BOSTON - Fans who paid last night to watch plate umpire Sam Holbrook sure got their money's worth. They must have gone home happy. Memories to last a lifetime. Kids today are demanding two Angel Hernandez cards and a Laz Diaz for one Sam Holbrook.
Holbrook put on a show, ejecting Kevin Gausman and Adam Jones within the first five innings. He jumped out of his shoes to toss Gausman after a 77 mph curveball kissed Xander Bogaerts' back one pitch into the second.
Manager Buck Showalter and...
BOSTON - The Orioles already have a pitcher in place who could make Thursday night's start against the Red Sox. He was summoned to Boston tonight, with the intent of possibly using him in relief.
Richard Bleier and Ubaldo Jiménez were needed to cover the last seven innings after Kevin Gausman's shocking ejection. Plate umpire Sam Holbrook tossed him for hitting Xander Bogaerts with a 77 mph curveball.
Let's start with a statement from Holbrook, collected by a pool reporter. Holbrook...
BOSTON - In another unexpected development for a team that can't get through a night undisturbed, the Orioles will need a starter for Thursday's series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Ubaldo Jiménez worked three scoreless innings of relief tonight in a 4-2 loss to the Red Sox, no longer making him available on Thursday. He was supposed to oppose Kyle Kendrick, who hasn't started since 2015.
Manager Buck Showalter had to dip into his bullpen early after plate umpire Sam Holbrook...
BOSTON - Plate umpire Sam Holbrook ejected Orioles starter Kevin Gausman tonight for hitting Xander Bogaerts leading off the bottom of the second inning, bringing a heated protest from a team that's been on the receiving end of purpose pitches.
Gausman's first pitch was a 77 mph curveball that hit Bogaerts on his left side. Holbrook immediately moved around the plate and tossed Gausman, a move that will be viewed throughout the night as a gross overreaction to the feud between these...
BOSTON - Chris Tillman will fly into Baltimore on Friday, throw a bullpen session and wait for confirmation that he's starting Sunday afternoon against the White Sox at Camden Yards.
The Orioles are listing the starter as TBD, but Tillman is expected to take the mound for his 2017 debut.
Tillman served up four home runs last night in five innings at Triple-A Charlotte, but only one was deemed legitimate, according to reports provided to manager Buck Showalter.
"No sense in flying here for one...
BOSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he thought about removing third baseman Manny Machado from last night's game against the Red Sox after the first inning due to concerns about the All-Star's safety in the growing feud between the teams.
Showalter considered the idea after a Chris Sale pitch zipped behind Machado's knees. Machado talked him out of it and homered in the seventh inning.
"I took Manny down the runway there after the first inning because I was leaning toward taking...
BOSTON - Trey Mancini is in left field tonight for the Orioles, while Joey Rickard gets the start in right.
Mark Trumbo is serving as the designated hitter.
Kevin Gausman is fighting to get on a roll, with only one quality start in six outings and a 7.50 ERA and 1.967 WHIP in 30 innings. His 42 hits allowed are tied for first in the majors and his 25 earned runs lead the American League and are tied for second in the majors.
In his last three starts, Gausman has allowed 18 runs and 24 hits with...
BOSTON - The Orioles and Red Sox shouldn't be allowed to play together for a while. They have other friends. Separate the two teams and see if they start to miss each other and make up.
The ugliness won't leave this series, just as it lingered in Baltimore like body odor. Bad slides, hit batters, pitches thrown behind hitters, racial slurs in the stands, more pitches throw at or behind hitters. Benches are warned, managers are fuming, and there's the very real and disturbing possibility that...
BOSTON - The plate umpire issued a warning tonight. The FCC may do the same.
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado boiled over outside the visiting clubhouse following tonight's 5-2 loss to the Red Sox, his anger directed at left-hander Chris Sale and a fastball in the first inning that zipped behind his knees.
With cameras and digital recorders rolling, Machado went on a profanity-laced tirade and said he lost respect for the Red Sox organization. He's tired of still being a target for his...
BOSTON - Adam Jones heard his name announced tonight over the public address system at Fenway Park and the polite round of applause that accompanied his stroll to the plate in the first inning steadily grew into a standing ovation, fans reaching out to a rival player who was subjected last night to racial taunts and a bag of peanuts thrown in his direction.
Red Sox starter Chris Sale recognized the significance of the moment, stepped off the mound and let it build. Jones took a step out of the...
