Lots of positive developments in losing 2020 season

The time for reflection begins today. The Orioles are playing their final game of a wacky season. Some would call it "truncated." Everyone would agree that it's so far from the norm that proper evaluations are complicated. A passing grade is earned by the promotions and successes of outfielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle - in that order - and pitchers Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer and Bruce Zimmermann. The rookies should comprise three-fifths of the rotation in spring training 2021, but...

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Elias conducts season-ending review on final weekend

September 26, 2020, 2:21pm

Orioles

Elias conducts season-ending review on final weekend

The standings can't be ignored, no matter how much Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is comforted and encouraged by prospect performance and the work done at the alternate camp site. How he judges a season includes production on the field. "It's very difficult for me to label any season a success where we have a losing record and don't make the playoffs," he said in today's Zoom conference call. "But I see enough positive things where we can a feel good that...

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Orioles and Blue Jays lineups (updated)

September 26, 2020, 11:12am

Orioles

JosÃ© Iglesias is starting at shortstop tonight in Buffalo after serving as the designated hitter and homering in the last two games. RamÃ³n UrÃas has moved to second base, with Hanser Alberto now the designated hitter. UrÃas hit his first career home run last night and is batting .381 (8-for-21) with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs in nine major league games. Austin Hays is leading off and playing left field. He's a career .296 hitter (50-for-169) in 52 September games, with...

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LÃ³pez ambushed early in Orioles' 10-5 loss (updated)

September 25, 2020, 5:20pm

Orioles

An abnormal 2020 season that began with serious doubts about its staying power naturally is ending for the Orioles in Buffalo. Because so little has felt right. So little has made actual sense. Manager Brandon Hyde joked again today about doing his Zoom conference call from "a tent." The ballpark's extreme makeover couldn't hide all the blemishes. Hyde also stressed again the importance of finishing strong. But here's where abnormal spins to back to uncomfortably normal. Randal Grichuk...

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Iglesias hasn't got time for the pain

September 25, 2020, 4:52pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde can read the statistics. He can stand in the dugout and watch the innings and at-bats. The stuff that's laid out for everybody. Sometimes, it's the little things that grab his attention. That don't directly impact a 13-1 win but stand out as much as the home runs and strikeouts. JosÃ© Iglesias convinced Hyde that he could play Thursday night in Boston. He took batting practice again and lobbied for his inclusion in the lineup as the designated hitter. For a...

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Hyde on Sunday starter, NÃºÃ±ez, Hays leading off and Santander

September 25, 2020, 12:59pm

Orioles

Hyde on Sunday starter, NÃºÃ±ez, Hays leading off and Santander

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has confirmed today that left-hander Keegan Akin will close out the season with Sunday's start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. Akin will be making his sixth major league start and eighth appearance. The bullpen also could be active on Sunday. "It's going to be Keegan Akin," Hyde said. "And maybe Johnny Wholestaff after." Left-hander John Means gets the start Saturday night. Hyde said Renato NÃºÃ±ez, out of the lineup again tonight with a sore knee, is a...

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Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

September 25, 2020, 11:30am

Orioles

Jorge LÃ³pez makes the start tonight for the Orioles as they begin a three-game series against the Blue Jays in Buffalo that closes out the 2020 season. LÃ³pez has registered back-to-back quality starts. The Orioles haven't announced their Sunday starter. John Means is on the mound Saturday. Austin Hays is leading off for the first time since Aug. 1 and playing left field, with Cedric Mullins batting ninth. DJ Stewart is the right fielder. Hanser Alberto moves down to sixth in the...

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Santander chosen as Most Valuable Oriole

September 25, 2020, 8:08am

Orioles

Santander chosen as Most Valuable Oriole

Anthony Santander demonstrated his value to the Orioles this summer during his appearances in the lineup and in right field. He also showed how much he's missed. Santander appeared in 37 games before the Orioles shut him down with a strained right oblique muscle, but his overall impact earned him the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole award for 2020. The award is voted upon by members of the media who cover the team on a regular or semi-regular basis. Outfielder Trey Mancini won it in...

