Cal's 15th anniversary

Cal's 15th anniversary
Some of the longest and loudest ovations heard at Camden Yards are those reserved for Cal Ripken Jr. There was another today when the Hall of Famer threw out the ceremonial first pitch on the 15th anniversary of his playing in consecutive game number 2,130 to tie Lou Gehrig's record. "I keep milking it for whatever it's worth. It seems like time has gone by really fast. I only realize it when I look at the age of my kids. In many other ways it seems like that whole night was just a...
Continue reading

Guthrie pitches O's past Tampa, 8-4

Guthrie pitches O's past Tampa, 8-4
The Orioles ended their first three-game losing streak of the Buck Showalter era in resounding fashion tonight. Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven strong innings to gain his 9th win while the O's had 15 hits in an 8-4 win over Tampa. The victory was the 900th of Showalter's managerial career. He becomes the 64th manager in baseball history to reach the 900 mark and is 9th among active managers in wins. The Orioles are 18-13 since Showalter took over on August 3rd. Buck Showalter talks with the...
Continue reading

Updating Markakis & Wieters

Updating Markakis & Wieters
Nick Markakis entered tonight's game without an RBI or homer this year vs. Tampa. That first-inning, two-run shot to right took care of both of those. Markakis was 7 for 51 in his first 13 games on the year vs. Tampa. He had a batting average of .137 and slugging percentage of .255 vs. Rays pitchers. But he is 2 for 3 with two RBI so far as the O's lead 7-2 after five innings. Wieters is 2 for 3 and had a two-run double in the third that gave the O's a 5-1 lead. Wieters is now 11 for...
Continue reading

Eastern League pennant race

Eastern League pennant race
The Bowie Baysox and Harrisburg are now tied for the final Eastern League playoff spot with identical 75-64 records with three games to go. Bowie is playing at Richmond tonight while Harrisburg is at Binghamton. Should the teams finish tied for second place and that last playoff spot, they will play a one-game playoff contest on Tuesday at Bowie. Eddie Gamboa (7-5, 3.70) is tonight's Baysox starter. He is coming off 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his last outing and is 1-1, 2.45 vs. Richmond...
Continue reading

Not many chances yet for Snyder

Not many chances yet for Snyder
Brandon Snyder has been here for three games now without an at bat. It's becoming apparent that, despite his callup, he will likely not get too many starts. I asked Buck Showalter today if Snyder can gain something here, even if not playing much and if he can evaluate some things about Snyder without seeing him play much. "I know there's never any substitute for actual game participation, but as we get into a couple of clubs that won't be involved in the playoffs, we'll get some looks...
Continue reading

Tillman time again

Tillman time again
On July 19, Chris Tillman gave up eight runs in just 2 2/3 vs. Tampa Bay. For him, the rematch and the resumption of his Major League career comes tomorrow here at Camden Yards. Tillman will make his 7th big league start of this season Sunday vs. the Rays. This is his third stint with the Orioles after going 11-7, 3.34 in 21 starts with Norfolk. "I have to just go out and do what I know I can do. I've been pretty consistent down in Norfolk. That's been the thing I wanted to work on...
Continue reading

Admiring Millwood

Admiring Millwood
It's probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I admire Kevin Millwood. Yes, I admire a pitcher with a 3-15 record, a new career high in losses and ERA of 5.38. The pitcher that leads the American League in losses. I remember that he pitched the first two months of this season without a win, despite a 3.89 ERA. That was the lowest ERA for a starter who opened the season with 11 straight winless decisions since Rick Langford had a 2.62 to open the 1978 season with Oakland. He...
Continue reading

Luke on the loss

Luke on the loss
It would be hard to blame Luke Scott for this loss or the lack of offense vs. Matt Garza in Tampa's 4-1 win tonight. He reached base all three times he was up vs. Garza with a single and two walks. Perhaps Garza tread lightly with him after he homered off him twice in that July game vs. the Rays. Here is what Scott about the Garza and this game: "Garza had good stuff and has a plus arm. For the most part he stayed out of the middle of the plate. He's got a power arm but he finessed...
Continue reading

Garza over Millwood as Rays top O's, 4-1

Garza over Millwood as Rays top O's, 4-1
No one got hit. But the Orioles didn't get many hits either, off Matt Garza. This time they didn't hit four homers off him like they did back on July 20th. Garza gave up just one run and five hits over 5 2/3 pitching Tampa Bay to a 4-1 win over the Orioles in the opener of the weekend series. Buck Showalter meets with the media following the O's 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay Garza, now 14-7, 3.46, walked and fanned three, throwing 98 pitches. He has allowed one earned run or less in six of his...
Continue reading

Did O's miss the 'beat Garza' memo?

