Steve Melewski

Checking in with some minor league stats and notes (updated)

April 14, 2012, 11:49am

Orioles

Checking in with some minor league stats and notes (updated)

The Double-A Bowie Baysox are playing this afternoon and, at least check, lead Erie 10-5 in the seventh inning. Tyler Townsend has two hits, including his fourth homer. Hot-hitting Buck Britton is 2-for-3 and is now batting .361. Brandon Waring is 3-for-4 with a three-run homer. Antoan Richardson has hit a three-run homer as well for Bowie, which began today with a record of 3-6. Update: Bowie blew the five-run lead and lost 11-10 at Erie in ten innings as the Baysox gave up four runs in the...

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Not concerned about Adam Jones

April 14, 2012, 7:56am

Orioles

Adam Jones may have had another of what Buck Showalter calls "emotional at-bats" last night. After failing to produce the winning hit in the ninth inning Wednesday against New York, he came up in a key spot in the top of the eighth last night. The Orioles were trailing Toronto by a run at the time and had runners on first and third with one out. Jones struck out on a pitch down and in against Darren Oliver. He tried to stop his swing but couldn't and went down with on a strikeout with a...

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Betemit's two-run single lifts the Orioles past Toronto

April 13, 2012, 5:48pm

Orioles

This time the Orioles got the key hit late in the game. Wilson Betemit's two-run single with two outs in the top of the eighth gave the Orioles a 6-5 lead and they won by a 7-5 score Friday night at Toronto in Game One of a three-game series. The win improves the Orioles to 4-3 on the year and was just their sixth win in their last 35 games at Rogers Centre, a building where they had gone 4-23 over the last three years. Wilson Betemit speaks with Tom Davis to discuss the Orioles' 7-5...

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O's facing tough customer tonight in Morrow

April 13, 2012, 2:47pm

Orioles

O's facing tough customer tonight in Morrow

The Orioles are facing a tough pitcher at Toronto tonight in 27-year-old right-hander Brandon Morrow. He led the American League last year in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.19 and leads the majors in that stat over the last two seasons at 10.53. Morrow pitched seven innings allowing just one hit and two runs that were unearned in his first start on Saturday at Cleveland. The Indians loaded their lineup with lefty batters against him but they went a combined 1-for-19 against Morrow in that...

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Orioles pitching prospect Dan Klein will have shoulder procedure on Monday

April 13, 2012, 12:56pm

Orioles

Right-hander Dan Klein, the Orioles' third-round draft pick in 2010 out of UCLA, will undergo another shoulder procedure and he will likely miss all of the 2012 season. The rotator interval closure procedure will be performed by shoulder specialist Dr. Craig Morgan this Monday, April 16, in Wilmington, Del. It is expected to tighten the area around the shoulder capsule. It is a very similar procedure that Dr. Morgan performed on Matt Hobgood on April 2. Hobgood is expected to miss all this...

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The early-season pitching plan for Dylan Bundy

April 13, 2012, 9:40am

Orioles

The early-season pitching plan for Dylan Bundy

Orioles director of pitching development Rick Peterson said the early-season plan for Dylan Bundy calls for the Orioles' 2011 first-round pick to go three innings again in his next start Tuesday and then begin to bump up his innings per start after that. The goal is to have Bundy pitch through the entire year staying within his season limit of 120 to 130 innings while being able to pitch much deeper into games toward the end of this season. "We thought that (his going deeper into games late...

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A few words from the coach working with Reynolds on his defense

April 12, 2012, 9:58pm

Orioles

A few words from the coach working with Reynolds on his defense

He is the man on the Orioles coaching staff that started working with Mark Reynolds on his defense during spring camp and will continue to try and help Reynolds make needed improvements with his defense. DeMarlo Hale is the Orioles' third-base coach, but also works with the team's infielders. He served on Terry Francona's Red Sox coaching staffs the last six years, the last two as bench coach. He was a coach with Texas before that for four seasons and for three of his seasons there...

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How will the fans see the Yankees series and a take on Bundy

April 12, 2012, 4:42am

Orioles

How will the fans see the Yankees series and a take on Bundy

So as an Orioles fan, do you look at the last three nights in black and white terms or with shades of gray? Do you just see three losses and the team getting swept as the bottom line or did you see some things that were positive within the losses and give the team something to build on? I can't help feeling that the Orioles should have won the last two games of that series and be heading to Toronto later today with a 5-1 record and two series victories. Instead, there was more frustration...

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Another strong outing for Dylan Bundy

April 11, 2012, 3:46pm

Orioles

Dylan Bundy's second pro start for the Orioles went about as well as the first one. In fact, just as he did in that outing last Friday night, Bundy tonight retired all nine batters he faced for Single-A Delmarva over three perfect innings, this time at Kannapolis, again with six strikeouts. He has pitched six perfect innings with 12 strikeouts over his first two outings. Bundy struck out the first batter he faced in this game and then the last five to come up against him. Bundy's line...

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Dan Duquette talks about the addition of Joel Pineiro

April 11, 2012, 2:01pm

Orioles

Dan Duquette talks about the addition of Joel Pineiro

The Orioles signed 33-year-old right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league contract today. Orioles vice president Dan Duquette said they intend to get him soon into Triple-A Norfolk's rotation and he provides more depth for the major league club. He could eventually be a long reliever working out of the Orioles bullpen. "We agreed to terms with Joel Pineiro on a Triple-A contract," Duquette said a few minutes ago. "He's a winning major league pitcher. Has a good sinker and excellent...

