You can win a lot of games.
The O's starting pitching has probably been the biggest reason the Orioles are 11-6 since Buck Showalter took over.
The stats say that Orioles starting pitchers had pitched to an ERA of 5.61 before Buck. In the 17 games since he's been with the club, the starters' ERA is 2.82.
It's been quite a roll for the O's starters:
*They have 13 quality starts over the last 17 games.
*They have pitched six innings or more in 15 of the 17 games and have gone seven...
This time, Brian Matusz got the better of the Texas Rangers.
In two starts earlier this year, Matusz had allowed 11 ER and 14 hits over 5 1/3 vs. Texas for an ERA of 18.56. His career ERA over three starts vs. Texas was 10.95.
Those numbers will come down now after Matusz pitched eight shutout innings vs. the AL West leaders Thursday night as the Orioles beat Texas 4-0 to start a four-game series.
The Orioles turned two double plays and made several nice plays behind him as he gave up just...
The O's and Texas head to the sixth inning in a 0-0 tie.
Brian Matusz has allowed just three singles in the game and the O's have turned two double plays behind him. He has fanned six and thrown 72 pitches.
A nice change for Matusz vs. Texas. In his first two starts this year vs. this club, he had allowed 11 ER and 14 hits over just 5 1/3 innings.
Colby Lewis, who began with game with a batting average against of just .163 with runners in scoring position, best in the AL and second best...
If a pitcher can look good in a non-game situation, I'm told that O's third-round pick Dan Klein did this afternoon at Aberdeen.
Klein threw a live batting practice session today. His fastball was in the low 90's (yes we have a BP velocity report) and he touched 95 once. The off-speed stuff showed some good movement as well.
I wonder if he threw a knuckle-curve, because he has one.
Gil Kubski, the O's area scout that watched Klein pitch at UCLA this year, had this scouting report on...
After giving up a homer over four straight appearances, O's right-hander Alfredo Simon pitched a 1-2-3, ninth inning last night.
He needed a good outing and got one in the O's 6-5 loss to the Mariners.
"The night before I just got behind in the count and he was a fastball hitter. Last night I used all my pitches and my two seamer and threw the first pitch for a strike.
"Sometimes when you get behind the count and the game is close, they are looking for a homer. If you make a mistake,...
As the Orioles look ahead to the 2011 season, who is going to play shortstop?
It's way too soon for Manny Machado and there is not a player pushing for that spot in the upper levels on the farm.
Cesar Izturis told Josh Land of the Carroll County Times that he wants to remain an Oriole.
Some fans will want someone there with more bat. But of all the positions on the diamond, short is one where you just can't skimp on the defense.
In looking for next year's shortstop, he may already be...
There is no rule that would keep the Orioles from sending top draft pick Manny Machado to play in the Arizona Fall League.
But they are not going to do it.
Club sources indicate the O's are not considering sending Machado to play in the AFL, even with the minor league seasons winding down as he is about to start up. It's just too soon for that for an 18-year-old about to begin his pro career.
Machado is expected to wrap up with his physical in Baltimore this week and then head for...
Baseball can be a game of inches, they say, and I guess it's a game of key pitches as well.
Some you want back and wish you never had thrown.
Jeremy Guthrie felt that way after Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Seattle. His slider on a 2-1 count to Matt Tuiasosopo in the second inning was belted for a three-run homer.
Sometimes after a game, pitchers lament the location of a pitch, but this time Guthrie was unhappy with the selection of the pitch he threw.
Jeremy Guthrie talks with the media about...
The O's have hit their first speed bump on Buck Showalter's watch.
After starting 8-1 for their new manager, they have now lost five of the last seven after falling 6-5 to Seattle Wednesday night in the series finale.
The O's got the possible tie run to second in the last of the ninth, but David Aardsma retired Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis to end the game as Seattle took the series victory.
Jeremy Guthrie's run of six straight quality starts ended as he gave up six runs (five...
If you are keeping track, that is a new career high 10 homers for Matt Wieters after he connected for a two-run shot off David Pauley in the last of the seventh. That pulled the O's within 5-4 of the M's.
Wieters probably caught Pauley early last year when both played for Norfolk.
Wieters last year: 9 homers in 354 at bats.
Wieters this year: 10 homers in 336 at bats.
He had just one homer over his last 17 games before he drilled a 3-1 pitch for a 397-foot shot to right.
It was just his...
