Tillman time again

Tillman time again
Over the winter he was considered likely to begin the 2010 season in the Orioles starting rotation. But that didn't happen and now today, 22-year-old right-hander Chris Tillman makes his first Major League start of the year. Tillman was having a real solid year at Triple-A, highlighted by his no-hitter on April 28 at Gwinnett. That outing seemed to turn his season around. Tillman was only 1-3, 6.11 when he took the mound that night vs. the Braves affiliate. Over ten starts with Norfolk,...
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O's lay an egg in Toronto (Meredith to AAA)

O's lay an egg in Toronto (Meredith to AAA)
During a season of poor performances, the Orioles may have actually raised the bar on poor on Friday night in a 5-0 loss at Toronto. They made physical and mental errors in the first inning, failed to score or record an extra-base hit and basically looked flat, disinterested and just plain bad. Here are more notes from the latest O's loss: Roster move: After the game, the Orioles officially recalled Chris Tillman from Norfolk to make Saturday's start. Reliever Cla Meredith was optioned...
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Gabino takes Tillman's spot at Triple-A

Gabino takes Tillman's spot at Triple-A
While the Orioles have not yet made it official that Chris Tillman will make Saturday's start vs. Toronto, it is, of course, all but official and expected that the right-hander will take the mound Saturday vs. the Jays. For now, the O's will not move a pitcher up from Double-A to take Tillman's spot in the rotation, although that could change. Right-hander Armando Gabino will start on Sunday or Monday for Norfolk, when Tillman's turn next comes up. The Orioles appear to be open to moving...
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Rowell removed from Frederick's roster (Rowell comments added)

Rowell removed from Frederick's roster (Rowell comments added)
When the Frederick Keys activated infielder Greg Miclat from the disabled list today the player removed from the roster was Billy Rowell, the Orioles first-round pick in 2006. Rowell has been transferred to Aberdeen's roster. I just spoke on the phone with Rowell, who is with the Keys in Lynchburg. He said he's a little banged up right now and the Orioles are taking him off the roster for a couple of days. He's dealing with a sore hamstring, strained thumb and an ankle strain. He could...
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Jordan preps for draft and O's No. 3 pick

Jordan preps for draft and O's No. 3 pick
The First-Year Player Draft is now less than two weeks away and the Orioles will have the third pick in round one on June 7. The man who will make the selection, O's scouting director Joe Jordan, has narrowed his choices but said he has not yet made his final call on which player he'd like to take. "We haven't made a decision and we won't until we get into the draft room and start going through it. I don't have to make a decision until the seventh, so I try to practice what I preach...
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Clubhouse quotes after Thursday's loss to the A's

Clubhouse quotes after Thursday's loss to the A's
In the quiet of the O's clubhouse after thier latest blown lead we heard from Brad Bergesen, Ty Wigginton and Mark Hendrickson after Oakland scored five in the 8th for a 7-5 win over the Orioles. The Orioles are now 11-6 when leading after seven innings after going 52-5 in those situations last year. Bergesen on when the umpires spoke to him about not pitching on the rubber: "I definetly was pitching from the rubber. It's something that happens sometimes unintentionally. It's not...
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I'm going with the cursed theory at this point

I'm going with the cursed theory at this point
Cursed. How else to explain some of this. Yes, I don't think Dave Trembley needed to take Jason Berken out in the eighth either. But a grounder caroms off Mark Hendrickson for a hit to keep the inning alive. He gets what looks like an inning-ending ground ball vs. Jake Fox and it takes a bad hop off Izturis at short for an RBI and 5-4 game. Cla Meredith comes in and gives it up again. A three-run double to Kevin Kouzmanoff for a 7-5 lead. Some guy just serenaded the press box, something...
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Bergy settles in

Bergy settles in
With dark clouds close and lightning lighting the sky beyond the center field fence, the O's and A's are tied 2-2 after five and a half innings. Brad Bergesen struggled with his control early, but looks to have it dialed in now. After giving up a two-run homer to Gabe Gross in the second, he walked the first two hitters to start the third. But he got that 4-3-6-2 double play and his night has been going much better ever since. Bergesen has retired 11 batters in a row though the sixth. ...
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Early game notes

Early game notes
*From the something has to give department, tonight, either the Orioles will win a series for just the third time this year or the A's will win a road series for just the second time. The O's are 2-11-1 in series and are 6-9 in the final game of a series on the season. Oakland is just 1-5 in road series and is 6-14 in road games. *The A's are 4-2 vs. the O's this year, have won 14 of their last 17 vs. the Birds and are 69-30 vs. the O's since 1999. That's the best winning percentage...
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Trembley on Markakis' power numbers

Trembley on Markakis' power numbers
If you look at the stats of Nick Markakis this year, he's exceeded his usual numbers in batting average, on base and OPS. His career average is .298 and he's batting .305 now. His career on base figure is .371 and now he's at .401 and his OPS this year of .850 exceeds his average OPS of .835. But after hitting 18 homers with 101 RBI in 2009, Markakis would hit just 10 homers with 51 RBI this year at his current pace. Manager Dave Trembley said today he is not concerned that Markakis'...
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The longball cometh

