Now that's more like it

Now that's more like it
In Bull Durham, didn't Annie Savoy say something like, "For one glorious week, our Durham Bulls played like champions." O's fans can relate this morning. When Brian Roberts made like Crash Davis last night, the O's walked-off jubilantly with another win, and in just a week's time, you get the feeling watching this team now that something good, not bad, will happen. For one glorious homestand, the Birds put it all together. They swept a good team and took three of four from the...
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Roberts talks about his game-winning homer

Roberts talks about his game-winning homer
As Brian Roberts remembers, this was just his second Major League walk-off homer. He hit one on June 28, 2005 in the tenth inning vs. the Yankees and he connected for the win in the tenth tonight vs. the first-place White Sox. "Just got a 1-0 fastball and, at that time of the game, I was trying to figure out whether to take a strike or not. But I was pretty sure I would get a heater at that point, 1-0 and leading off the inning. I was just fortunate enough to get a pitch to hit." He...
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A Roberts walk-off blast for the win

A Roberts walk-off blast for the win
Even when the Orioles get deflated, they seem to win these days. The Birds completed their best homestand of the year tonight when Brian Roberts hit a booming homer over the right-field scoreboard on a 1-0 pitch leading off the last of the tenth. It gave the O's a 3-2 win over the AL Central-leading White Sox. It was the O's first walk-off homer of the year as the team concluded a 6-1 homestand for new skipper Buck Showalter. The last four wins all came by one run and the Orioles improved...
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Joe Mahoney interview

Joe Mahoney interview
Joe Mahoney, first baseman for the Double-A Bowie Baysox, was a guest of Jim and Rick on MASN's O's XTRA tonight before the game here at Camden Yards. Joe is becoming quite the rock star. I've been told he was a pretty popular guy with autograph seekers after he got off the TV set out in left center here at the ballpark.
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Two in a row anyone?

Two in a row anyone?
Not two wins, two series. The Orioles, who have won just five of 35 series all year, can win two in a row for the first time in over a year if they beat Chicago tonight. After sweeping the Angels to start this homestand, they have taken two of the first three in this four-game set with AL Central-leading Chicago. The last time the O's won back-to-back series was from July 7-12 of 2009 when they took two of three at Seattle and then won two of three at home vs. Toronto. With a 5-1 mark, the...
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Tatum returns, and talks about it

Tatum returns, and talks about it
When last seen in the Orioles clubhouse Craig Tatum had a sore hand and overall, he was, well, sore about an O's roster decision. The decision made that day, July 25th, was to option Tatum to Triple-A when Matt Wieters came off the DL so the club could keep 13 pitchers. Tatum didn't hide his disappointment as he headed out to join Norfolk. The night before he had left the game with the Twins in the seventh inning after taking a foul ball off his right hand. He suffered a bruise and...
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Buck's take on Matusz

Buck's take on Matusz
It's been a bumpy ride at times this season for Orioles 23-year-old lefty Brian Matusz. After going 5-2, 4.63 in eight starts last year, he is 4-11, 5.26 in 22 starts this season. On July 4th, Matusz pitched seven innings of two-hit shutout ball at Boston. But then he gave up 18 ER over 13 innings in a four-start stretch. That poor run ended when he beat the Angels Wednesday night in Buck Showalter's second game. He gave up just one run over six innings. Tonight, he pitches here at...
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Big day for Izturis: How many more will he have with the O's?

Big day for Izturis: How many more will he have with the O's?
For a player who is rather quiet and never seems to be in the limelight or the center of attention, this was different. When Cesar Izturis hit a bloop single to center in the second inning Sunday, the fans erupted in cheers and so did the players in the O's dugout. It was the 1,000th career hit for Izturis, who suddenly, at least for a short time, was in the spotlight. "To get that 1,000th hit is something special for me. That moment is something you look for all your career. Today was a...
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Guthrie: "To see it happen in the last week is a great sign."

Guthrie:  "To see it happen in the last week is a great sign."
Jeremy Guthrie began his recent roll of solid pitching July 17 vs. Toronto when he gave up just one run over 6 1/3. Now his ERA is 1.78 over his last five starts and today he matched his longest outing of the year and got the win as the Orioles beat Chicago, 4-3. "I'm just trying to be more aggressive. That's about the only thing I can put a finger on. Throw more strikes and my goal is to walk zero guys each game and make them hit the ball." Guthrie gave up just one run and six hits...
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Guthrie solid as O's go to 5-1 under Showalter

Guthrie solid as O's go to 5-1 under Showalter
The Orioles strong run of starting pitching continued this afternoon as Jeremy Guthrie was solid again in the Birds' 4-3 win over the first-place White Sox. Guthrie gave up just one run and six hits over eight innings as he improved to 6-11, 4.04. He tied his season high in pitching eight frames, throwing 116 pitches. O's starters have now recorded six straight quality starts, with an ERA of 1.94 in that stretch. Buck Showalter meets with the media following a 4-3 win over the White...
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Aberdeen's All-Stars

