Steve Melewski

Andino talks about his game-winning hit against Boston

September 28, 2011, 8:51pm

Orioles

Andino talks about his game-winning hit against Boston

Just a few minutes after his game-ending and season-ending RBI single gave the Orioles a walk-off win over the Boston Red Sox tonight, Robert Andino said he enjoyed handing the Red Sox such a crushing loss. "To end the season like this and make Boston go home sad and crying, I'll take it all day. I've got no words for it. You saw Boston's faces," he said. Robert Andino talks about his walk-off base hit that knocked the Red Sox out of the Wild Card race After Chris Davis doubled off...

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Reimold and Andino with the clutch hits in the 9th as the O's stun Boston

September 28, 2011, 8:06pm

Orioles

Reimold and Andino with the clutch hits in the 9th as the O's stun Boston

The last game of the year produced one of the best finishes ever at Camden Yards. Down to their last out, the Orioles scored twice off Jonathan Papelbon in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Boston Red Sox with a comeback, 4-3 victory. With two outs and none on, Chris Davis doubled to right and Kyle Hudson came on to pinch run. Then Nolan Reimold came up with an RBI double to right center to tie the game 3-3. Robert Andino then lined one into left field and Carl Crawford just missed making a...

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The starters struggled most of the year and Simon did tonight too

September 28, 2011, 5:10pm

Orioles

The starters struggled most of the year and Simon did tonight too

The Orioles' starting pitching has been a flop most of this year. The starters' ERA for the season is in the 5.30 range and yes, that is awful. Alfredo Simon struggled in his start tonight, giving up three runs and six hits over just 4 1/3 innings. Simon will finish this season winless in eight starts against AL East teams with an ERA of 5.91. His final season ERA is 4.90 and he won't win his fifth game tonight. You have to wonder how the Orioles will use Simon next year. I still think his...

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Can O's resurgent offense get to Lester tonight?

September 28, 2011, 3:25pm

Orioles

Can O's resurgent offense get to Lester tonight?

The Orioles, in case you have not noticed, have been putting up a lot of runs lately. They have scored six runs or more in four straight, nine of ten and 12 of the last 14 games. The Orioles have scored 84 runs on 22 homers those last 14 games, averaging 6.0 runs per game in that time. They have some batters who are hitting well up and down the lineup as they try tonight to beat a pitcher in Jon Lester, that they have never defeated. Some O's hot hitters heading into the finale: * Nick...

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Well, the Red Sox skipper is loose

September 28, 2011, 2:03pm

Orioles

His team may have baseball's second-worst September record at 7-19, but Red Sox skipper Terry Francona didn't seem to be feeling any pressure today during his pregame interview session with reporters. If the Red Sox play tonight as loose as their manager was, they probably have a pretty good chance to win here at Camden Yards as they try to secure the AL wild-card berth. Francona cracked several one liners this afternoon in a press room here at Camden Yards. He was reminded that he had...

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Hardy on his season and finishing second in MVO vote

September 28, 2011, 1:21pm

Orioles

Hardy on his season and finishing second in MVO vote

In what was a very close vote, Adam Jones edged out J.J. Hardy for this year's Most Valuable Oriole award. The Orioles don't release the voting results, but it appears that Jones won by one single vote over Hardy. The Orioles shortstop had not yet heard he had finished second and was informed by reporters when the clubhouse opened to the media today. "I haven't heard about it until now," Hardy said. "He's (Jones) very deserving. He's played, pretty much the whole year and I missed...

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Orlando Gomez on Frederick's Carolina League title, plus Lester notes (updated)

September 27, 2011, 9:45pm

Orioles

Orlando Gomez on Frederick's Carolina League title, plus Lester notes (updated)

While Tim Bascom and Jonathan Schoop picked up the top Orioles' minor league awards this week, it was great to see Single-A Frederick manager Orlando Gomez win the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award. Gomez has spent seven years in the O's organization and 47 years in pro baseball. Like Ripken, he is just a solid and unassuming baseball guy. He seemed to relate well to the kids on the Frederick team that recently won the Carolina League championship, beating Kinston, three games to one,...