Did O's miss the 'beat Garza' memo?
The O's trail Tampa and Matt Garza 4-1 through five innings. No one has shoved anything down anyone's throat that I have seen, but I have noticed the O's not getting any clutch hits off Garza. At least, so far. They had runners on second with just one out in the 3rd and 5th and failed to score. They got two hits and a walk in the 4th and scored just one run. The O's are 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position through five. Garza, who pitched a no-hitter July 26 vs. Detroit, had an...
Continue reading

Keys set their playoff rotation

Keys set their playoff rotation
Despite losing 10 of their last 12 games, the Frederick Keys are playoff bound. In fact, it looks like it will be Orioles vs. Nationals in the playoffs. That's the Carolina League playoffs. After going 41-29, Frederick won its division in the first half. The Nats team in that league, Potomac, is leading in the second half. The best-of-five Carolina League semi-finals will begin next Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Frederick's Harry Grove Stadium. The Keys will start Oliver Drake in game one,...
Continue reading

Markakis and Roberts have struggled vs. TB

Markakis and Roberts have struggled vs. TB
Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts have combined for 69 at bats this season vs. Tampa pitching without a single homer or RBI. Markakis is batting .149 (7 for 47) in 12 games this season vs. the Rays while Robers is batting .136 (3 for 22) in six contests vs. Tampa. Some O's that have hit Tampa pitching well include: *Felix Pie at .343-1-3, going 12 for 35 with five doubles. *Luke Scott at .395-5-8, going 15 for 38 with an OPS of 1.357. *Matt Wieters at .308-1-3, going 8 for 26. *Ty Wigginton...
Continue reading

Jones reacts to Garza's comments during live chat earlier today

Jones reacts to Garza's comments during live chat earlier today
Earlier today, when we had a live video chat in the MASNsports.com web studio with Adam Jones, I asked him about Matt Garza's comments. Garza, who pitches for Tampa vs. the Orioles tonight, sounds still stung by the game on July 20 when he gave up seven runs and four homers vs. the O's. Garza said of tonight's rematch: "I owe them a lot of payback for the type of outing I had last time against them," he said. "They had back-to-back-to-back. So I'm going to make them feel really...
Continue reading

Garza to O's: "I'm going to shove it down your throat this time."

Garza to O's: "I'm going to shove it down your throat this time."
Tampa Bay right-hander Matt Garza has had a lot of success vs. the Orioles, going 8-1, 3.14 in 11 career starts vs. the Birds. But on July 20th, the O's scored seven runs off him in 6 1/3 innings and hit four homers against him. That game clearly didn't sit well with Garza. Tonight, Garza starts vs. the O's at Camden Yards. He tells the St. Petersburg Times he owes the Orioles "a lot of payback" and that he's "going to make them feel really uncomfortable in the box." He went on to...
Continue reading

Guzman is putting the finishing touches on a big year at Bowie

Guzman is putting the finishing touches on a big year at Bowie
The Bowie Baysox are pushing for a playoff berth and they now hold second place in their division, and a playoff spot, by a ½ game over Harrisburg heading into their final series of the year. Bowie begins a four-game set to end the regular season at Richmond tonight. The Baysox posted huge wins the last two nights over Altoona, thanks in large part to Joel Guzman, who hit first-inning homers to jump start the offense in each of those wins. Guzman hit number 33 last night,...
Continue reading

Baysox pick up key win and move into second place

Baysox pick up key win and move into second place
It was the final regular season home game for Bowie tonight, but maybe not the final time they will be at this stadium this year. In front of a small, but enthusiastic crowd of 1,694, the Baysox beat Altoona 7-2 tonight and, coupled with Harrisburg's 3-2 loss to New Hampshire, they moved into second place in the Eastern League's Western Division. They are a 1/2-game up on Harrisburg for the final playoff spot as Bowie now heads to Richmond for a four-game series that ends on Monday. ...
Continue reading

Harrisburg now trailing (now a final)

Harrisburg now trailing (now a final)
New Hampshire has taken a 3-2 lead over Harrisburg as that game is now in the ninth inning. If that result holds, Bowie could move into second place tonight. The Baysox lead Altoona 7-2 in the last of the 7th in Bowie. The Baysox began today a 1/2 game behind Harrisburg for second place in the division and a playoff berth. Tonight's attendance is 1,694 here at Prince George's Stadium. After tonight, Bowie goes to Richmond for a four-game series while Harrisburg plays at Binghamton...
Continue reading

Baysox add to the lead in the fourth (updated)

Baysox add to the lead in the fourth (updated)
Joel Guzman, Carlos Rojas and Xavier Avery have the clutch hits so far tonight as Bowie leads Altoona 6-2 after four innings here at Prince George's Stadium. Guzman hit a three-run homer in the first, his 33rd of the year to tie the Baysox single-season record and Rojas came up with a two-run double in the fourth. After Altoona scored single runs in the 3rd and 4th to cut Bowie's lead to 3-2, Bowie answered in the last of the fourth. With two out and none on, Altoona pitcher Jeff Locke hit...
Continue reading

Guzman ties Walter Young

Guzman ties Walter Young
Bowie has a 3-0 lead on Altoona after two innings. Baysox slugger Joel Guzman hit his 33rd homer, a three-run shot in the last of the first. That homer ties Walter Young's club record for homers in one season with Bowie, set in 2004. The 26-year-old Guzman ripped a 1-0 pitch from Jeff Locke over the wall in left center. It scored Danny Figueroa, who walked and Ryan Adams, who had singled. Guzman has now homered in three straight games and has hit five over his past eight games. He began...
Continue reading

Tonight's Bowie lineup

Tonight's Bowie lineup
Here is tonight's starting lineup here in Bowie at the Baysox face Altoona. CF - Xavier Avery LF - Danny Figueroa 2B - Ryan Adams DH - Joel Guzman 1B - Joe Mahoney 3B - Brandon Waring C - Steve Lerud RF - Jonathan Tucker SS - Carlos Rojas P - Rick Zagone I have had major internet connection issues today, I think mostly related to my computer. I will try to file some entries from here tonight, but I am not optimistic. We'll see.
Continue reading