Aberdeen's All-Stars
Four members of the Aberdeen IronBirds, including three 2010 draft picks, have been selected to play for the American League affiliates in the New York-Penn League All-Star game set for August 17th. They are Trent Mummey, the Auburn outfielder drafted in the fourth round this past June. He is joined by teammates Tim Adleman, a 24th-round pick, Adam Gaylord, drafted in round 31 and Kipp Schutz who was taken in round 19 in 2009. An outfielder, Schutz is hitting .331-3-30 and is 5th in the...
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Can't hold them down forever

Can't hold them down forever
Jeremy Guthrie has been making some big pitches today vs. the first-place White Sox. But, after they had gone 0 for 7 against him with runners in scoring position, Alex Rios finally got a clutch hit. His two-out single to left center in the fifth scored Omar Vizquel to tie this game at 1-1. Guthrie may be on his way to another quality start. It would be the Orioles sixth in a row and his fifth straight, which would be an O's 2010 season high. Quality starts, 2010: 14 - Guthrie 13 -...
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Too soon for Buck to be up to speed on the minors

Too soon for Buck to be up to speed on the minors
For now, Buck Showalter is spending most of his time, as you might expect, dealing with the 25 players on the Orioles Major League roster. So far, he admits, he has taken a look at what the Orioles have in the minor leagues, but he's not as clued in on that right now as he will be later. "Not as I'm going to be. I'm trying to stay focused here, more than anything. That stuff will take care of itself. I trust the people there. You know John Stockstill has provided some good reading...
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Patton waits for his chance

Patton waits for his chance
Troy Patton has been with the Orioles for more than a day this time. Patton was called up for just one day and one game on July 21st, but he's been back with the club now since last Sunday in Kansas City. He is still waiting to get into his first O's game on the mound. When he does it will be out of the bullpen and the 24-year-old lefty has made just two relief appearances in 125 pro outings. His last one, on September 7, 2007 was memorable, but not for a good reason. "Funny story, my...
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Showalter's first loss: O's lose lead and game vs. the Sox

Showalter's first loss:  O's lose lead and game vs. the Sox
Even with Buck Showalter as manager, the Orioles can't win them all. Saturday night they took an early 2-0 lead, but then saw it evaporate in a 4-2 loss to the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox in front of 24,929 at Camden Yards. After an Adam Jones homer in the second and Ty Wigginton RBI single in the third, Chicago came back. Kevin Millwood left a start with a lead for just the fifth time in 22 outings, but did not get the win as Jason Berken could not hold a 2-1 edge. Buck Showalter...
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Comparing Mahoney & Wieters

Comparing Mahoney & Wieters
The reader that calls himself "eagleeye" had an interesting question earlier today. He wanted to know how Joe Mahoney's great start with Double-A Bowie compared to Matt Wieters torrid start when he tore it up at Bowie in 2008. An interesting question and, after a little research, here are the numbers for Mahoney and Wieters in their first 24 games at Bowie. Wieters in 2008: .333-3-11......13 runs.....6 doubles.....419 OBP......519 slugging.......938 OPS. Mahoney in 2010: .413-7-20....21...
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Lending a hand to Bell

Lending a hand to Bell
The education of Josh Bell continues. He's learning on the job now in the Major Leagues, while at the same time, trying to impress Buck Showalter enough to play himself into a spot in the Orioles future. All of this with just 81 Triple-A games under his belt. Bell went 0 for 4 last night. After producing five hits in his first 19 big league at bats, now he is just two for his last 19 trips. For sure, that's way too small a sample size to form any real opinion about his shot to be the...
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Checking the stats before and with Buck

Checking the stats before and with Buck
Considering the Orioles had a record of 3-14 post All-Star game before Buck Showalter took over, the fans seem pretty excited about the club's 4-0 mark with Showalter. Beating a struggling Angels team was nice, but knocking off the first-place White Sox was more impressive. Chicago was a Major-League best 38-13 over its last 51 games when they got to town. They were scoring 5.4 runs per game over the the last 33 games before getting shutdown by Brad Bergesen, Koji Uehara and Alfredo Simon...
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Bergy: "I'm fighting for my job."

Bergy:  "I'm fighting for my job."
Brad Bergesen did not get a win tonight, but his pitching helped the Orioles to have a chance to get one. Bergy matched John Danks of the first-place White Sox and the Orioles eventually won in ten innings, 2-1 on Adam Jones' RBI single for a second straight, walk-off victory. Bergesen admitted after the game that he wanted to not only show his new manager what he could do, but also to put forth a good effort to keep his spot in the rotation. Brad Bergesen discusses his solid outing after...
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Well, the O's do lead the league when it goes extras

Well, the O's do lead the league when it goes extras
The Orioles have the most extra-inning wins and best extra-innings winning percentage in the AL. Best AL records in extra-innings: .727 - Baltimore, 8-3 .700 - KC, 7-3 .667 - NYY at 4-2 and Minnesota at 6-3 The White Sox are 3-4 in extra-inning affairs, tied for 9th best in the AL.
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