The Orioles began tonight with a record of 44 and 2 this year when leading after eight innings. The Indians were 4-62 when trailing after eight. But Andy Marte's two-out, two-run homer on a 3-2 pitch lifted Cleveland to a 5-4 win. Marte is batting .414-2-8 during an eight-game batting streak.
This was the Orioles' fourth one-run game in their past five contests. They are 1-3 in those games and 14-19 in one-run games on the year.
Gopher balls this year - Jim Johnson did not allow a...
Game Preview
Cleveland (57-70) at Orioles (52-76)
The Orioles continue to play plenty of close games. They lost one last night and tonight look to even their four-game series with Cleveland at a win each at 7:05 p.m.
Jason Berken (3-11, 6.49) will pitch for Baltimore and Fausto Carmona (3-8, 5.92) starts for Cleveland.
Andy Marte's two-run homer on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the top of the 9th Thursday gave Cleveland a 5-4 win in game one of this series. It was his second homer in 69...
In a brief shot with the Orioles last year, nine games, reliever Kam Mickolio pitched to an ERA of 5.87.
Through eight games and 11 1/3 innings with the team this year, the 25-year-old Mickolio has worked to an ERA of 0.79. He has allowed just five hits with 13 strikeouts.
Right-handed batters hit .263 against him but lefty hitters are 0 for 19 with eight strikeouts vs. the product of Wolf Point, Montana.
He worked 9 2/3 shutout innings over seven appearances before allowing a run Tuesday...
OK, I'll try this again.
While this rain delay goes on, feel free to ask any O's question - Major or Minors - and I'll take a shot at it.
Post some questions right here and right now!!!
The start of tonight's game was delayed 56 minutes by rain. Tonight's first pitch was at 8:01 p.m.
RHP Jason Berken (3-11, 6.49) tonight will make his 18th start of the year, his 10th at home and the 1st of his career vs. Cleveland.
In 86 innings, Berken has allowed 113 hits, including 13 homers. The Orioles are just 4-13 when he starts.
Berken, who has thrown over 100 pitches in a game just three times this year, is 1-6, 5.48 in nine home starts on the season.
Berken has allowed 3ER...
Double-A Bowie, which still has an outside shot to make the Eastern League playoffs, got rained out tonight at Reading. So now the clubs will play a doubleheader tomorrow at 6:35 p.m in what is a crucial four-game series for Bowie.
Second-place Reading is a game and a half ahead of third-place Erie and Bowie is another game and a half back in fourth place. So the Baysox are three back of Reading for second place and a playoff spot as the clubs are about to open a series.
Ryohei Tanaka (4-2,...
Matt Wieters had a career-high four RBI while Felix Pie and Nick Markakis added three each in the O's 13-4 rout of Cleveland on Friday night.
The O's scored 11 runs from the 4th through the 7th to turn a close game into a blowout.
Wieters went 3 for 4 with two doubles and single. Pie had three hits including a double and solo homer before leaving the game with an apparent hamstring injury in the 7th. Markakis had three hits including a three-run homer.
It was the O's second highest run...
For Matt Wieters, he admits job one as a catcher is helping your pitcher behind the plate. But it's also nice to deliver when you stand at that plate.
Tonight, Wieters drove in a career-high four runs in the O's 13-4 win over Cleveland.
"I knew he (Fausto Carmona) had a good sinker so you gotta get something up and I was able to get some pitches up in the zone and hit them hard."
Wieters had an RBI double in the second, another in the fourth and a two-run single in the sixth.
He said...
They kept scoring - It was the Orioles' second biggest night scoring runs this year. They plated 13 in the win over Cleveland, topped only by their 16-6 win over the Angels on August 14th.
Six different O's drove in runs and five had multi-hit nights. The Birds went 15 for 36 at bat as a team and scored in five different innings.
They were 7 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
Felix Pie went 3 for 5 with a double and solo homer and 3 RBI before leaving with leg cramps and some...
Game Preview
Cleveland (57-71) at Orioles (53-76)
After scoring three runs or less in 18 of 40 games in the second half, the Orioles offense broke out over the middle innings Friday night on the way to a 13-4 win over Cleveland.
Tonight the clubs play game three of this four-game series with Chris Tillman (1-2, 4.58) facing Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers (5-9, 4.93).
The Orioles had 15 hits and went 7 for 14 with runners in scoring position in their second highest scoring game of the year. The...
Can a pitcher with a record of 4-11 and ERA of 6.33 get praise from his manager?
Jason Berken got it today from Dave Trembley, in large doses. Trembley talked at length about how Berken has persevered through tough times to emerge pitching well now for the O's.
