Steve Melewski

Baseball America's J.J. Cooper on O's top 10 farm ranking

August 18, 2019, 6:29pm

Orioles

Baseball America's J.J. Cooper on O's top 10 farm ranking

It was good news for a rebuilding Orioles organization last month when Baltimore was ranked No. 8 in Baseball America's midseason Major League Baseball organizational rankings, which came out last month. This marks the first time that the Orioles have ranked in the publication's Top 10 since entering the 2010 season, when they also ranked No. 8. The O's also ranked No. 8 when entering the 1994 and 1989 seasons. Baseball America began publishing organization talent rankings in 1983. At the...

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When brutal stretch arrived, O's hit a roadblock

August 17, 2019, 7:08pm

Orioles

When brutal stretch arrived, O's hit a roadblock

The way it has been going for the Orioles' pitching lately, you would certainly take a night when they gave up just four runs. That happened last night, but they still lost. They were held to five hits in a 4-0 loss at Boston to fall to 39-84 with six losses in a row and 11 in the past 12 games. They've scored one run in two games this weekend at Fenway Park. Today the Orioles end a brutal stretch of 13 straight games against the Yankees, Astros, Yankees and Red Sox. At best they will go...

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O's game blog: Looking for a win in the series finale

August 17, 2019, 5:07pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for a win in the series finale

The Orioles have lost by scores of 9-1 and 4-0 in Boston and they'll need a win today to avoid a three-game sweep. In this series the Baltimore offense has produced just one run on 10 hits, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles (39-84) have lost six in a row and 11 of the past 12 games. They have gone 1-11 in this stretch against the Yankees, Astros, Yankees and Red Sox. They have scored four runs or less 72 times on the year, going 8-64. The Orioles have scored two runs...

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O's game blog: Wojciechowski faces Boston at Fenway

August 17, 2019, 2:53pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Wojciechowski faces Boston at Fenway

When he faced the Boston Red Sox July 21 in Baltimore, O's right-hander Asher Wojciechowski (2-5, 4.84 ERA) threw a gem as the Orioles won 5-0. It was a combined one-hitter by Wojciechowski, Paul Fry and Michael Givens. Wojciechowski had a no-hitter through six innings. Through four innings he fanned nine and got swings and misses on 18 of his 58 pitches. He finished having allowed one hit with two walks and 10 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings. He and his mound mates ended Boston's run of 81...

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A look at the Orioles' improving Dominican Summer League program

August 16, 2019, 2:00pm

Orioles

The Orioles are one of 10 major league organizations that fields two teams in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. It is a short-season league that begins in June where some the youngest international players in pro ball get their feet wet, start their careers and begin to really learn the game. Some young players may stay in this league for a couple of seasons as they learn about nutrition and learn to speak English in a club's Dominican academy. The Orioles' two DSL teams have had...

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O's game blog: O's in Fenway plus minor league notes

August 16, 2019, 1:35pm

Orioles

O's game blog: O's in Fenway plus minor league notes

After being swept four straight at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles move on to Fenway Park in Boston tonight. The Orioles (39-82) have lost nine of the last 10 games, all against Houston and New York. Right-hander Aaron Brooks (2-6, 6.35 ERA) starts tonight's series opener, and he can really use a good outing. In six starts with the Orioles, Brooks is 0-3 with a 9.41 ERA. Over 22 innings he has allowed 32 hits and seven home runs. Despite his poor numbers, the Orioles are 3-3 when he gets the...

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A look at the top contenders for the Jim Palmer Award

August 15, 2019, 10:46am

Orioles

A look at the top contenders for the Jim Palmer Award

This all could change because there are a couple of weeks to go in the minor league season, and it's just one man's opinion, but at this point there are probably four to five strong contenders for the Jim Palmer Award. It goes to the O's Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Right now in some order you can list Single-A Delmarva's Grayson Rodriguez, Double-A Bowie's Michael Baumann, Alex Wells and Zac Lowther as prime contenders. I'll add to that a pitcher who has flown under the radar but...

