Looking at the offense on this trip and the final day in the minors

Looking at the offense on this trip and the final day in the minors
The Orioles have scored two runs on nine hits the last two games. Both runs came on homers by Jonathan Villar and no, that won't get it done. In the series at home last week when they swept Toronto they scored seven runs, and then 12 and 10 runs. On this road trip, they've lost four games scoring two, four, one and one run. They have produced in order starting with Friday's game at Kansas City four, 13, six and three hits in those games. The team average is .205 on this so far winless trip....

O's game blog: Orioles and Mariners begin series at Safeco Field

O's game blog: Orioles and Mariners begin series at Safeco Field
The Orioles lost three straight in Kansas City, and their nine-game road trip moves on to Seattle tonight. The clubs begin a three-game series at Safeco Field. The Orioles lost 9-1 at Kansas City Sunday as the Royals moved out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning and put the game away with a four-run eighth. The Orioles have lost seven straight on the road and 24 of their last 28 games away from Camden Yards. They are 16-53 on the road for the season. The Orioles were held to two runs Friday at...

Josh Rogers set for second MLB start, plus other notes

Josh Rogers set for second MLB start, plus other notes
KANSAS CITY - He had a winning Major League debut, one that featured a nice cheering section of family and friends on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. It produced a feel-good story as Orioles left-hander Josh Rogers, the kid from a small town in Indiana, won on the big stage. Using a two and four-seam fastball on 53 of his 85 pitches that ranged from 90 to 92 mph, Rogers beat Toronto 12-5 in his debut. Over five innings he gave up seven hits and three runs with one walk and two strikeouts. He...

Clubhouse quotes wrap up a sweep by K.C. over the Orioles

Clubhouse quotes wrap up a sweep by K.C. over the Orioles
KANSAS CITY - It was just a few days ago that the Orioles swept three straight from Toronto. They stole bases, played some crisp defense and scored 29 runs in three games. Here in Kansas City it was very different. The team with the second-worst record in the majors swept the team with the worst, with Kansas City winning 9-1 today. It capped a weekend where the Orioles lost twice by blowouts and once on a walkoff in the ninth. So they've had better weekends. How could they play so well versus...

Swept away at the K: Royals win 9-1, complete sweep

Swept away at the K: Royals win 9-1, complete sweep
KANSAS CITY - Well it at least started well for the Orioles this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Shortstop Jonathan Villar hit an opposite-field homer to left to provide a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. It went downhill pretty fast after that. If this weekend was about determining which team most deserved the top draft pick in 2019 by being the worst this year, there was some separation this weekend. The Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 9-1 this afternoon to complete a three-game sweep of...

Showalter pregame with more on the closer role (game update)

Showalter pregame with more on the closer role (game update)
KANSAS CITY - While Mychal Givens has been getting the Orioles save chances this month, manager Buck Showalter said again today we could still see others get save opportunities before the year is out. Showalter never actually proclaimed Givens as his closer and after he gave up a walk-off homer in the ninth last night, he is not ready to say he is now going in another direction either. Givens went 4-for-5 in save chances since Aug. 5 heading into last night. He had thrown seven scoreless his...

O's game blog: O's try to avoid sweep in K.C. (Keegan Akin honored)

O's game blog: O's try to avoid sweep in K.C. (Keegan Akin honored)
KANSAS CITY - Four days after sweeping a three-game series at home versus Toronto, the Orioles need a win today to avoid being swept three in a row at Kansas City. These teams have the two worst records in the majors and now K.C. is 4 1/2 games better than the Orioles at 44-91 to the Orioles 40-96. Just five teams in Orioles history have lost 97 or more games and this O's edition will join them with a loss today. The last to do so was the 2009 Orioles with 98 losses. Right-hander David Hess...

Another look at one that got away and other notes

Another look at one that got away and other notes
KANSAS CITY - The Orioles and Kansas City Royals didn't look like they gave a darn last night about any No. 1 draft pick. They both went hard to win a game. Down 2-1 in the sixth, the Royals scored twice off Dylan Bundy. Down 3-2 in the eighth, the Orioles scored twice to take a 4-3 lead. Then the ninth inning happened. Manager Buck Showalter had made no such proclamation that Mychal Givens is the Orioles closer but he has been. Givens went 4-for-5 in save chances since Aug. 5 heading into...

Whit Merrifield's walk-off homer hands O's latest loss (with quotes)

Whit Merrifield's walk-off homer hands O's latest loss (with quotes)
KANSAS CITY - They were three outs from a comeback win. But they suffered a walk-off loss instead. Whit Merrifield's two-run homer to left center off Mychal Givens gave the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 ninth-inning win over the Orioles tonight. Givens came on to try to wrap up a 4-3 win. But he walked leadoff batter Brett Phillips on four pitches, and then Phillips moved to second on a sac bunt. Merrifield then drilled an 0-2 fastball 415 feet to end the game as the Orioles suffered a stunning...

Showalter on why just one call-up (plus a game update)

Showalter on why just one call-up (plus a game update)
KANSAS CITY - The Orioles added just one player today, when rosters can expand to as many as 40 players. They are going to add more but it didn't happen this afternoon, as just infielder Breyvic Valera was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. So why just the one addition? "You could ask Dan (Duquette), but I think they (the minor league teams) have three games there left," manager Buck Showalter said. "Same reason why, what did they (Kansas City) call up, one? They'll be right around the...