On August 2nd, Berken was 1-9, 6.93 and seemingly on his way back to Triple-A.
Over his last five starts, he is 3-2, 4.94 and is 2-0, 3.37 over his past two starts. Last night, Berken gave up two runs over five innings to get the...
RHP Chris Tillman (1-2, 4.58) tonight will make his 7th Major League start of this season, his 3rd at home and the 1st of his career vs. Cleveland.
Tillman, who has allowed 3ER or less in five of his starts, has lost his last two outings vs. Tampa and Minnesota.
Tillman first two starts: 6.75 ERA
Tillman last four starts: 3.65 ERA
Right-handed batters are hitting .314 off him while lefties bat .246 vs. Tillman. He has recorded three quality starts and the O's are 2-4 when he...
The bottom line is this - Chris Tillman has allowed just one run to the Indians through five innings tonight.
But if runs were scored for just hitting the ball hard, the Tribe would have a big lead now. Loud outs count, too, however and Tillman has acquired a few of them tonight.
He has been spotty with his control and fallen behind a few hitters, but still has not walked a batter. It sure seems like he doesn't have his best stuff. I guess he can tell us for sure after this game.
Tillman...
UPDATE - The rain has been gone for quite a whille at Camden Yards. One problem here now is standing water, plenty of it, in each dugout. The drainage system seems to have been overloaded or something and there is more water on the field and certainly in the dugouts than after the usual rain delay. We'll keep you posted on this.
Looks like I've now got a few minutes on my hands in the press box.
Just like the other night, if you want to send in any rain delay questions, write them in...
We are back playing baseball after a delay of one hour and 37 minutes at Camden Yards.
The O's are batting and leading 2-1 in the last of the 5th.
Nolan Reimold has walked tonight, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 16 consecutive games. Nick Markakis had an RBI double in the first tonight, it's his 89 RBI of the year. He began tonight tied for 6th in the AL in RBI.
Adam Jones has returned to the lineup tonight with a walk and a groundout.
Lefty Rafael Perez is now pitching...
This time Andy Marte hit his game-winning homer in the 6th inning, not in the 9th.
Not long after the game resumed after a rain delay of one hour and 37 minutes, Chris Ray took the mound in the 6th replacing starter Chris Tillman.
Marte came up with Cleveland trailing 2-1. With two men on, he hit a pitch from Ray over the left field wall for a 4-2 lead and Cleveland went on to a 5-3 win on Saturday night in front of 24,358 at Camden Yards.Dave Trembley talks with the media after the O's 5-3...
Another key big fly - For the second time in three nights, Andy Marte hit a homer that led directly to an Indians win. His two-run homer in the 9th Thursday led the Tribe to a 5-4 win. His three-run shot in the 6th tonight put Cleveland ahead 4-2 in a game the Indians won, 5-3.
In this series, Marte is 5 for 11 with two homers and 6 RBI. He now has a ten-game hitting streak going and during the streak is 15 for 36 with three homers and 12 RBI.
Matt LaPorta went 4 for 4 on the night and...
Game Preview
Cleveland (58-71) at Orioles (53-77)
After dropping two of three vs. Cleveland, the Orioles will need a win this afternoon at 1:35 p.m. to split this four-game series with the Indians.
Andy Marte hit a three-run homer in the 6th inning Saturday night to put Cleveland ahead 4-2 and the Tribe went on to a 5-3 win. Marte's two-run homer in the 9th Thursday lifted Cleveland to a 5-4 win.
The Orioles are 1-2 this year vs. Cleveland and 39-43 all-time vs. the Tribe at Camden...
LHP Brian Matusz (2-2, 6.46) today will make his 6th start of the Major League season, his 2nd at home and the 1st of his career vs. Cleveland.
Matusz, whose longest outing so far is 5 2/3 innings, has posted wins over Detroit and Tampa.
In his only previous home start, he allowed 11 hits and five runs over 5 2/3 innings August 15th vs. Los Angeles. The Orioles are 2-3 when he starts.
Right-handed batters are batting .402 with four homers off Matusz while lefties are hitting just .176. ...
In his best outing yet as a Major Leaguer, Brian Matusz shut down the Cleveland Indians over seven innings today as the Orioles beat the Tribe 5-2 at Camden Yards to split the four-game series.
Matusz, who retired the first 11 batters he faced today, had a no-hitter through four innings and a shutout through five.
He allowed just four hits and one run over seven frames, throwing 96 pitches. Matusz improves to 3-2, 5.28. This was his longest outing in the Majors and his eight strikeouts is a...