Steve Melewski

Taking questions during a rain delay (first pitch now set for 8pm)

April 04, 2010, 4:28pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

Taking questions during a rain delay (first pitch now set for 8pm)

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!!!

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Tonight's pitchers: Berken vs. Carmona

April 04, 2010, 4:27pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Baysox washout

April 04, 2010, 4:26pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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,...

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Wieters leads Birds rout of Cleveland

April 04, 2010, 4:24pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Wieters talks about his big night

April 04, 2010, 4:22pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Post-game Notes: O's crush Cleveland

April 04, 2010, 4:21pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Saturday night baseball: Cleveland at Orioles

April 04, 2010, 4:20pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Plenty of praise for Berken

April 04, 2010, 4:19pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Tonight's pitchers: Tillman vs. Sowers

April 04, 2010, 4:09pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Strange night for Tillman

April 04, 2010, 4:07pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Taking rain delay questions (game set to resume soon)

April 04, 2010, 4:04pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

Taking rain delay questions (game set to resume soon)

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...

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Play has resumed at Camden Yards

April 04, 2010, 3:59pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Marte again leads Cleveland to victory

April 04, 2010, 3:58pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Post-game Notes: Tribe tops O's

April 04, 2010, 3:56pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Sunday afternoon baseball: Cleveland at Orioles

April 04, 2010, 3:54pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Today's pitchers: Matusz vs. Masterson

April 04, 2010, 3:53pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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. ...

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Matusz pitches O's past Cleveland, 5-2

April 04, 2010, 3:52pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

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...

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Post-game Notes: Matusz pitches O's past Tribe

April 04, 2010, 3:49pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

Post-game Notes: Matusz pitches O's past Tribe

Matusz was the Man - In just his 6th Major League start, Brian Matusz pitched a gem to win his third game. He limited the Indians to four hits and one run over seven innings. He is now 3-2, 5.28. He set season highs for innings, strikeouts with eight and fewest hits allowed with four. Matusz threw 96 pitches, 67 strikes. In his last inning, the top of the seventh, he got three outs on just five pitches. Matusz threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of 26 batters. Over his last four starts,...

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A very uplifting day for the Orioles

April 04, 2010, 3:47pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

Call it a look at the Orioles future, Brian Matusz's coming out party or just a very well pitched game by a rookie left hander. I think what Matusz did yesterday is lift an entire organization - of course those shoulders aren't really broad enough to do that yet. But he did it in a symbolic way. The Orioles are trying to produce pitchers like Matusz. Find real talent in the draft, polish it up in the minors and turn them loose on the American League. Brad Bergesen got it all started this...

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O's not worried about Britton

April 04, 2010, 3:44pm

Steve Melewski

Orioles

Frederick Keys lefty Zach Britton, one of the O's top pitching prospects, left his start after just two scoreless innings on Sunday, but the Orioles aren't too worried at this point. "He said he just didn't feel right," O's pitching co-ordinater Dave Schmidt, who was at the game in Frederick, said today. "He said there wasn't any pain or tightness, he just didn't quite feel right, so the staff did the right thing and took him out as precaution." Britton is 9-6, 2.70 this year in 24...