This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Rangers rallied to beat the Rays last night, allowing the Orioles to stay in third place in the American League East. They won't be covering the lockers in plastic. This is nothing to celebrate. Keep the champagne on ice. Chris Tillman insisted after last night's 8-3 loss that his right shoulder is fine. He gave up three home runs in 2 2/3 innings and his fastball mostly was 89-91 mph, but he said it wasn't a physical issue. "I feel really good, actually," he said. "It's been getting...

Tillman surrenders three home runs in 8-3 loss (with quotes)

Tillman surrenders three home runs in 8-3 loss (with quotes)
Chris Tillman went four starts and faced 95 batters this season without allowing a home run. Some streaks end. Other are obliterated. Yankees leadoff hitter Brett Gardner homered tonight on the third pitch thrown by Tillman, a 90 mph fastball. Matt Holiday, the third batter in the order, drove Tillman's 86 mph slider into the left field seats. And so it went. Holliday got Tillman again leading off the third inning, Gardner homered off reliever Logan Verrett leading off the fourth and the...

Showalter on Machado, the order and retaliation (O's down 8-3)

Showalter on Machado, the order and retaliation (O's down 8-3)
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado enters tonight's game batting .216/.299/.426 in 48 games. However, manager Buck Showalter reminded the media that Machado leads the club with 25 RBIs and is tied with Chris Davis for the home run lead with 10. Showalter doesn't think the slash line should fully define the three-time All-Star. "I'm really impressed by the way he's handling some of his challenges this year," Showalter said. "He's very approachable. I told him that, too. You may see him...

Jones scratched from lineup for second straight day

Jones scratched from lineup for second straight day
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has been removed from the lineup again tonight. However, the club said it's due to the wet field conditions. Jones tested his left ankle and hip again this afternoon before batting practice and was scratched from the lineup for the second consecutive day, though this time for precautionary reasons. He didn't play in the last two games in Houston. A light rain is falling at Camden Yards as the Yankees take batting practice. Joey Rickard is in center field and...

Notes on Jones, Hart, Flaherty, Britton and Harvey (updated)

Notes on Jones, Hart, Flaherty, Britton and Harvey (updated)
Orioles manager Buck Showalter will reveal the identity of Friday night's starter following today's batting practice session at Camden Yards. "We want to make sure that a couple things to well today," Showalter said. Showalter indicated yesterday that the choice came down to Alec Asher or Ubaldo Jiménez. Asher lasted only two innings Sunday in Houston and gave up six runs. Jiménez relieved him, allowed two runs in the third and retired 16 of the last 18 batters while covering the rest...

Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
Adam Jones is in the Orioles lineup tonight and manager Buck Showalter sounded confident that his center fielder will stay in it after being scratched yesterday. Trey Mancini is in left field. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter, with Chris Davis at first base and batting fifth. Seventeen of Mark Trumbo's 24 RBIs have come with two outs. He's batting .282 (22-for-78) with two outs this season. Trumbo is batting .310 (61-for-197) in 53 career games against the Yankees. Second baseman Jonathan...

What's happening in Sarasota?

What's happening in Sarasota?
Orioles director of player development Brian Graham headed down to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota this week to check on a few players who remain at extended spring training. Closer Zach Britton ranks first if we're listing them in order of importance. Nothing against the others, of course. It's just hard to compete against a guy who was 47-for-47 in save chances last season. Perfection tends to raise a bar to ridiculous heights. Britton continues to play catch on flat ground,...

Asher and Jiménez candidates to start Friday (plus other notes)

Asher and Jiménez candidates to start Friday (plus other notes)
Orioles manager Buck Showalter indicated today that he's choosing between Alec Asher and Ubaldo Jiménez to make Friday night's start against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Showalter said the decision will be made Tuesday to let everyone know and prepare accordingly. "We'll decide what direction we're going to go tomorrow, take everything in, see how everybody's feeling, see how we get through today," he said. "It's just been such a quick turnaround. We talked a little bit on the plane...

Jones scratched from lineup

Jones scratched from lineup
Orioles manager Buck Showalter warned the media today to write out its lineup in pencil. He needed to check on a few players, including Adam Jones, who's been bothered by soreness in his left ankle and hip since the Tigers series May 16-18 in Detroit. Jones worked out in the outfield this morning and he's been scratched from the lineup. Joey Rickard has moved to center field, with Trey Mancini going from first base to left field. Chris Davis is at first base and Welington Castillo is the...

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees
Adam Jones has returned to the Orioles lineup for today's series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards. Jones missed the last two games with soreness in his left ankle and hip. Chris Davis is the designated hitter against left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Trey Mancini is playing first base. For the Orioles Joey Rickard LF Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo RF Chris Davis DH Welington Castillo C Trey Mancini 1B Jonathan Schoop 2B J.J. Hardy SS Dylan Bundy RHP

Can Bundy bring what's needed again today?