Returning to lineup, Andreoli looks to make impact with speed

Returning to lineup, Andreoli looks to make impact with speed
KANSAS CITY - He's been an Oriole less than two weeks and we've seen flashes of his speed both in the outfield and on the bases. But John Andreoli's fleet feet had real impact in the Orioles' last win at home, on Wednesday versus the Blue Jays. In a 5-5 tie in the last of the sixth, Andreoli got an infield hit, stole second base and scored on Austin Wynns' single to give the Orioles a 6-5 lead in a game they won 10-5. Two innings later he hit one into left-center and produced a hustle...

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Royals in K.C.

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Royals in K.C.
KANSAS CITY - After Friday's 9-2 loss at Kansas City, the Orioles will try to break a five-game road losing streak tonight when the clubs meet in the second game of the series against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Right-hander Dylan Bundy (7-13, 5.37 ERA) will make his 26th start. After struggling for most of the last two months, Bundy felt he made some progress Sunday night at home versus the Yankees. He went five innings, allowing six hits and four runs on 100 pitches. "I thought it was a...

On Friday night, Cedric Mullins was solid, but didn't get much help

On Friday night, Cedric Mullins was solid, but didn't get much help
KANSAS CITY - On the first night of a three-game series between the two teams with the worst records in the majors, not a lot went right for the Orioles. Their starter, Andrew Cashner, allowed four runs, their bullpen gave up five and they were outscored 9-2 and outhit 14-4. While center fielder Cedric Mullins went 2-for-4, the rest of the Orioles went 2-for-26 in the series opener. The Orioles have lost five in a row on the road, where they are 16-51. They are 2-11 in their last 13 games in...

Orioles blown out 9-2 in series opener (with quotes)

Orioles blown out 9-2 in series opener (with quotes)
KANSAS CITY - Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins hit the second pitch of the game tonight for a home run. But the O's did little on offense after that. On the mound, right-hander Andrew Cashner allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings and the bullpen gave up five as Kansas City beat the Orioles 9-2 at Kauffman Stadium. It was the first of a three-game weekend series. With this result, the gap between the two teams with the worst records in the majors widened to 3 1/2 games. The Orioles are on...

Mark Trumbo's surgery is set for next week (game update)

Mark Trumbo's surgery is set for next week (game update)
KANSAS CITY - The Orioles' Mark Trumbo will have arthroscopic right knee surgery next week on either Thursday or Friday in Baltimore. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Leigh Ann Curl. "We all felt like that was where this was going to head, but Mark gathered all the information and feels real comfortable with what is going to be done," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He should be a (healthy) player if everything goes well, should make the start of the season next year. It's...

Orioles' Cedric Mullins on visit to the Negro Leagues Museum

Orioles' Cedric Mullins on visit to the Negro Leagues Museum
KANSAS CITY - Founded in 1990, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is based here. The non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving the rich history of African-American baseball. Over the years, the Orioles have toured the museum a few times, and several players took another tour today. Among them was center fielder Cedric Mullins. "It was awesome," said Mullins. "Growing up, I got a lot of tidbits on Negro Leagues history. But today, to get the full script basically of how everything...

O's game blog: Orioles, Royals begin series in Kansas City

O's game blog: Orioles, Royals begin series in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY - The Orioles begin a three-city, nine-game road trip tonight at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. They will play three games in Kansas City, three in Seattle and end the trip with three in St. Petersburg, Fla., against Tampa Bay. This series could be billed as a battle for the top 2019 draft pick. It features the two teams with the worst records in the majors in the Orioles (40-94) and the Royals (42-91). The Orioles' record is 2 1/2 games behind the Royals going...

Notes on team speed, international signings and Chris Davis

Notes on team speed, international signings and Chris Davis
No one is calling them the Go-Go Orioles just yet, but an Orioles team that stole 32 bases all of last year has 19 steals in August. Yes, this is very different. The club is making some things happen on the bases, morphing into a team hitting fewer home runs, but trying to make it happen more with speed before our eyes. In the first half the Orioles ranked 12th in the American League in stolen bases. In the second half they rank sixth, and this month they rank fourth. The Orioles have 21 steals...

Orioles add another international player

Orioles add another international player
The Orioles' move to begin signing international amateur talent continued today when the club announced it has agreed to terms with outfielder Damian Valdez, a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. A source said the Orioles signed Valdez to a $200,000 bonus. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said in a team-issued statement: "Valdez is a gifted, young left-handed hitter. He possesses a discerning batting eye and is capable of hitting the ball to all fields with power. We hope he...

DL Hall's first full professional season is a rousing success

DL Hall's first full professional season is a rousing success
He's getting ready to make his final start of the minor league season on Friday night. And for the Orioles 2017 top draft pick, 19-year-old left-hander DL Hall, there has been almost nothing but success in his first full season of professional baseball. He's made all his starts, been healthy, dramatically improved his changeup, posted very good statistics and gained both knowledge and maturity. And he's ending the year on a tremendous roll. He's checked off pretty much every box, so what is...