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Is rebuilding bad for baseball?

August 14, 2019, 3:29pm

Orioles

The goal of any professional sports team is to win games and championships. How they get there or try to is up to them and others don't have to like it. After a 115-loss 2018 season - in fact, even before that 2018 season was over - the Orioles began their rebuilding. It continues this year and has its ups and downs. Ups like watching players like Hanser Alberto and Anthony Santander state their cases to be a part of the Orioles' hopefully better future. Downs like losing 16 straight games to...

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O's game blog: The series finale in the Bronx

August 13, 2019, 9:18pm

Orioles

O's game blog: The series finale in the Bronx

Will Renato NÃºÃ±ez and Trey Mancini lead the Orioles to a win today in the series finale against the New York Yankees? They'll be facing a Yankees pitcher who has struggled recently and one they have hit very well this year. Lefty J.A. Happ (9-7, 5.48 ERA) gets the start for the Yankees. Over his past two starts he has allowed 10 runs in 10 2/3 innings. Over his past four games he is 1-2 with an 8.55 ERA and a 1.004 OPS against, and he's allowed eight homers in 20 innings. And in four...

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As rotation continues to struggle, what will it look like next year?

August 13, 2019, 8:53pm

Orioles

As rotation continues to struggle, what will it look like next year?

The readers of this blog are starting to beat the drum already. The Orioles, they say, need to sign some starting pitching for 2020 to avoid a repeat of the pitching we've seen in 2019. OK, that sounds reasonable. But here is the issue: To get real quality with a track record of success, they probably need to offer a free agent a multi-year contract. Are they going to be ready to do that? Probably not. Failing that, you get back to the pitchers you can get for a one-year deal, and they won't...

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O's game blog: Looking to end a losing streak against Yankees

August 13, 2019, 2:57pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking to end a losing streak against Yankees

The Orioles (39-80) play game No. 120 tonight as they try to snap a 14-game losing streak to the New York Yankees. New York swept Monday's day-night doubleheader by 8-5 and 11-8 scores, scoring 19 runs and hitting seven home runs. In going 15-2 this season against the Orioles, New York has scored 137 runs (8.1 per game) and hit 59 homers (3.5 per game). New York has scored eight or more runs eight times in 2019 against the Orioles. In their last five games, the Yankees have scored 51...

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Aberdeen's no-hitter and a few O's notes

August 12, 2019, 9:48pm

Orioles

Aberdeen's no-hitter and a few O's notes

The short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds have the best team ERA in the 14-team New York-Penn League. Their strong pitching perhaps was never more evident than last night, when three pitchers combined on the first no-hitter in team history. Right-hander Jake Lyons got the start and went the first five innings on 61 pitches at Vermont, with one walk and five strikeouts. Right-hander James Ryan pitched the next three innings with three strikeouts and right-hander Kyle Martin struck out the...

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O's game blog: Looking for a doubleheader split

August 12, 2019, 2:47pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for a doubleheader split

The Orioles will try to break a 13-game losing streak to the New York Yankees in the night portion of today's day-night doubleheader. The Yankees beat the Orioles 8-5 earlier today and are 14-2 against the Orioles for the season. Gabriel Ynoa took the loss in Game 1, allowing seven hits and seven runs over six innings and 95 pitches. He falls to 1-7 with an ERA of 5.93 and the Orioles are 1-8 in his starts. New York hit four more homers off Baltimore pitching in the opener, including two in...

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O's game blog: The series in the Bronx begins

August 12, 2019, 8:53am

Orioles

O's game blog: The series in the Bronx begins

Coming off their first walk-off win of the 2019 season, the Orioles begin a seven-game road trip today by playing a day-night doubleheader at New York. They will play the Yankees at 1:05 and 7:05 p.m. It is the beginning of a three-day, four-game series in the Bronx, where the Orioles are 2-3 this year. They went 0-10 in Baltimore against the Yankees. The Orioles were swept three straight by New York last Monday through Wednesday in Baltimore by scores of 9-6, 9-4 and 14-2. They gave up 16...