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Showalter on the RISP stats

April 11, 2012, 1:04pm

Orioles

The Orioles have scored 21 runs in their first five games to rank sixth in the American League. They are fourth with a .260 team batting average and third in homers with seven. But the club has struggled in this series and so far this season when batting with runners in scoring position. The Orioles are just 2-for-23 (.087) the last two nights and 6-for-41 (.146) in that stat through five games. "It's kind of like the team that has trouble shooting free throws and you go out and there and...

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Dylan Bundy's second pro start is tonight

April 11, 2012, 8:06am

Orioles

Dylan Bundy's second pro start is tonight

When Dylan Bundy makes his much-anticipated second pro start tonight at Kannapolis, N.C., he will likely pitch three innings again as he did last Friday at Asheville, N.C., in his pro and South Atlantic League debut. Bundy made a stunning first impression in that game, retiring all nine batters he faced and recording six strikeouts in what was about a 45-pitch outing. He touched 97 and 98 mph with his fastball but mostly pitched in the 94-95 mph range with that pitch. Bundy may stay in the...

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It's a mixed bag for the Orioles through five games

April 11, 2012, 3:50am

Orioles

Losing to the Yankees is about as frustrating as it gets for an Orioles fan. But blowing a lead to New York, helping them with a key error and failing time after time with runners in scoring position takes the frustration to an even higher level. Unfortunately, the O's and their fans have been here before against this team. The Orioles went just 5-13 against the Yankees last year and are 15-41 in the series since 2009. The Orioles are 9-24 in their last 33 Camden Yards games against New...

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A Hardy homer early for the Orioles (O's lose in 12)

April 10, 2012, 3:54pm

Orioles

J.J. Hardy hit another early-game homer for the Orioles. It came in the last of the first inning and tied the game 1-1. Later in the inning a Freddy Garica wild pitch put the O's ahead 2-1 as Garcia needed 36 pitches to get through that inning. Hardy's homer was his second of the year and the Orioles' seventh. They have homered in the first or second inning in every game. The Orioles took a 2-1 lead into the third inning. Wei-Yin Chen is making his major league debut tonight and has...

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Josh Bell will start in the outfield tonight at Triple-A

April 10, 2012, 1:37pm

Orioles

Josh Bell will start in the outfield tonight at Triple-A

When the Triple-A Norfolk Tides host Gwinnett tonight at Harbor Park, Josh Bell will be in the starting lineup in right field, making his first ever professional start in the outfield. Bell did play in one game in left and one game in right field for the Orioles last season, but did not have a ball hit to him and those were not starts. Bell, who is 2-for-15 on the season, made his only other start this year at first base. Zelous Wheeler has made three starts at third base for Norfolk and Matt...

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Robert Andino talks about having words with Russell Martin

April 10, 2012, 11:58am

Orioles

Robert Andino talks about having words with Russell Martin

When the Orioles' clubhouse opened to reporters a few minutes ago, Robert Andino knew what to expect. He was waiting by his locker for us to ask him about what happened between him and Yankees catcher Russell Martin at the end of the game last night. "I was waiting for you all," he said. Andino said it was a miscommunication and said he did not expect it to have any carryover into tonight's game. "You know, heat of the moment," Andino said. "Boys being boys. Just had a few words....

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Matusz struggles and Chen is up next for the Orioles

April 10, 2012, 4:34am

Orioles

Well a little cold water was thrown on the good vibes created by the three-game sweep of Minnesota with that loss to the Yankees where Brian Matusz failed to consistently find the strike zone. It seems some fans were kind of jumping on Matusz in some of the comments we saw after last night's game as the Yankees beat the Orioles 6-2 for the Birds' first loss of the year. Matusz certainly needs to pitch with better command and control. His pitches were up in the zone in the first inning and...

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Matusz not sharp as Orioles suffer first loss

April 09, 2012, 6:19pm

Orioles

After making progress over the offseason and making the team with a solid spring training, it was back to struggling for the Orioles tonight as the New York Yankees beat the O's 6-2 to drop the Orioles to 3-1 on the season. Matusz struggled from the start, giving up a first-inning run and throwing 30 pitches in the inning. He went just four innings on a whopping 96 pitches and allowed six hits and four runs with four walks and one strikeout. That is four times more earned runs that the O's...

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Trying to equal the 1974 Orioles (updated)

April 09, 2012, 3:44pm

Orioles

If Brian Matusz pitches seven innings or more tonight, this would be the first time since 1974 that the Orioles had four starters begin the year by pitching seven or more. That year it was Jim Palmer (8 1/3), Dave McNally (10), Ross Grimsley (8 2/3) and Mike Cuellar (eight). It didn't look good for him to do that after the Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and Matusz threw 30 pitches, but he came back with an 11-pitch top of the second. Matusz has enough velocity tonight - hitting...

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Wei-Yin Chen gets ready to weigh in against New York

April 09, 2012, 1:41pm

Orioles

Wei-Yin Chen gets ready to weigh in against New York

He was signed by the Orioles to a three-year contract with a club option for 2015 back in January and tomorrow Wei-Yin Chen makes his official Orioles' debut. Manager Buck Showalter slated him to start the fifth game to give him more time to settle in as a big leaguer, but that also means he faces the Yankees right out of the box. "I'm feeling nervous right now, a little bit. I'm just preparing the best I can right now for tomorrow," Chen said through his interpreter this afternoon in...