A national writer's take on Buck

A national writer's take on Buck
In addition to all O's fans and the local media, the national media has certainly taken notice of the club's turnaround under Buck Showalter. Some of those media members were the same ones praising the club last winter, saying they were a team on the rise. ESPN's Jayson Stark was on MASN's and 105.7 the Fan's Scott Garceau Show on Thursday and talked about the improvement under Buck. Here are his comments: "I don't think this is an accident. It's really incredible, the way it...
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O's young talent enjoying the Camden Yards workouts

O's young talent enjoying the Camden Yards workouts
The stands are empty. The players were in shorts and orange shirts with no names or numbers on the back. The atmosphere was relaxed. But some important baseball work was going on. The O's instructional league camp at Camden Yards resumed Thursday amidst warm temperatures and sunny skies at the ballpark. There are 15 players taking part and some of the organization's top young talent is on hand. "It's going great. Last year I got to take BP here. Having these prospects here is a...
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A change of plans for Tyler Townsend

A change of plans for Tyler Townsend
He was headed for Arizona, but now it's going to be Australia for Tyler Townsend. The O's first base prospect has had a change of plans and will not play for the Scottsdale Scorpions. "Originally I was going to Arizona for the Fall League as a taxi squad player, which means I could only play in one or two games a week. You know, I missed so many at bats this year that they presented the opportunity to go to Australia and get more at bats and more games in. "It just seemed like a better...
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Entire O's organization gets a lift with Buck Ball

Entire O's organization gets a lift with Buck Ball
What a strange season for the Baltimore Orioles. Some of the worst baseball seen from this team as they hit rock bottom. Now, some of the best baseball seen in years and hope for the future. Hope. Enthusiasm. Confidence. Success. Words that are very important for this long-suffering franchise and its long-suffering and dedicated fans. The winning run under Buck Showalter has provided a lift for everyone in the organization. When the O's were on a pace to lose 120 games, they became a...
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No sweep: O's fall in Fenway finale

No sweep:  O's fall in Fenway finale
In the first two games of the series at Fenway Park, O's starters allowed just 2 ER over 11 innings in O's victories. But Kevin Millwood gave up six runs tonight as Boston beat the Orioles, 6-1. Boston avoided a three-game sweep, which would have been the O's first at Fenway Park since June 10-12, 1994. The Orioles lost for just the fifth time in 17 games. Gary Thorne asks Buck Showalter about the O's 6-1 loss to the Red Sox David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the 4th and drove in...
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Buck ball = lots of winning

Buck ball = lots of winning
The Orioles have been so good since Buck Showalter took over that, even after starting the second half with a record of 3-14, they now have a winning record since the All-Star break at 32-31. They are 29-17 in 46 games under Buck. They could lose their last 11 games at this point and still finish over .500 since he took over on August 3rd. That seems amazing to me. There were so many times in recent seasons we just hoped to see the O's play .500 ball for a 10 or 20-game stretch. It...
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Wigginton comes up big again as O's beat Sox 9-1 at Fenway

Wigginton comes up big again as O's beat Sox 9-1 at Fenway
For the third day in a row, Ty Wigginton produced the RBI that untied a game and led the Orioles to a win. Tonight at Boston, Wigginton's three-run homer in the 7th, just inside of the Pesky Pole in Fenway Park's right field, gave the O's a 4-1 lead and they beat the Red Sox, 9-1. Gary Thorne talks with Buck Showalter following the O's 9-1 win over Boston The O's have taken the first two games of the set and it's their first three-game series win at Fenway since July of 2004. The...
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O's tie game on Sox pop flop (update....Ty un-ties it)

O's tie game on Sox pop flop (update....Ty un-ties it)
Clay Buchholz was shutting down the Orioles again. He led 1-0 with a man on first and two outs in the top of the sixth when Felix Pie hit a pop up on the right side of the infield. It should have been caught by second baseman Marco Scutaro, but he missed it amidst some Fenway Park wind and the O's tied the game, 1-1 on the unearned run. Adam Jones who was on first, fortunately, ran pretty hard around the bases and scored easily when the ball dropped into short right field. The O's had...
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Minor leaguers get well-rounded education at Camden Yards camp

Minor leaguers get well-rounded education at Camden Yards camp
The Orioles may be on the road right now, but Camden Yards is still hosting some ballplayers for the next two weeks. The O's were not able to have their normal instructional league for minor leaguers this year due to the field and stadium renovations going on in Sarasota. So they have brought 15 minor leaguers to Baltimore where, beginning this past Monday, they are getting daily individual and team work with drills, instruction and teaching from six coaches. Players including Manny...
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A rare Fenway winning streak

A rare Fenway winning streak
Okay, I know you can't call two wins in a row a winning streak. Taking a liberty here, but the O's now do have a two-game winning "streak" at Fenway Park. They beat the Sox 6-1 on the Fourth of July in the final game of a series and followed it up with last night's 4-2 victory. Both games were started by Brian Matusz, by the way. Why is this important? Because it is the first time the O's have put together back-to-back wins at Fenway since May 30, 2005. Yes, that is over five years...
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Koji: The splitter returns

