As we continue to learn more about the Orioles with each game this season, maybe we all will get a real education on the club this weekend.
Some fans have said the Rays' poor start took some of the luster off the O's three-game sweep there. But in beating Tampa, they did knock off the defending American League East champs. In taking two of three, they won a series against a well-regarded Detroit club.
But beating a 6-0 Texas team, the defending AL champs, would be rather impressive.The...
It may not be a good sign when Zach Britton gets more outs through the air than the ground.
That happened during his major league debut against Tampa, but he still pitched well and won the game. On Sunday versus the Rays, Britton got five outs on the ground and six in the air.
Britton said Sunday was a day he didn't have either good command or good movement on the sinker - the one pitch he is known for and the one pitch that helped get him to the majors.
So he had to go another route in...
It was opening day in minor league baseball on Thursday and three of the O's four full-season affiliates were on the field while Single-A Frederick plays its opener tonight.
Charlotte beat Norfolk 4-3 in a game where Nolan Reimold homered and Tyler Henson went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in his Triple-A debut. Double-A Bowie lost 5-0 at Harrisburg and struck out 15 times in being shutout. Single-A Delmarva used a big hit by last year's first-round pick, Manny Machado, to win its...
Here is an update on the Texas Rangers, the majors' only unbeaten team at 6-0, as they come to Camden Yards this weekend.
The defending American League champions, Texas has outscored Boston and Seattle 42-20 during its six wins. The Rangers have won their first two series for the first time since 1996.
If they win the series opener in Baltimore, they will tie their club record for best-ever start at 7-0 set by the 1996 team.
Best-ever Texas Rangers starts:
1996: 7-0
1979 & 2011: 6-0
1977 &...
As Zach Britton made his way up through the Orioles' minor league system and started to make real progress as a pitcher, there always seemed to be one guy there to help him.
Britton worked with several pitching coaches on the O's farm that helped him along the way, but the person that was there for most of it was current Bowie Baysox pitching coach Kennie Steenstra.
As Britton moved from Delmarva in 2008 to Frederick in 2009 and began last year at Double-A Bowie, Steenstra moved as well....
Nothing like a comeback win over a good team to add to the excitement around Baltimore with this Orioles start.
This was probably the best win of the year, as the Birds came back three different times to beat the Tigers, 9-5. At 5-1, they lead the American League East by a game over Toronto and New York as the team with the best record in the AL, Texas at 6-0, now heads to town.
Let's not bubble over with too much enthusiasm, but Friday's game features the teams with the two best records in...
After they combined for three hits and three RBI last night, both Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero hit the ball pretty hard off Brad Penny in their first at-bats tonight.
Lee, who hit a two-run homer last night, lined out to short to end the first and Vlad led off the last of the second with a bomb to center. It's his first homer as an Oriole, traveling 395 feet on the first pitch.
It's Guerrero's 437th career homer, that is fourth best among active big leaguers. He hit 29 last...
He's been in the major leagues since 2001, but Brian Roberts is still waiting for his first winning season and first crack to play in really important games late in the year.
Just like the fans, he wonders if this good Orioles start will turn into an ever better one and if this is the year the O's move up in the standings.
"I think we believe we can (keep winning), but only time will tell for sure. It's one of those things where you honestly really only want to take this one game at a...
O's pitcher Jeremy Guthrie is still hoping to pitch Sunday against Texas and he was back at the ballpark today.
"I feel good," Guthrie said. "Just a little bit tired, but I don't feel any of the symptoms I felt when I went into the hospital - the achiness, headache and stomach ache.
"I prepared mentally to pitch on Sunday since the day I went into the hospital. Had conversations with a few people about Texas. Even when I was sick, getting IVed up, I was thinking about Texas."
He will...
When watching Chris Tillman pitch on Saturday against Tampa in his first 2011 start, it seemed to me that Tillman was not throwing with the velocity he once had shown.
Tillman's first-inning fastball at times was in the high 80s and there didn't seem to be too many mid-90s heaters during that game.
The right-hander said if anyone wondered if he were pitching with less velocity now than he did at times at Triple-A, that might just be true.
"It might be, but I am more working on commanding...
The Orioles missed out on their chance for the second 5-0 start in team history with last night's 7-3 loss to Detroit. The Birds fall to 4-1 and are tied for first in the American League East with Toronto.