BOSTON - On the list of reasons for Orioles manager Buck Showalter to be upset about what transpired last night at Fenway Park, marring a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox, included is how he didn't know Adam Jones had taken such verbal abuse in center field.
He saw the bag of peanuts that flew near the visiting dugout, aimed at Jones but hitting a Boston police officer. But he wasn't aware that racial slurs also were coming down from the stands.
"It's unfortunate and it's non-tolerable....
BOSTON - The Orioles have placed catcher Welington Castillo on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis and purchased the contract of catcher Francisco Peña from Triple-A Norfolk.
Pitcher Damien Magnifico was designated for assignment to create a 40-man spot for Peña, who was outrighted in spring training.
Castillo underwent an MRI this morning and no structural damage was found in the shoulder. He was scratched from the lineup yesterday, with the initial explanation being...
BOSTON - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones spent about 16 minutes this afternoon standing outside the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park and talking about incidents last night that included racial slurs and a bag of peanuts thrown at him. A hostile environment toward an opponent that turned especially ugly.
Here's a sampling of what he said. I'll pass along more of the interview later:
Asked for details on who yelled the slurs and when it happened: "It's hard to look at someone when you're...
BOSTON - The Orioles activated closer Zach Britton from the disabled list today and optioned right-hander Mike Wright to Triple-A Norfolk.
Wright didn't pitch after being recalled yesterday.
Caleb Joseph is catching again, with Welington Castillo out of the starting lineup with neck spasms.
For the OriolesJoey Rickard RFAdam Jones CFManny Machado 3BMark Trumbo DHChris Davis 1BJonthan Schoop 2BTrey Mancini LFJ.J. Hardy SSCaleb Joseph C
Alec Asher RHP
For the Red Sox Xander Bogaerts SS Andrew...
BOSTON - The Orioles are back in first place and ready to activate their closer from the disabled list. A strong bullpen is adding more muscle.
We'll find out how much flexing it does tonight with Alec Asher making his second start for the Orioles.
Zach Britton will be available to the Orioles for the first time since allowing his only run in six appearances on April 14 in Toronto. No more discomfort in his forearm area. No more concerns that it might be a sign of an elbow injury.
Britton has...
BOSTON - Manny Machado had to deal with a booing crowd last night and more questions about a series against the Red Sox in Baltimore than turned ugly following his late slide into Dustin Pedroia.
Who knew that the real ugliness was playing out in the stands at Fenway Park? That Adam Jones was subjected to much harsher treatment?
Jones clearly was agitated with fans in center field and expressed it after making a fantastic lunging catch to rob Mitch Moreland and end the eighth inning, jumping to...
BOSTON - Manny Machado was greeted with a chorus of boos tonight as he stepped to the plate in the first inning, cast again as the villain for his slide into Dustin Pedroia when the Orioles and Red Sox met in Baltimore. Machado heard the same noise in his next at-bats. America's most beloved ballpark doesn't come with a mute button.
He turned a hostile environment into his own playground.
Machado put on a defensive show in the Orioles' 5-2 victory over the Red Sox, eliciting a few gasps from...
BOSTON - Orioles closer Zach Britton will be activated before Tuesday night's game, necessitating another roster move to clear a spot for him. The Orioles want to keep their five-man bench and probably will send out a reliever.
Britton made two rehab appearances at Double-A Bowie and was much sharper yesterday, throwing 11 pitches in one inning.
"I feel like I'm ready to go," he said today while standing outside the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park. "Yesterday was good, a lot better than...
BOSTON - Orioles catcher Welington Castillo was scratched from the lineup tonight due to a reoccurrence of the neck spasms that surfaced in spring training.
Caleb Joseph is behind the plate for Dylan Bundy's third start against the Red Sox.
Manager Buck Showalter said Castillo's neck has been bothering him "off and on" and the Orioles decided to sit him.
"Obviously, the last three games have been pretty challenging," Showalter said. "A lot of pitches, a lot of ... So, a good weapon to...
BOSTON - The Orioles have scratched catcher Welington Castillo from tonight's lineup and replaced him with Caleb Joseph, who's batting ninth. Manager Buck Showalter will provide an explanation later this afternoon.
Seth Smith RF Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo DH Chris Davis 1B Jonathan Schoop 2B J.J. Hardy SS Ryan Flaherty LF Caleb Joseph C
Dylan Bundy RHP
Alec Asher has gotten into the habit of showing up every day ready to pitch. Always a chance for a spot start, always a chance...