When you watch Matt Wieters drive in five runs one night and easily throw Carl Crawford out trying to steal the next, you can see his massive potential. That's with the glove and bat.
Wieters threw Crawford out at second base tonight. He got a guy who currently has 56 steals, has five career 50-steal seasons and is the AL stolen base leader in four of the last five years.
The stats say Wieters is only about average compared to others in the AL in caught stealing. But after a real slow...
Minutes after seeing the O's lose a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer to left in the last of the 9th to give the O's a 4-2 walk-off win over Tampa.
Luke Scott led off the 9th and drew a walk. Wieters then hit his two-run shot out to left off Russ Springer. It was his second homer in two nights and 7th on the year.
In the three games in this series, Wieters is 5 for 10 with two homers and 9 RBI. Also tonight he threw out Carl Crawford twice on...
Yes, but can he walk on water? - Matt Wieters' two-run homer in the last of the 9th gave the O's a 4-2 win over Tampa tonight. Wieters went 1 for 3 with 3 RBI. Wieters has two homers and 8 RBI over the past two games.
In the three games of this series vs. Tampa, Wieters is 5 for 10 with two homers and 9 RBI. Over his last 11 games, he is batting .333 (13 for 39) with two homers and 9 RBI.
This was the Orioles 3rd walk-off homer this year:
***May 27 - Nolan Reimold vs. Toronto, bottom...
Game Preview
Tampa (73-73) at Orioles (60-85)
At a time when the Orioles are counting on their young players, now and in the future, Wednesday was a game where Orioles youth was served.
Rookie right hander Chris Tillman pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run, five-hit ball. Rookie catcher Matt Wieters hit the game winning homer, a two-run shot off Russ Springer in the last of the ninth.
Tillman tied a season high by going 6 2/3. For the first time all year he did not strike out a single...
A day after giving up just one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings, his best Major League start yet, Chris Tillman said pitching with less velocity led to better results.
"Results-wise, I would say it was my best. But I don't think I pitched like myself. I kind of backed off on my velocity some, kind of stepped out of who I am. I just wanted to have a good outing to build off of.
"I know the velocity would be there if I need it. I just wanted to see what would happen if I backed off...
LHP Mark Hendrickson (5-4, 4.43) tonight will make his 50th appearance and 8th start of this year, his 5th start at home and his 3rd start of the season vs. Tampa.
Hendrickson tonight takes over the rotation spot of Brian Matusz. The rookie lefty has been shutdown for the rest of the season due to his innings load.
So Hendrickson tonight makes his first start of the year since May 12th vs. Tampa, when he gave up five runs over two innings.
Hendrickson has pitched much better this season out...
There have been three walk-off homers hit by rookies in the American League this year and two have been hit by Orioles.
*Nolan Reimold, May 27 vs. Toronto
*Luis Valbuena (Clev), August 22
*Matt Wieters, September 16 vs. Tampa
With a win tonight, the Orioles would win a four-game series for the first time all year. Previously they have lost five and tied four 4-game sets.
Matt Wieters 9 RBI over his last three games, matches his output of his previous 24 games.
And, finally, in our...
Tampa right hander Wade Davis pitched a four-hit shutout tonight, in just his third Major League start, as the Rays beat the Orioles 3-0, in front of 12, 436 at Camden Yards.
This came just days after Davis gave up eight runs in 2 2/3 in his last start vs. Boston.
The 24-year-old walked two, fanned ten and threw 124 pitches in picking up his first Major League win. The O's were blanked for the 9th time on the season.
The O's best chance to break through vs. Davis came in the first inning...
Blanked - The Orioles were shutout tonight for the 9th time this year and the second time in nine games. They were held to four hits, going 4 for 29 at bat and were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. They were last shutout by Boston, 10-0 at Fenway Park on September 8th.
In his third Major League start, right hander Wade Davis pitched the shutout for his first Major League win. Davis pitched out of a bases-loaded, no out jam in the first.
He improved to 1-1, 4.34. Over nine...
Game Preview
Boston (86-59) at Orioles (60-86)
After splitting a four-game series with Tampa Bay, the Orioles welcome Boston to town tonight to start a three-game series at 7:05 p.m.
It's the last series of the year between the teams.
Jeremy Guthrie (10-14, 5.06) will pitch for the Birds vs. Boston's Clay Buchholz (5-3, 3.66).
The Orioles are 2-2 on this homestand and 36-39 at home on the year with six Camden Yards contests remaining.
The O's were shutout 3-0 Thursday as Tampa's Wade...
