Roch Kubatko

What they're saying about Castillo, Givens, Schoop and Mancini

June 27, 2017, 5:58pm

Orioles

What they're saying about Castillo, Givens, Schoop and Mancini

The Orioles liked Welington Castillo's bat when they signed him, and trusted that his 10 passed balls last season that tied for the National League lead weren't a true reflection of his defensive skills and whether he was reliable late in games with runners in scoring position. Castillo has done a solid job, especially considering his abbreviated spring training due to his participation in the World Baseball Classic, and right shoulder tendinitis and a testicular injury that twice forced him...

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Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

June 27, 2017, 11:59am

Orioles

Paul Janish remains the starting shortstop for the Orioles as they begin a three-game series tonight in Toronto. Seth Smith and Hyun Soo Kim are handling the outfield corners. Jonathan Schoop continues to bat third, with Adam Jones in the cleanup spot. In his last 16 games, Trey Mancini is batting .417/.470/.767 (25-for-60) with four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 13 RBIs and eight multi-hit games. Jones needs two RBIs for 766 with the Orioles, tying Ken Singleton for fifth on the club's...

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Wondering about tonight's lineup in Toronto

June 26, 2017, 2:33pm

Orioles

Wondering about tonight's lineup in Toronto

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Do the Orioles go with a more conventional lineup tonight in Toronto or place particular emphasis on defense and ignore the splits? Manager Buck Showalter went with defense Sunday while also considering the career reverse splits of Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who traditionally has fared better against left-handers. He put Joey Rickard in left field and Craig Gentry in right, which also provided defensive upgrades over Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith, and the return was...

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Machado and Castillo lone Orioles in latest All-Star update

June 26, 2017, 9:35am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manny Machado has slipped to fifth place among American League third baseman as voting is set to conclude for the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami. Machado has received 946,013 votes to trail the Twins' Miguel SanÃ³ (1,550,240), the Indians' JosÃ© RamÃrez (1,341,076), the Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson (1,191,244) and the Royals' Mike Moustakas (1,067,150). Welington Castillo remains fourth among AL catchers with 1,050,023 votes. No other Orioles are listed among the...

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Showalter on McDowell: "In a lot of ways, we're lucky to have him"

June 25, 2017, 6:50pm

Orioles

Showalter on McDowell: "In a lot of ways, we're lucky to have him"

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter offered a blunt assessment over the weekend of his club's streak of allowing at least five runs in 20 consecutive games. "It's an indication that we haven't pitched well, starting-wise," he said, the media crowding him in the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field. "Is that a revelation?" Probably not. Is it an indictment of the new pitching coach? Absolutely not, according to Showalter and his pitchers. Plenty of fans are pointing a...

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Sunday lineup delivers 8-5 win (with quotes)

June 25, 2017, 12:25pm

Orioles

Sunday lineup delivers 8-5 win (with quotes)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The lineup may not have been the most conventional, with manager Buck Showalter choosing right-handed hitters Joey Rickard and Craig Gentry to handle the outfield corners against a right-hander. He started Paul Janish at shortstop for the second consecutive day and put Caleb Joseph behind the plate despite a turnaround that didn't really qualify as quick. Fans on social media mocked the lineup, particularly the bottom third of Joseph, Gentry and Janish. Some of them went...

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Showalter on Britton, bunting and more (tied 5-5)

June 25, 2017, 9:03am

Orioles

Showalter on Britton, bunting and more (tied 5-5)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles closer Zach Britton remains scheduled to come off the disabled list on July 5 as he moves smoothly through his injury rehab assignment. Britton tossed another scoreless inning last night at Single-A Delmarva, walking a batter and throwing 11 pitches. He's allowed one hit in three scoreless innings on his assignment, the first at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Britton will pitch Monday and Thursday at Double-A Bowie and join Single-A Frederick for Friday's game,...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

June 25, 2017, 7:13am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is going with a right-handed heavy lineup this afternoon against the Rays. Right-handers are batting .199 against Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi this season, but .249 in his career. Left-handers are hitting .268 this season, but .228 over his career. Joey Rickard is leading off and playing left field and Craig Gentry is batting eighth and playing right. Jonathan Schoop remains in the third slot in the order, with Adam Jones hitting...

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Tillman vs. Odorizzi in series finale

June 24, 2017, 8:36pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Tillman wouldn't concede that today's start against the Rays held more importance than previous outings due to his continuing struggles. He wasn't influenced by the jump in ERA from 5.59 to 8.39 over his past three games. He could distance himself from any perceived separators. "Not at all," he said. "A start is a start is a start. I've made a lot of them in my career. A lot of bad ones, a lot of good ones. "It's such a fine line between a bad start and a...

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Orioles defeat Rays 8-3 to end streak at 20 games (with quotes)

June 24, 2017, 3:20pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Dylan Bundy finished his warmup tosses and headed into the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field, waiting for the top of the first inning to be completed and his latest start to officially unfold. It was meaningful on various levels. Bundy's schedule moving forward might have been influenced by his performance. Of far greater importance, he could play stopper for a club that lost 12 of its last 16 games and continued to share last place with the Blue Jays. And a quality...