Here are more stats from the game and season so far:
Batting notes: The O's have scored just 20 runs in five games with a team batting average of .217. They have had six hits or less three times.
Player hitting notes: Vlad Guerrero had his first two-hit game as an Oriole and his two...
I guess it's still about the pitching.
After a 4-0 start, some were wondering when Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero would drive in some runs. Tonight, they have combined for three RBI, but the Orioles trail Detroit 6-3 in the seventh.
Lee hit his first O's homer, an impressive two-run shot over the right field scoreboard on the first pitch from Justin Verlander in the fourth. Through three, the Tigers' right hander was looking like he had no-hit stuff. He retired the first nine batters on just...
Orioles minor league pitcher Jesse Beal, who was slated to begin the year in the Frederick Keys rotation, will miss the start of the minor league season.
Beal, who went 7-6, 3.86 last summer at Single-A Delmarva, has a right shoulder impingement. There is no definite timetable yet for when he will be back on the mound, but he is expected to miss at least the first few weeks of the season.
Meanwhile, Parker Bridwell, the O's ninth-round pick in 2010, remains in extended spring training, but...
It would not be an upset as big as say Super Bowl III when the Jets beat the Colts, but I would guess it would be maybe a mild upset to see an Orioles win tonight.
After all, Brad Bergesen had an uneven spring and hasn't pitched in a while and Orioles' hitters will be facing one of the AL's best in Justin Verlander.
The 28-year-old righty, who has 37 wins the past two seasons, won his only start against Baltimore last year. He allowed just two runs on five hits over eight innings last...
It's an age-old question in minor league baseball: Does player development become more important than winning the game?
The answer is usually yes. The minors are there to develop players, to get them to improve and to send them to the majors. Winning the game is often secondary to that goal.
Bowie Baysox manager Gary Kendall cited an example of that involving his club this year.
When the Double-A Baysox open the Eastern League season Thursday night at Harrisburg, center fielder Xavier...
Here is an update on the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds roster, courtesy of Shorebirds public relations.
The Delmarva Shorebirds, the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are excited to unveil the 2011 "Break Camp Roster" highlighted by Orioles first-round draft pick Manny Machado. The prospect-laden roster features four players among the farm system's top 30 prospects according to Baseball America; Machado (No. 1), Mychal Givens (7), Jonathan Schoop (10) and Trent Mummey (16).
The...
Here's a good question: Will the Orioles' 4-0 start and some of the buzz right now surrounding the club translate into more tickets sold at Camden Yards?
For the next two nights, the answer to that question is probably "No." A club official said the Orioles are expecting an attendance the next two nights of "between (the) low to mid-teens."
That means between probably 13,000 and 17,000 or 18,000. I'm told a real strong walk-up sale later today could push the attendance to near...
The Orioles have released the following players, some of which may have asked for and received their releases from the minor league system.
Pitchers: John Mariotti, Daurin Tavarez, Chad Thall
Position Players: David Anderson, Danny Figueroa, Joseph Donaldson, Gary Helmick (Towson University product), Joe Gaetti, Anyi Tejada, Grolmann Gonzalez, Freuny Parra, Austin Rauch, Randy Winn and Jeremy Shelby.
Gaetti was in his first year in the organization and is the son of former big leaguer Gary...
Here is info from a Norfolk Tides press release with roster info for the O's Triple-A squad which opens its season on Thursday.
Loads of experience and two local products headlined the 2011 Norfolk Tides roster when it was released Tuesday.
Virginia Beach's Michael Ballard and Chesapeake's Clay Rapada are both expected to play big roles with their hometown team after being assigned to Norfolk. Ballard is expected to join the rotation while Rapada will see action as a left-handed specialist...
Right-hander Chorye Spoone will be the opening night starting pitcher on Thursday at Harrisburg when the Double-A Bowie Baysox open their 19th season.
Manager Gary Kendall announced his rotation at the Baysox media day at Prince George's Stadium this afternoon. Steve Johnson will pitch the second game and will be followed by Rick Zagone, Tim Bascom and Eddie Gamboa.
"Anytime they say you are first out of the chute, it's exciting," Spoone said. "It's not like the pressure is on you, but...