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Bowie manager Buck Britton talks Baysox season in radio interview

August 11, 2019, 7:36pm

Orioles

Bowie manager Buck Britton talks Baysox season in radio interview

When the Double-A Bowie Baysox started this year going 7-23, no one would have predicted they would regroup to produce such a stellar record. But they have. They are 57-31 since that point with a very strong rotation, some solid position players and a couple of veteran coaches to help young manager Buck Britton. Buck, 33, is the older brother of former Oriole Zack Britton. Buck played many seasons on the O's farm, but never made the majors. He might one day as a skipper after leading Single-A...

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Walk-off win: Rio Ruiz wins it in the last of the ninth

August 11, 2019, 1:06pm

Orioles

Walk-off win: Rio Ruiz wins it in the last of the ninth

With one swing it went from disheartening loss to walk-off win. Rio Ruiz hit a two-run homer to right with two outs in the last of the ninth off Houston closer Roberto Osuna and the Orioles stunned the Astros 8-7 at Oriole Park. The Birds had seen Houston score three in the ninth to lead 7-5. But the O's scored three in the home half to win it. Jace Peterson led off with a double for his third hit of the day, all for extra bases. He moved to third on a groundout. Chance Sisco was hit by a...

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O's game blog: O's face Verlander in series finale

August 10, 2019, 9:40pm

Orioles

O's game blog: O's face Verlander in series finale

So after they gave up 23 runs and lost last night, the Orioles face Justin Verlander today as they try to avoid getting swept three straight by Houston. The Orioles lost 3-2 Friday night and 23-2 last night. Before this series they lost by scores of 9-6, 9-4 and 14-2 to the New York Yankees. So the O's are 0-5 in a 10-game stretch against the Yankees and Astros. Before the Orioles began this stretch against New York and Houston, they had gone 7-5 the previous 12 games, 10-7 in 17 and 16-15 in...

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What O's can learn from Astros, plus more on last night

August 10, 2019, 9:29pm

Orioles

What O's can learn from Astros, plus more on last night

Now that Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal have come from the Houston Astros to the Orioles, O's fans are wondering and of course hoping the two can take some of what worked there and make it work here. Maybe even more so after last night's 23-2 loss to Houston. The Orioles suffered their most lopsided loss of the year, allowing season highs in runs and hits. It was just the fourth time in team history they've allowed 23 or more runs in a game. Houston lost 106 or more games every year from 2011 to...

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O's fall to Astros 23-2, allowing most runs since 30-3 game

August 10, 2019, 6:13pm

Orioles

O's fall to Astros 23-2, allowing most runs since 30-3 game

Manager Brandon Hyde threw his team some props for playing well and keeping the result in doubt to the final pitch last night against Houston in a 3-2 loss. The result was no longer in doubt tonight in about the second inning. Houston scored eight runs over the first two innings on its way to crushing the Orioles 23-2 tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles allowed more runs tonight than in any game since their 30-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 22, 2007. It was the most lopsided loss of the...

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O's game blog: An all-Aaron pitching matchup at the Yard

August 10, 2019, 3:02pm

Orioles

O's game blog: An all-Aaron pitching matchup at the Yard

The Orioles (38-77), who are 2-6 on this homestand, host Houston (76-40) tonight in the second game of a three-game series at Oriole Park. Dylan Bundy gave up just two runs over six innings last night, but the Orioles lost 3-2 and they've now lost four in a row. The Astros began a season-long 10-game road trip with a win. They head to Chicago to face the White Sox and Oakland to face the Athletics after this series. Houston has won seven in a row and 10 of 11 games, and has its best 116-game...