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Showalter on roster move, rotation and streak (O's lead 8-3)

June 24, 2017, 11:31am

Orioles

Showalter on roster move, rotation and streak (O's lead 8-3)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reaching the majors hasn't been an issue for reliever Stefan Crichton. The goal now is to avoid the call into manager Buck Showalter's office and his travel papers. The Orioles recalled Crichton today for the sixth time this season. They needed a fresh arm and optioned Miguel Castro to Double-A Bowie. Crichton threw a scoreless inning Wednesday for Triple-A Norfolk. He qualified as fresh. The shuttle was waiting for him. "I think I'm starting to kind of get a little...

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Orioles and Rays lineups (Crichton up, Castro down)

June 24, 2017, 8:38am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Stefan Crichton has arrived at Tropicana Field, meaning he's the latest in a series of moves by the Orioles to freshen a tired bullpen. How the Orioles will accommodate Crichton on the 25-man roster remains to be seen. Update: Crichton has officially been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. To make space on the 25-man roster, Miguel Castro has been optioned to Double-A Bowie. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop is batting third today, the third time in his career he's started in...

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Mancini continues assault on right-handed pitching

June 23, 2017, 7:59pm

Orioles

Mancini continues assault on right-handed pitching

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles were fed a steady diet of opposing left-handed starters early in the season. As they draw closer to the break, there's been a pronounced shift to the right side, where each series seems to lack a southpaw. It doesn't really matter to Trey Mancini. He's going to be in the lineup no matter who's facing them. Mancini destroyed the notion, as if it were a belt-high fastball, that he'd work in a platoon role if he broke camp with the team. That there wouldn't...

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Orioles tie 1924 Phillies in blowout loss to Rays (with quotes)

June 23, 2017, 6:29pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter was away from the team for one day for the birth of his grandson. The distance didn't quiet the buzz over his club's streak of allowing five runs or more in 19 consecutive games, one shy of the major league record. Showalter hasn't really been listening to it, and he stated this afternoon that he'd be happy with a 6-5 win. Just score more runs than the opposition. He can live with the totals. By the second inning, the Rays had five runs...

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Showalter on O'Day's return and more (O's down 15-5)

June 23, 2017, 3:03pm

Orioles

Showalter on O'Day's return and more (O's down 15-5)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter had another early wake-up call this morning to catch his flight from Dallas to Tampa following the birth of his first grandchild. Daughter Allie had a boy, Winston, who weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce. "I had to fight emotions a lot," Showalter said. "I remember holding my daughter like that. I was afraid I was going to drop it." Showalter wasn't going to drop his guard in front of the media. He wasn't going to get emotional as he sat in the...

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Britton update, Flaherty on shoulder and Gentry on return

June 23, 2017, 2:16pm

Orioles

Britton update, Flaherty on shoulder and Gentry on return

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Closer Zach Britton will pitch Saturday in a relief role at Single-A Delmarva instead of working the first inning. The Orioles want him to get into the proper mindset. Manager Buck Showalter indicated that Britton could pitch Monday at Double-A Bowie and make back-to-back appearances later in the week. Britton would complete his injury rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk. Infielder Ryan Flaherty has a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field. He came over from...

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O'Day "excited" to be on the active roster

June 23, 2017, 1:00pm

Orioles

O'Day "excited" to be on the active roster

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reliever Darren O'Day is back in the Orioles bullpen tonight, the location in foul ground at Tropicana Field robbing him of the opportunity to catch a few more home run balls. O'Day hasn't pitched for the Orioles since June 6 before going on the disabled list with soreness in his right shoulder. He greeted his return to the active roster with the usual humor, so dry that it should come with a drop of vermouth and an olive. "I'm excited," he said, his voice offering...

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O'Day activated from DL (plus O's and Rays lineups)

June 23, 2017, 11:35am

Orioles

O'Day activated from DL (plus O's and Rays lineups)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reliever Darren O'Day was activated from the disabled list today to fill the vacancy created after the Orioles optioned Gabriel Ynoa late last night. O'Day was on the DL with a right shoulder strain, his last appearance coming June 6 against the Pirates. He's 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 24 games over 23 1/3 innings. Adam Jones returns to the Orioles lineup after being rested last night. The Orioles have allowed five runs or more in 19 consecutive games, one shy of the major...

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Orioles on the road and back in division

June 22, 2017, 8:04pm

Orioles

If the Orioles are looking to get healthy, and not only from an injury standpoint, taking their act on the road would seem to be counterproductive. Sort of like trying to line the batter's box under water. Wins at any locale haven't been plentiful, but the Orioles are 11-23 away from Camden Yards. They're starting a three-game series tonight at Tropicana Field, with manager Buck Showalter returning to them, and they'll fly to Toronto for three more after Monday's off-day. Heading into last...

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Orioles inch closer to record in 6-3 loss (Ynoa optioned)

June 22, 2017, 6:44pm

Orioles

Orioles left-hander Richard Bleier wiped out an inherited runner tonight in the top of the sixth inning by coaxing a double play grounder from Indians catcher Yan Gomes. It wasn't just about keeping the deficit at two runs. It was the latest attempt to end an embarrassing streak. Bleier got two quick strikes on Erik GonzÃ¡lez, threw a cutter and watched the ball disappear over the fence in left-center field. History still can be made. A pitching staff still can fail to locate in any count...