Castillo on Jackson: "He's a great teammate, a great person"

Castillo on Jackson: "He's a great teammate, a great person"
After the media scrum broke up yesterday at Edwin Jackson's locker and he could breathe again, and also change into his Orioles batting practice attire, I introduced myself and asked whether he knew anyone in the clubhouse. The guy was joining his 12th team. I felt like the odds were pretty good. Jackson made sure to repeat my first name, never an easy task for the newbies, and said that he couldn't think of anyone off the top of his head. His world was still spinning. Less than 24 hours...

More on Orioles 9-6 11-inning win and Machado's injury

More on Orioles 9-6 11-inning win and Machado's injury
Trey Mancini carried the Orioles back into their comfort zone tonight, his two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning moving them past regulation. Moving them to where they had won eight of nine games. Mancini felt right at home in the 11th, his three-run shot off Pirates left-hander Wade LeBlanc with two outs giving the Orioles a 9-6 win before what remained of an announced crowd of 19,957 at Camden Yards. Caleb Joseph worked a two-out walk to move Joey Rickard to second base...

Machado leaves game with sore wrist (O's win 9-6 in 11 innings)

Machado leaves game with sore wrist (O's win 9-6 in 11 innings)
This isn't how the Orioles wanted Rubén Tejada to make his debut with them. Manny Machado left tonight's game in the top of the fourth inning with soreness in his left wrist. Tejada stood on the on-deck circle as the final out was recorded in the bottom of the third and moved to Machado's position as the Pirates came to bat. Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen spiked Machado on the wrist on the front end of a double steal in the second inning, bringing assistant athletic trainer Brian...

Castillo: "I will be good to go when they need me" (O's down 4-1)

Castillo: "I will be good to go when they need me" (O's down 4-1)
Orioles catcher Welington Castillo was on the field again today before batting practice, this time making throws to the bases coming out of his crouch. Castillo could be activated from the disabled list on Saturday instead of going on another injury rehab assignment. He's not trying to talk anyone out of it. "I will be good to go when they need me," he said. "That's what I think. Whatever they're thinking or might do, it's their business. I'm just here to do my job and play whenever...

Showalter on Jackson's arrival and Hart's departure

Showalter on Jackson's arrival and Hart's departure
Paul Janish has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, allowing the Orioles to maintain their infield depth. The Orioles designated Janish for assignment yesterday while selecting Rubén Tejada's contract from Norfolk. Edwin Jackson spoke at his locker for about six minutes today, happy to be back in the majors after finding out about an hour after last night's game at Gwinnett that the Orioles were selecting his contract. Jackson can be used in many ways,...

Orioles lineup and notes (Hart optioned)

Orioles lineup and notes (Hart optioned)
Hyun Soo Kim is starting in left field tonight as the Orioles conclude their two-game series against the Pirates at Camden Yards. Edwin Jackson arrived at Camden Yards and has a locker set up with a No. 28 jersey hanging in it, but the Orioles haven't announced the roster move. Welington Castillo threw to the bases today before batting practice and said he's ready to come off the disabled list if the Orioles decide to activate him this weekend. And yes, Caleb Joseph gave him a Kevlar...

Orioles selecting Jackson's contract (and other notes)

Orioles selecting Jackson's contract (and other notes)
Another day passed without Edwin Jackson having his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, but he's heading to Baltimore later today. The club is adding him to the bullpen, according to a source. It's been a process. Jackson was in Gwinnett last night and didn't pitch in a 4-3 victory. Tyler Wilson worked the first six innings, left-hander Lucas Luetge earned the win with a scoreless seventh and Jimmy Yacabonis covered the last two innings for his seventh save while lowering his ERA to...

Trumbo single gives Orioles 6-5 win in 10 innings (with quotes)

Trumbo single gives Orioles 6-5 win in 10 innings (with quotes)
The Orioles continue to cash in on free baseball. Mark Trumbo singled to center field off Pirates reliever Wade LeBlanc with two outs in the 10th inning to score Adam Jones and give the Orioles a 6-5 win before an announced crowd of 26,724 at Camden Yards. Jones singled with one out and hustled to second base on Manny Machado's fly ball to the left field fence. Trumbo followed with his eighth career walk-off hit, and the fifth for the Orioles this season. The Orioles improved to 30-26 overall...

Showalter on Tejada, Flaherty, Castillo and more (we're tied)

Showalter on Tejada, Flaherty, Castillo and more (we're tied)
The only transaction for the Orioles today involved infielder Rubén Tejada, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk. Tejada replaced Paul Janish, who was designated for assignment. "We're hoping Paul clears and continues with us down in Norfolk," said manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles acquired Tejada from the Yankees on Thursday for cash considerations. "He was available and had an out in his contract, and people thought he was a guy we wanted to add," Showalter said. Dr....

Castillo could be activated on Saturday (plus other notes)

Castillo could be activated on Saturday (plus other notes)
The Orioles may skip the injury rehab assignment for catcher Welington Castillo and activate him from the disabled list on Saturday while the club is in New York. The minor league schedule isn't cooperating with the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter said the Orioles would need to send Castillo to Trenton if they wanted to delay returning him to their lineup. Castillo took batting practice today before the rest of his teammates were on the field. The Orioles may set up simulated games on Thursday...