O's outfielder Nolan Reimold told reporters today in the O's clubhouse that the pain and fraying of his left achilles tendon has reached the point where he can no longer play this season. He has been placed on the disabled list and will have surgery in Baltimore next Wednesday.
The rehab period should be three to four months.
"I hate to stop playing now, but this is probably the best decision," Reimold said.
"I've played a long time on it and it just hasn't been feeling that good...
Earlier this week, Melvin Mora played in his 793rd game at third base for the Orioles. That moved him past Doug DeCinces into second all-time in games played at third by an Oriole.
The man who is the clear number one in that department, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, will be at Camden Yards tonight to present Mora with third base from the game where he moved into second.
"He has recognized the job I've been doing for the Orioles for a long time. He's a guy who understands what the hot...
RHP Jeremy Guthrie (10-14, 5.06) tonight is set to make his 30th start of this year, his 16th at home and the 11th of his career vs. Boston.
Guthrie was 3-1, 1.33 over his previous four starts before taking the loss Sunday vs. New York. Over 5 2/3 at Yankee Stadium, he allowed 12 hits and five runs.
Still, over the past five starts, Guthrie is 3-2, 2.48.
Guthrie is the AL leader in runs, losses and homers allowed this year with 30. Of those 30, 12 have come vs. the Yankees and Red Sox, who...
Clay Buchholz shut down the Orioles over six innings and Jason Bay hit his 34th homer as Boston topped the Birds 3-1 Friday night to start a three-game series.
The O's fall to 2-3 on this seven-game homestand.
Buchholz, now 6-3, 3.49, gave up just five hits and one run, throwing 95 pitches. Over the last 11 games, Red Sox starting pitchers have worked to an ERA of 1.77.
Jeremy Guthrie took the loss, allowing nine hits and three runs over 5 2/3. Guthrie, 10-15, leads the AL in losses...
After he took another loss, his 15th, and another vs. Boston, his third this year, Jeremy Guthrie talked at length about his season.
He was asked if the season has been a huge disappointment for him?
Jeremy Guthrie talks with the media about his struggles tonight in the O's 3-1 loss
"Absolutely. I've pitched terrible. The start when I felt good, I got no breaks. Then I felt out of whack, but got no breaks. I pitched well at times, but never have pitched the way I feel like I can.
"I...
Not much on offense - The O's were held to just five hits by Clay Buchholz and three relievers Friday night. The O's went 5 for 31 at bat, were 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
The Birds have just 14 hits and a team average of .157 (14 for 89) the past three games. They have four doubles and two homers in those games. The team average for the year has dropped to .268.
Winning pitcher Clay Buchholz allowed just one run and five hits over six innings....
Game Preview
Boston (87-59) at Orioles (60-87)
If it seems like the Orioles lose a lot of close games vs. Boston, well, they do.
The Orioles are just 2-14 vs. the Sox this year. The clubs have played nine games decided by two runs or less and the O's are just 1-8 in those nine.
Boston has won six in a row vs. the O's and over a longer stretch, is 21-3 over 24 games vs. Baltimore.
Boston is 6-1 at Camden Yards this year and is 27-10 in its last 37 contests at Camden Yards.
Tonight, the...
With Nolan Reimold now on the disabled list, the O's decided they could use another outfielder.
They wanted to add Lou Montanez, if they could just get him to answer his phone.
"I was coming out of a Salsa lesson. They were ringing my phone like crazy and I was in a Salsa lesson, working on my hips. When I got in my car I saw the messages," Montanez said.
"They also contacted my agent who was in Greece on vacation. He had to contact someone else, it was like a 50 dollar phone call. ...
RHP David Hernandez (4-8, 5.40) tonight will make his 17th start of this season, his 9th at home and his 4th this year vs. Boston.
To say the least, Hernandez has been hit hard lately by the home run ball. He has given up nine homers over 10 2/3 in his last three starts and allowed 12 homers over 26 innings in his past six starts.
Hernandez, 2009 season:
First 10 starts: 4-4, 3.81
Last six starts: 0-4, 9.00
Hernandez has allowed at least one gopher ball in nine straight starts, giving up...
We know Jon Lester won't shutout the Orioles tonight. He still may beat them.
Brian Roberts led off the bottom of the first and ripped a double (his 53rd) in the gap in left center and scored on a Matt Wieters RBI single to center. In the second, Ty Wigginton homered off Lester for a 2-2 tie.
In that first frame, the O's snapped Lester's current scoreless innings streak at 17.
With two runs tonight vs. the lefty, they match their total of all year vs. Lester. In his first three starts...