Koji: The splitter returns
Since he gave up that three-run homer to A-Rod on Friday night, Koji Uehara has pitched scoreless innings vs. the Yankees and Red Sox, fanning five of six hitters. His split-finger pitch has returned. He threw several nasty ones Sunday vs. New York and it looked like he mixed in one or two in Monday's quick save vs. Boston. That's two innings, 21 pitches, 17 strikes and strikeouts vs. Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson, J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek. For a while it looked to me...
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Wiggy and Luke lead O's past Sox, 4-2 at Fenway

Wiggy and Luke lead O's past Sox, 4-2 at Fenway
Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott, who teamed up to get the Orioles a win over the Yankees in the 11th inning on Sunday, combined for three RBI tonight as the O's beat Boston 4-2 in game one of a three-game series. Wigginton drove in the run that ended Sunday's game and tonight gave the O's a 3-2 lead in the seventh with his 70th RBI of the year, his most since recording 79 in 2006 with Tampa. The Orioles have won seven of 10, 11 of 15 and 15 of their last 22 games. They are 12-3 in...
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Matusz pitches well, just not long

Matusz pitches well, just not long
When he needed 38 pitches in the first inning tonight, it pretty much insured that Brian Matusz would not get too deep into his start this evening at Fenway Park. But Matusz pitched well, allowing just three hits and one first-inning run over five innings. He threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes. Matusz left with a 2-1 lead so he still has not lost a game since August 14 at Tampa. In his six starts since then, he is 4-0, 1.91. He could get a win tonight. If he does, it will be his ninth...
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Ryan Adams had a big year at bat for Bowie

Ryan Adams had a big year at bat for Bowie
There have been some questions, at times, about his defense, but Ryan Adams can hit. The 23-year-old, O's second-round pick out of Louisiana high school in 2006 hammered that point home big time this year at Double-A Bowie. At times, he hammered Eastern League pitching, batting .298-15-68 with 43 doubles and an .829 OPS. Adams led or tied for the league lead in hits, doubles and extra-base hits and finished tied for 8th in batting average. "Feel like the season went well. I put a lot of...
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The O's instructional league roster

The O's instructional league roster
Here is the list of the 15 players that will take part in the O's instructional league workouts at Camden Yards that begin on Monday. The camp will run for two weeks. Catchers: Riley Hornback, 12th round pick, 2010 Tanner Murphy, 22nd round pick, 2010 Michael Ohlman, 11th round pick, 2009 Wynston Sawyer, 8th round pick, 2010 Infielders: Mychal Givens, 2nd round pick, 2009 L.J. Hoes, 3rd round pick, 2008 Manny Machado, 1st round pick, 2010 Connor Narron, 5th round pick, 2010 Jonathan Schoop,...
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Clubhouse quotes after the O's extra-innings win over New York

Clubhouse quotes after the O's extra-innings win over New York
Some O's post-game quotes after their 4-3, 11-inning win over the Yankees in a game they trailed 3-1 heading to the last of the eighth. It's just the Yankees second loss all year when leading after eight innings and they are now 77-2 in those situations. The Orioles are now 3-79 when trailing after eight frames. Luke Scott's homer in the ninth off Mariano Rivera was just the second he has allowed this year. The other was vs. Minnesota's Jason Kubel on May 16. Scott had been 1 for 12 vs....
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O's rally vs. Rivera, beat Yankees, 4-3 in 11

O's rally vs. Rivera, beat Yankees, 4-3 in 11
Luke Scott's homer leading off the last of the 9th off Mariano Rivera tied the game 3-3 and he doubled and scored the winning run in the last of the 11th as the Orioles beat the Yankees 4-3 today in front of 39,537 at Camden Yards. After Scott's double to left leading off the last of the 11th, Ty Wigginton ripped an RBI single into the gap in right center off David Robertson to score Scott and give the O's a walk-off win. It's their 12th walk-off win of the year and 6th under Buck...
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Can't defend a walk

Can't defend a walk
After a stretch where O's starters posted nine quality starts over ten games, now they have two games in a row without one. After Jeremy Guthrie allowed six runs last night, Chris Tillman gave up six walks today. He allowed three runs over 3 2/3 and the O's trail 3-1 in the 6th as once again they can't seem to hit Andy Pettitte. Here is an interesting Tillman stat. Over his last two starts, the opposing hittters are batting just .121 against him with four hits in 33 at bats. The Yankees...
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Challenging Pettitte

Challenging Pettitte
Andy Pettitte is 27-6, 3.57 all time vs. the Orioles in 41 games, 39 starts, covering 247 1/3 innings. In his only previous start vs. the O's this year, he beat them 7-5 on May 5th, allowing just one run over five innings. Pettitte is pitching in the Majors for the first time since he left a start on July 18 vs. the Mariners in the third inning with a strained left groin and later went on the DL. He recently pitched nine innings, allowing two runs over two rehab starts, with Double-A...
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Andino gets his chance and runs with it

Andino gets his chance and runs with it
Robert Andino, a player who was dropped from the O's 40-man roster in April, is now impressing his manager and perhaps laying the groundwork for a shot at a roster spot in 2011. Andino has proven to be versatile, while at the same time showing pop in his bat, in the chances he has gotten in recent days. "I'm just going out here and playing hard. They've given me an opportunity and I put my time in, put my work in. Just go out, have fun and play hard." On Saturday night, Andino had...
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