Can Bundy bring what's needed again today?
Imagine that it's January and you're counting down the days until spring training, totally unaware that injuries would rob the Orioles of their No. 1 starter and closer. Or that Kevin Gausman would get off to a slow start and Ubaldo Jiménez would be headed back to the bullpen. Perhaps you were braced for Jiménez's latest removal from the rotation, but he also may have raised hopes with his 2.31 ERA and 0.829 WHIP in September. You want to believe. There are 50 million reasons to be...

Chris Davis: "I'm just not picking up the ball"

Chris Davis: "I'm just not picking up the ball"
HOUSTON - With three more strikeouts today, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis raised his season total to 74 in 47 games. Mark Reynolds, later a teammate in Baltimore, holds the major league record with 223 in 2009. Davis isn't the sole issue with the Orioles, not when they've lost seven games in a row and 13 of their last 16. There's lots of blame to be spread around. But he's got the $161 million contract, a spot in the middle of the lineup and the scrutiny that comes with both of...

Asher's short start leads to longer losing streak

Asher's short start leads to longer losing streak
HOUSTON - Now what? The Orioles lost another lead this afternoon, and it happened again in alarming fashion. Alec Asher threw 42 pitches in the second inning, surrendered six runs to the Astros, and didn't return for the third. A golden opportunity went unclaimed. Ubaldo Jiménez made his 2017 bullpen debut and the Orioles continued their losing ways with an 8-4 defeat that completed another sweep. The Astros sent 10 batters to the plate in the second and hit for the cycle. Carlos Correa and...

Jones close to lineup return, and other notes (O's down 8-4)

Jones close to lineup return, and other notes (O's down 8-4)
HOUSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter sounded confident today that Adam Jones will return to the lineup for Monday afternoon's series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards. Jones remains out of the lineup with soreness in his left ankle and hip. "He's doing well. He's getting better," Showalter said. "Could have pushed the envelope today if we wanted to. I expect him to be back in the lineup starting tomorrow if he continues to feel like he does today." No tests have been...

Orioles and Astros lineups

Orioles and Astros lineups
HOUSTON - Adam Jones remains out of the Orioles lineup today due to soreness in his left ankle and hip. He also missed last night's loss, the sixth in a row. Joey Rickard is playing center field and batting eighth. Jonathan Schoop moves up to second in the order. Paul Janish is playing shortstop, with J.J. Hardy taking a seat next to Jones. Hyun Soo Kim is in left field for the series finale. The Orioles have recalled right-handed pitcher Logan Verrett from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned...

Asher's latest start could be his most important

Asher's latest start could be his most important
HOUSTON - This isn't Alec Asher's first start with the Orioles. So, why does it feel that way? Asher made his Orioles debut on April 15 in Toronto because they needed a fifth starter. He got another chance on May 2 in Boston. Manager Buck Showalter kept sorting through his options - Asher, Jayson Aquino, Gabriel Ynoa, Tyler Wilson - while hoping that a six-man bullpen wouldn't be exposed. Showalter is turning to Asher again today, giving him the spot that belonged to Ubaldo Jiménez. It's...

Orioles' losing streak reaches six games (with quotes)

Orioles' losing streak reaches six games (with quotes)
HOUSTON - The center fielder is hurting, the closer is still playing catch in Sarasota, the losses are piling up and a team that once resided in first place in its division is more within reach of the cellar than the penthouse. No one said "seller." It's only May and the Orioles are above .500. But their losing streak grew to six games tonight and it's not too soon to wonder how long it can stretch. Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel came off the disabled list and allowed only one run over...

Jiménez: "I have a lot of faith that things change" (O's down 5-2)

Jiménez: "I have a lot of faith that things change" (O's down 5-2)
HOUSTON - Ubaldo Jiménez is back in the Orioles bullpen tonight, unsure if his latest demotion will bring better results when he's on the mound. Unsure exactly when he'll get on a mound. This is a confusing time for Jiménez, who says that his mechanics aren't an issue this season. If not, where did he go wrong? Asked whether he can work on anything specific, Jiménez replied, "Not really, because I don't think my mechanics were bad. I was just getting hit. That's pretty much what...

Jones out of lineup with sore ankle and hip

Jones out of lineup with sore ankle and hip
HOUSTON - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is out of tonight's lineup due to a sore left ankle and hip. Jones jammed the ankle during a game in Detroit. He felt the discomfort while chasing a ball in the outfield and compounded the issue on the bases. Manager Buck Showalter said no tests are planned at the moment, but Jones could be examined when the team returns to Baltimore. He may undergo X-rays or an MRI. The Orioles are hoping that a day or two on the bench will prevent Jones from going...

Orioles recall Hart, Jones out of starting lineup

Orioles recall Hart, Jones out of starting lineup
HOUSTON - The Orioles added and subtracted a left-hander from the bullpen before tonight's game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Donnie Hart has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and Jayson Aquino has been optioned to the Tides. Hart was optioned on May 17. He became eligible today to return following the required 10-day period. Hart is 1-0 and a 3.95 ERA in 19 appearances, with six runs and 19 hits in 13 2/3 innings. He's walked four batters and struck out 16. Left-handers are...