Orioles lineup vs. Pirates

Orioles lineup vs. Pirates
Trey Mancini gets another start in left field tonight, as the Orioles open a two-game series against the Pirates at Camden Yards. Nothing much to see in the lineup. It's pretty familiar, including Seth Smith leading off against right-hander Ivan Nova and Mark Trumbo serving as the designated hitter. J.J. Hardy is the shortstop. Rubén Tejada will begin the game on the bench. For the Orioles Seth Smith RF Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo DH Chris Davis 1B Jonathan Schoop 2B Trey...

Orioles select Rubén Tejada's contract

Orioles select Rubén Tejada's contract
The Orioles made an adjustment to their roster this afternoon, but it didn't involve the bullpen. Infielder Rubén Tejada's contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk, just two days after the Orioles acquired him from the Yankees. Infielder Paul Janish was designated for assignment to create a spot for Tejada. The 40-man roster remains at 39 players. Tejada, 27, appeared in 37 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was batting .269/.345/.462 with seven doubles, six home runs, 21...

Machado slips to third place in All-Star Game voting

Machado slips to third place in All-Star Game voting
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has dropped to third place behind the Twins' Miguel Sanó and the Indians' José Ramírez in the latest round of American League All-Star Game balloting. Sanó has received 638,952 votes to put him ahead of Ramírez (541,040) and Machado (520,116). Machado led Sanó by 5,462 votes last week. Machado is trying to join Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr. as the only Orioles third basemen to earn multiple fan-elected starts. Machado...

Orioles continue homestand vs. Pirates, more on Mancini

Orioles continue homestand vs. Pirates, more on Mancini
While sifting through the highs and lows of Sunday afternoon's 7-3 loss to the Red Sox, Orioles manager Buck Showalter pointed out how five walks extended pitch counts and raised the degree of difficulty against a team that's never in a rush to leave the batter's box. The Orioles, in case no one has noticed, tend to be a little more aggressive at the plate. They'll find out tonight how it plays against a pitcher who's averaging 0.7 walks per nine innings. Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova has...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The Orioles' decision to outright left-hander Paul Fry yesterday and open up a spot on their 40-man roster naturally led to speculation that they're going to select the contract of someone at Triple-A Norfolk with an opt-out clause. Pitcher Edwin Jackson remains the most logical choice based on need and the lesser degree of difficulty. The Orioles can remove a reliever without any hassle and bring up a fresh arm that can assist at any stage of a game. Jackson has started in the past and is...

Orioles settle for split with 7-3 loss

Orioles settle for split with 7-3 loss
A pitch in the dirt, a wild throw and a broken tie. It happened that quickly. The Red Sox scored two unearned runs off Chris Tillman in the sixth inning on catcher Francisco Peña's error to take the lead and they kept the Orioles in third place with a 7-3 victory before an announced crowd of 31,819 at Camden Yards. Andrew Benintendi recorded his first multi-homer game, his solo shot off Mike Wright in the seventh inning expanding Boston's lead. Benintendi added an RBI single off Richard...

Orioles outright Fry to open 40-man spot (O's lose 7-3)

Orioles outright Fry to open 40-man spot (O's lose 7-3)
The Orioles have cleared a spot on their 40-man roster. Feel free to speculate on how they're going to fill it. Left-hander Paul Fry cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles made the announcement during today's game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Fry is 1-0 with a 6.56 ERA in 14 relief appearances with Norfolk. He has a 1.50 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings. The Orioles acquired Fry from the Mariners on April 14 for international bonus slot No. 105, which is worth...

Showalter on bullpen, Castillo, Manfra and more (we're tied)

Showalter on bullpen, Castillo, Manfra and more (we're tied)
The Orioles didn't make any roster moves this morning after considering the need for another reliever. Mike Wright is available today after manager Buck Showalter stayed away from him in last night's 5-2 loss to the Red Sox. He also didn't want to use Mychal Givens, and he was going to call upon Darren O'Day or Brad Brach only if the Orioles were ahead. Ubaldo Jiménez worked the eighth inning and allowed two runs to increase Boston's lead to 4-1. "In the American League, if somebody's...

Orioles and Red Sox lineups

Orioles and Red Sox lineups
Francisco Peña is catching this afternoon and the Orioles are breaking out another right-handed lineup against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale. Joey Rickard is in right field and Trey Mancini is in left. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter. Chris Davis is batting .354 (17-for-48) when leading off an inning. For the Orioles Joey Rickard RF Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo DH Chris Davis 1B Trey Mancini LF Jonathan Schoop 2B Francisco Pena C J.J. Hardy SS Chris Tillman RHPFor the Red...

Sale presents latest challenge for Orioles

Sale presents latest challenge for Orioles
The Orioles get a break today from opposing Cy Young Award winners. The streak ends at two with Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello and left-hander David Price. It's telling when left-hander Chris Sale represents a break. Sale has finished third, fourth, fifth twice and sixth in Cy Young voting in his eight years in the majors. He's 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 0.910 WHIP in his 11 starts this season spanning 78 innings, and his 110 strikeouts lead the majors. Sale is averaging 1.8 walks and 12.7...