Steve Melewski

Plenty of praise for Berken

April 04, 2010, 4:19pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Tonight's pitchers: Tillman vs. Sowers

April 04, 2010, 4:09pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Strange night for Tillman

April 04, 2010, 4:07pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Taking rain delay questions (game set to resume soon)

April 04, 2010, 4:04pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Play has resumed at Camden Yards

April 04, 2010, 3:59pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Marte again leads Cleveland to victory

April 04, 2010, 3:58pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Post-game Notes: Tribe tops O's

April 04, 2010, 3:56pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Sunday afternoon baseball: Cleveland at Orioles

April 04, 2010, 3:54pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Today's pitchers: Matusz vs. Masterson

April 04, 2010, 3:53pm

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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steve melewski orioles

Matusz pitches O's past Cleveland, 5-2

April 04, 2010, 3:52pm

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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steve melewski orioles

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

April 04, 2010, 3:49pm

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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steve melewski orioles

A very uplifting day for the Orioles

April 04, 2010, 3:47pm

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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steve melewski orioles

O's not worried about Britton

April 04, 2010, 3:44pm

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...

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steve melewski orioles

Roberts on trying to avoid another September swoon

April 04, 2010, 3:43pm

Orioles

Roberts on trying to avoid another September swoon

As the calendar turns to September on Tuesday, the Orioles will have 30 games remaining in their season. Of the 30, they will play Boston and New York five times each, Texas three times and Tampa eight times. Can the O's avoid another September swoon, like last season's club that went 5-20 in the month? With the young starting pitching now here, and the Oroles winners of six of the last 11, is the club better positioned to win this September? "I mean I hope so," Brian Roberts said. ...

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steve melewski orioles

Tonight's pitchers: Guthrie vs. Pettitte

April 04, 2010, 3:41pm

Orioles

Tonight's pitchers: Guthrie vs. Pettitte

RHP Jeremy Guthrie (9-12, 5.26) tonight is set to make his 27th start of this season, his 14th at home and the 10th of his career vs. the Yankees. Guthrie is trying to do something tonight he has not done all year - win three starts in a row. Over his last two starts, vs. Chicago and Minnesota, Guthrie is 2-0, 1.29. He has won back-to-back starts three times this year. Guthrie did not issue a walk in his last start for the fourth time on the year and he allowed 2ER or less for the sixth...

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steve melewski orioles

Oriole killer

April 04, 2010, 3:38pm

Orioles

Robinson Cano leads all Yankees players this year with 13 RBI vs. the Orioles. Who is second? Not A-Rod, he has 8. Not Teixeira, he has eight also. How about Damon? No he has nine. It's Nick Swisher, who has been ripping O's pitching this year and hit a solo homer in the third tonight to give New York a 1-0 lead. With that blast, Swisher is now 11 for 28 (.393) with four homers and 12 RBI on the season vs. O's pitching. He has 22 homers on the year and hit that one 386 feet to right...

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steve melewski orioles

It's never happened (and it will not tonight)

April 04, 2010, 3:36pm

Orioles

It's never happened (and it will not tonight)

No Oriole has ever pitched a perfect game, nor has a perfect game ever been pitched vs. the Orioles. Andy Pettitte lost a perfect game bid tonight with two outs in the last of the 7th when third baseman Jerry Hairston booted Adam Jones' grounder for an error. On his 81st pitch of the night, Nick Markakis singled to left for the O's first hit. Pettitte got out of that two on jam by getting Nolan Reimold to ground to short on a 3-2 pitch. He has a shutout and 2-0 lead after seven...

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steve melewski orioles

Pettitte pitches NY to series opening win vs. Birds

April 04, 2010, 3:34pm

Orioles

Pettitte pitches NY to series opening win vs. Birds

It didn't turn out to be a magical night for Andy Pettitte, but still a pretty good one as he pitched the Yankees past the Orioles 5-1 at Camden Yards. Pettitte took a perfect game bid into the 7th and retired the first two batters of the inning. His run of retiring 20 straight ended there when third baseman Jerry Hairson booted Adam Jones' grounder for an error. Nick Markakis followed with a single to left to break up the no-hit bid. Melvin Mora led off the 8th with a homer to deny...

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steve melewski orioles

Post-game notes and quotes: Yankees top O's

April 04, 2010, 3:27pm

Orioles

Post-game notes and quotes: Yankees top O's

Winning pitcher Andy Pettitte improved to 12-6, 4.03. He is 2-0, 1.17 in two starts this year vs. the Orioles and improved his career numbers vs. Baltimore to 26-6, 3.56 in 39 career games, 37 starts. The win was his 190th all-time, moving him into third on the all-time Yankee wins list. He pitched a season-high eight innings tonight. Pettitte is tied with Catfish Hunter for second most wins all-time vs. the Orioles with 26, trailing leader Whitey Ford, who had 30. Not tonight - The O's...

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steve melewski orioles

Next for Hobgood: Delmarva

April 04, 2010, 3:24pm

Orioles

Right-hander Matt Hobgood reported to the O's minor league camp several weeks early this year and his goal was to make the Delmarva starting rotation this season. Mission accomplished. The 19-year-old that the O's selected with the fifth pick in round one of the draft last June, will head north this weekend with the rest of the Shorebirds. "I'm really excited about my first year of long season ball," Hobgood said. "We should have a really young team and I'd like to think a lot of us...