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Rotation a possible remedy for defensive regression

September 24, 2020, 7:26pm

Orioles

Rotation a possible remedy for defensive regression

The defensive decline that's hurting the Orioles on the field and in the metrics again is going to be a point of emphasis in the offseason. Doesn't it seem that way every year since the days of Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy and pre-decline Adam Jones? The Orioles wanted an upgrade at shortstop, discussed Adeiny HechavarrÃa and signed plus-plus defender JosÃ© Iglesias to a one-year deal with an option for 2021. They wanted Richie Martin to play shortstop every day at Triple-A Norfolk and...

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Orioles' offense awakens in 13-1 win (updated)

September 24, 2020, 6:46pm

Orioles

On the day that Orioles manager Brandon Hyde summons Austin Hays into his office this weekend for the traditional exit interview - in a non-traditional major league city - he's going to talk again about the importance of staying healthy in order for the young outfielder to reach his full potential. The Orioles know what Hays can do when he's on the field. They just need to keep him on it. Exactly how does a team protect a player from a succession of freakish injuries? Hays hasn't slowed down...

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Notes on roster move, NÃºÃ±ez, Phillips and exit interviews

September 24, 2020, 1:52pm

Orioles

Notes on roster move, NÃºÃ±ez, Phillips and exit interviews

The Orioles recalled David Hess, who was on the taxi squad, to give them a fresh bullpen arm for tonight's series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. With Dean Kremer making his final start last night, the rookie has been optioned to the alternate camp site in Bowie. It's the type of move often made leading into the All-Star break. "We optioned Dean just because he wasn't going to make another start," manager Brandon Hyde said this afternoon in his Zoom conference call with the...

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Orioles and Red Sox lineups

September 24, 2020, 11:53am

Orioles

JosÃ© Iglesias has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight as the designated hitter after receiving treatment for a sore left wrist. Renato NÃºÃ±ez has been excluded after appearing to be in some discomfort last night while running the bases. Ryan Mountcastle is in left field and Pat Valaika is the first baseman. RamÃ³n UrÃas gets another start at shortstop. Austin Hays is in right field. The Orioles are one game ahead of the last-place Red Sox and trying to avoid sharing the division...

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Kremer has shortest outing and O's lengthen skid with 9-1 loss

September 23, 2020, 6:35pm

Orioles

Kremer has shortest outing and O's lengthen skid with 9-1 loss

Staying in the pennant race until the final week of the season is small consolation for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. A feeling of pride that doesn't overflow the cup. Hyde recounts the leads lost along the way. The games that should have been won. And it gnaws at him. A "pretty good accomplishment," Hyde says, considering the inexperience, injuries and daily challenges of living and working in a pandemic. But his competitive side reminds him of the offensive droughts and late-inning...

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Sifting through candidates for Most Valuable Oriole

September 23, 2020, 5:38pm

Orioles

Sifting through candidates for Most Valuable Oriole

The winner of the Most Valuable Oriole award, determined now that the media votes are calculated, is going to be deserving of the honor without the glowing statistics. They weren't going to illuminate in 2020. A shortened season has left us in the dark in so many ways. I'm not going to reveal my ballot until the victor is announced on Friday. However, it seems apparent that four players are under consideration, though the order and exclusion vary, according to an informal poll taken of the...

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Hyde on Iglesias, Phillips, Kremer, offense and defense

September 23, 2020, 1:54pm

Orioles

Hyde on Iglesias, Phillips, Kremer, offense and defense

Orioles shortstop JosÃ© Iglesias is receiving treatment again today on his sore left wrist and hasn't been shut down for the week. Manager Brandon Hyde still believes that Iglesias could return to the lineup before the Orioles play their final game on Sunday in Buffalo. "He feels better," Hyde said during his Zoom conference call with the media. "Hopefully the next couple days." Reliever Evan Phillips won't pitch again this season due to soreness in his right elbow. He's on the 10-day...

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Phillips on injured list (plus lineups and notes)

September 23, 2020, 11:51am

Orioles

Phillips on injured list (plus lineups and notes)

The Orioles placed reliever Evan Phillips on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with right elbow inflammation and recalled Branden Kline, who traveled with the team as part of the taxi squad. Phillips won't pitch again this season, but avoided a more serious injury. He walked off the mound in the sixth inning last night after surrendering a three-run homer to Christian VÃ¡zquez, and while facing Jackie Bradley Jr. Kline has made one relief appearance with the Orioles this summer and...