Matt Tuiasosopo was a late addition to the Seattle lineup when Ryan Langerhans was a late scratch last night.
Now, maybe they won't get him out of the lineup. Getting him out has been difficult for the Orioles.
Tuiasosopo hit a three-run homer in his last at bat last night and hit a three-run homer in his first at bat tonight.
He also had an RBI double last night, so he has three hits in his last four at bats in this series now with two homers and 7 RBI. Not bad for a guy that was hitting...
While Josh Bell is batting just .232 in 21 Oriole games, for the first time as a Major Leaguer, he's putting together what might be the makings of a hot stretch at the plate.
Bell in 2010 with the O's:
First 15 games: 8 for 48 with 19 strikeouts
Last 6 games: 8 for 21 with 7 strikeouts
Bell went 2 for 3 with his third big league double last night and his third multi-hit game.
Is manager Buck Showalter starting to see Bell settle in some, get more comfortable and let his talents...
Now that the draft is over, even though there are just a few weeks left in the minor league seasons, here are the affiliates where some of the recently signed players will be reporting to:
Manny Machado - Gulf Coast League
Dan Klein - Aberdeen
Matt Bywater - Aberdeen
Parker Bridwell - Gulf Coast League
Alex Schmarzo - Aberdeen
Klein has thrown two bullpen sessions with Aberdeen and is now on the IronBirds active roster. He may throw one live batting practice session before he gets into his...
Bowie infielder Ryan Adams is not noted for his glovework, but he sure is swinging a hot bat right now.
Since June 1, Adams is batting .335 with 26 doubles over 67 games.
The Orioles' second-round pick in 2006, he is among the league leaders in several categories in the Eastern League. His .302 average is tied for 5th, while he is 2nd with 136 hits and 52 extra-base hits and he leads the league with 40 doubles.
Adams was playing mostly second base earlier, but has been playing a lot...
Let's take a look at some Orioles stats and notes as we await the third and final game of the Seattle series tonight at Camden Yards.
*The Orioles were shutout for the eighth time this year last night. They were held to three hits, which tied a season-low output that they were held to in five games this year.
*Josh Bell did go 2 for 3 with a double. Bell is 8 for 21 (.381) over his last six games, raising his average from .167 to .232. That was his third Major League multi-hit...
Kevin Millwood has been down this road before.
He knows the landmarks on the side of the road and every pothole at this point.
It was a night where he pitched well, but got little, or should we say, no run support.
Millwood gave up just one run and six hits over eight innings, but Luke French topped that as Seattle beat the Orioles 4-0 tonight.
Kevin Millwood talks about his outing after the O's 4-0 loss
"I worry about things I can control and scoring runs is obviously something I can't...
A 24-year-old left-hander making his first career appearance vs. the Orioles shut them down tonight and took a no-hitter into the sixth as Seattle beat the Birds 4-0, in front of 14,739 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles were shutout for the eighth time in 2010, as Seattle evened the series at a win each.
Luke French, who had allowed 9 ER in 20 innings in three August starts, gave up just three hits over 7 2/3 with three walks and strikeouts.
Josh Bell got the first Baltimore hit with a single to...
As he gets ready to manage the Orioles tonight, Buck Showalter has been honored today.
It's an honor he may not even know about yet.
He's been named the manager on the New York Penn League's All-Time team.
Showalter managed the Oneonta Yankees in 1985 and 1986. His '85 team went 55-23 in the short-season league and beat Auburn for the league title. A year later, his club went 59-18 and lost to Newark in the semi-finals.
So his record was 114-41 (.735) in his first two seasons as a...
O's outfielder Adam Jones can't quite relate to all the hype and attention that O's first-round pick Manny Machado has gotten.
Jones was a high draft pick, but not like Machado. Jones was a supplemental first round pick, taken 37th overall by Seattle in 2003.
"I was never as highly touted as him. I was the end of the first round," Jones said.
"He's drawing comparisons to A-Rod and all that stuff. I think it's stupid when scouts and all that compare people to other people. If...
O's reliever Alfredo Simon got five outs last night, but it was the one he didn't get that stands out.
With one out in the top of the tenth, Seattle catcher Adam Moore blasted a 430-foot shot to left that gave the M's a 4-3 lead. The O's would tie it up and win it an inning later, but Simon continues to struggle.
He has now allowed a homer in four straight outings and in six of his last ten appearances.
Since he has taken over as O's manager, Buck Showalter has chosen to focus mostly...