The longball cometh
When Garrett Atkins came to the plate in the third inning last night, he had just one hit in his last 18 at bats and just one RBI over his previous 24 games. Now he has one home run. He drove a 1-2 pitch from Trevor Cahill 374 feet to left center field to end a 145 at bat drought without a longball. "Obviously, its frustrating, you don't want to have a zero in any column, really. That's a big one, so, you know, was just able to put a good swing on it tonight. I wasn't trying to do...
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Matusz talks about his outing vs. Oakland

Matusz talks about his outing vs. Oakland
For the second start in a row, Brian Matusz gave up four runs in the first inning. But he said when he took the mound tonight at Camden Yards the last thing on his mind was that outing at Texas where he allowed seven runs in 2 1/3 innings. "For me, I don't hold on to feelings from previous outings. I got into some trouble in the first and almost got out of it. Just made a bad 1-2 pitch and left it over the plate. I was trying to go in on him." He was referring to a 1-2 pitch in the...
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Another rocky outing for Matusz

Another rocky outing for Matusz
O's lefty Brian Matusz struggled for the third time in his last four starts as the Oakland A's beat the Birds 6-1 Wednesday night to even the series at a win each. Matusz allowed six runs and eight hits over five innings to fall to 2-5, 5.76. He gave up four runs in the first inning, three on an Adam Rosales homer. He had retired 10 in a row before giving up three straight hits to begin the sixth. Matusz has allowed 13 ER over 7 1/3 innings over his last two starts. In the last four...
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Props for Pope

Props for Pope
Two days in a row now, O's manager Dave Trembley has taken time during his pre-game media session with reporters to mention outfielder Kieron Pope, who just joined the Delmarva Shorebirds team a few days ago. Pope, the O's fourth-round pick out of a Georgia High School in 2005, has come back from a major injury. He missed all of last year with a broken right femur, an injury that occurred right before the start of the season. He has overcome a lot to get back to the minors including three...
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Another Luke Scott shoulder update

Another Luke Scott shoulder update
The Orioles are likely to play again tonight without one of their hottest hitters. Luke Scott, who suffered a left shoulder strain in Sunday's game at Washington, missed Tuesday's game and is not in tonight's starting lineup. But he said the injury is progressing. "Better. I just took some dry swings (swinging but not at live pitching or BP pitching). I didn't take anything off the tee. Talked to (trainer) Richie (Bancells) and he said we're just going to give it another complete...
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Roberts: "June 9 might be pushing it at this point."

Roberts:  "June 9 might be pushing it at this point."
After a bout with pneumonia and two nights in a hospital, O's second baseman Brian Roberts has resumed light baseball activities. He will head to Sarasota, Florida on Friday to continue his rehab. He still fully intends to return this season but admits now that the date of June 9th, when he can return from the disabled list, might be a little optimistic for his return to the Orioles at this point. He said he cannot be certain when he will return to a Major League field, but remains...
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Guthrie is getting the job done (plus Florimon move)

Guthrie is getting the job done (plus Florimon move)
So what do CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Mark Buehrle, John Lackey, Rick Porcello and Gil Meche all have common? Besides being pretty good pitchers they all have ERA's higher than Jeremy Guthrie right now. I wonder how many fans would admit they wanted Guthrie gone after he led the AL in losses and homers allowed last year. He went 10-17, 5.04. Now after ten starts, he is 3-4, 3.64. He is tied for first in the AL with eight quality starts and that is in ten outings. He...
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Quotes and notes to wrap up a 5-1 win over the A's

Quotes and notes to wrap up a 5-1 win over the A's
Some more clubhouse quotes after the Orioles 5-1 win over Oakland from Ty Wigginton, Jeremy Guthrie and Nick Markakis. Wigginton on the win: "A lot of credit goes to Guthrie. He did a good job getting us in and out of the dugout. Miggy got a couple of walks and Nicky came through with a big homer late in the game." Guthrie on his night: "I thought the quality of my stuff was so-so. This was not one of my better games pitched, but it was a nice way to battle. That's important,...
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Luke Scott updates his shoulder injury

Luke Scott updates his shoulder injury
Two injuries on the same play. Yep, sounds like the 2010 Orioles. On the same play where Alfredo Simon suffered a hamstring injury Sunday at Washington, Luke Scott suffered a strained left shoulder. He was in the original starting lineup tonight, but was scratched before game time. "Right now it feels better. It was aggravated and inflamed. But I've got some good anti-inflammatories in me and I'm icing it for the second time. I'm hoping it will be getting better here very soon,"...
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O's use walks and Guthrie's effort to win in series opener

O's use walks and Guthrie's effort to win in series opener
Oakland pitchers walked the first two batters in the fourth and sixth innings tonight and the Orioles turned that into three runs in a 5-1 win over the A's in front of 14,686 Tuesday at Camden Yards. Ty Wigginton and Adam Jones had sac flies in the sixth after the O's took advantage of an error to plate a run in the fourth. Nick Markakis hit a solo homer in the eighth. It was just his third of the year and first in 22 games since May 1st when he homered vs. Boston. Later that inning, Matt...
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