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Britton reflects on his season and Jones on tonight's game

September 27, 2011, 7:29pm

Orioles

Britton reflects on his season and Jones on tonight's game

Moments after the game ended, and the Orioles had fallen short by 8-7 to Boston, starting pitcher Zach Britton blamed himself for the loss and was disappointed he gave up two homers. "It just came down to the execution of those two pitches," Britton said. "I don't think I threw the ball well, but if I execute those pitches it's a different game. "The energy was really good and the way we battled back just shows we weren't down and out and that last inning was awesome too. I feel like...

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Red Sox use longball to top Orioles, 8-7

September 27, 2011, 6:44pm

Orioles

After they scored just three runs with 12 left on base last night, tonight the Boston Red Sox used a four-homer barrage to beat the Orioles 8-7 in front of 22,123 at Camden Yards. Tampa Bay won its game with the Yankees, so now Boston and the Rays go to the final day tied for the wild card playoff berth with identical 90-71 records. The Orioles came up with two hits and a run in the ninth, on a Matt Wieters' swinging bunt, RBI ground out to close within 8-7. But Jonathan Papelbon got Adam...

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Ellsbury ... again and Britton note

September 27, 2011, 3:56pm

Orioles

Jacoby Ellsbury just hit yet another big homer for the Boston Red Sox. His two-run shot off Zach Britton in the top of the third gives the Red Sox a 2-1 lead on the Orioles, who got an RBI double from Vladimir Guerrero in the first inning. Ellsbury's career high in homers was nine before this year and now he has 32. He also now has an amazing 35-game hitting streak against the Orioles dating to April 17, 2009. Ellsbury leads the majors this month in hits, doubles, extra-base hits and total...

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Jim Johnson expresses a preference to be a starter next year

September 27, 2011, 1:09pm

Orioles

Jim Johnson expresses a preference to be a starter next year

Even though he has been one of the better relievers in the American League this year and is 7-for-7 in save chances since Sept. 7, the talk about Jim Johnson moving into a starter's role next year won't go away. No one has committed to it yet for 2012, but Johnson today expressed a preference to be a starter next season. "I'll do what the team asks me to do and needs me to do, but I would still like the idea to start, because I think I can be helpful in that position," Johnson said....

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Camden Yards was rocking for the Boston-O's series opener

September 26, 2011, 9:22pm

Orioles

Camden Yards was rocking for the Boston-O's series opener

What a great atmosphere at Camden Yards last night. There were plenty of fans cheering for each side, each roaring most of the night at each other, and they made 21,000 fans sound like and feel like 51,000. As a friend said (and that was with Orioles fans basically wanting to ruin another team's season), what could it be like if it were the Orioles pushing for a playoff berth? The place was rocking after Robert Andino's three-run inside-the-park homer and it had a real big-game feel as the...

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Andino and Guerrero comment after the O's beat Boston

September 26, 2011, 7:22pm

Orioles

Andino and Guerrero comment after the O's beat Boston

Two Orioles players, about 10 feet apart in the clubhouse, were feeling very happy after this game for different reasons. Vladimir Guerrero was smiling after his single in the sixth made him baseball's all-time hits leader for Dominican-born players. Robert Andino was excited about his inside-the-park homer and that his father got to see it in person. There were a few smiles in that clubhouse after the Orioles' 6-3 win over the Red Sox. Vladimir Guerrero talks with the media about becoming...

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Andino, Davis and Guerrero lead O's past Boston, 6-3

September 26, 2011, 6:25pm

Orioles

Andino, Davis and Guerrero lead O's past Boston, 6-3

Given yet another chance tonight to play the spoiler's role, the Orioles took it and ran with it, beating the slumping Boston Red Sox 6-3 in front of 21,786 at Camden Yards. The game featured the Orioles again getting to Josh Beckett, Vlad Guerrero setting a career hits record and Robert Andino coming up with the first-ever, Orioles' inside-the-park homer at Oriole Park. The Red Sox fall to 6-19 in September. They began the night with a one-game lead in the wild card race, but, with Tampa...

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Getting to Beckett ... again

September 26, 2011, 5:33pm

Orioles

Josh Beckett entered this start tonight second in the majors in opponent batting average at .207 and third in the American League in ERA at 2.70, but he trails the Orioles 6-2 after six innings after that stirring three-run, inside-the-park homer from Robert Andino. That was the first-ever Orioles inside-the-park homer here at Camden Yards. Through the sixth tonight, Beckett has allowed 12 runs in 13 1/3 innings to the Orioles over his last two starts. This year his ERA is now 7.03 against...

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Tim Bascom: What started in the bullpen, ends with Jim Palmer award

September 26, 2011, 2:45pm

Orioles

Tim Bascom: What started in the bullpen, ends with Jim Palmer award

When the 2011 season began, right-hander Tim Bascom found himself in an unfamiliar spot. The bullpen. After pitching to a record of 3-4 and ERA of 3.43 in 11 Double-A starts last year, Bascom was on Bowie's opening day roster, but not in the season-opening rotation. "Once they told me that, it got me a little angry," Bascom said here today at Camden Yards. "It kind of made me work a little harder, to do whatever they needed. I felt I got better in the bullpen, so I can do anything they...

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Jonathan Schoop talks about his Player of the Year award

September 26, 2011, 2:29pm

Orioles

Jonathan Schoop talks about his Player of the Year award

Just a few minutes ago, on the field at Camden Yards, Jonathan Schoop talked about being named the winner of the Brooks Robinson Award as the Orioles minor league Player of the Year. "I'm real happy. There are a lot of good players (in the organization)," Schoop said. "This means a lot to me. Just keeps me focused for next year. It's good." Schoop felt he made plenty of improvements in his game this year. He hit .290 with 24 doubles, five triples, 13 homers and a .781 OPS in 51 games...

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Feeling good about his season, Adams now heads for Tuesday surgery

September 26, 2011, 12:56pm

Orioles

Feeling good about his season, Adams now heads for Tuesday surgery

Orioles infielder Ryan Adams has had just four at-bats since the middle of the month and has not played in a week as he deals with a sports hernia. He will undergo an operation next Tuesday and he said the recovery time is only a few weeks. He should have a normal offseason after that. He's been playing in some pain most of this year at Triple-A and here with the Orioles. "I thought it was a groin injury and we were treating it that way," Adams said. "For most of the year I had pain, but...

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Jonathan Schoop, Tim Bascom take O's top minor league honors

September 26, 2011, 8:05am

Orioles

Jonathan Schoop, Tim Bascom take O's top minor league honors

The Orioles today named Jonathan Schoop as the winner of the Brooks Robinson Award as their minor league Player of the Year. They named pitcher Tim Bascom the winner of the Jim Palmer Award as minor league Pitcher of the Year. The 19-year-old Schoop began the year at Single-A Delmarva and moved to Single-A Frederick in early June. Between those clubs, he hit .290 with 24 doubles, five triples, 13 homers and 71 RBIs in 128 games. Schoop had a .349 on-base percentage, a .432 slugging percentage...

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Orioles minor league award winners not easy to call

September 25, 2011, 3:07pm

Orioles

Here is a good question: Which players are going to be named the Orioles' minor league Player and Pitcher of the Year for 2011? Unlike last year, when Joe Mahoney and Zach Britton were honored, the races for those awards are much more wide-open this season. The Orioles are expected to announce the winners later today. In alphabetical order, here are five candidates for player of the year and their stats for the season. All five players except for Miclat played for more than one team. Buck...