Steve Melewski

Tillman on his outing, Flaherty on pitching, Jones on team struggles

August 20, 2016, 7:36pm

Orioles

Tillman on his outing, Flaherty on pitching, Jones on team struggles

The best news and maybe the only real good news to come out of the Orioles' 12-2 loss to the Astros tonight is Chris Tillman said he is fine. He said his shoulder is sound, but his command wasn't tonight. Tillman gave up six runs and six hits with five walks in two-plus innings, throwing 67 pitches, 33 strikes. His velocity was sitting at 88 and 89 mph for most of the first inning, but that was not because of any shoulder issue. Tillman's start had been pushed back three days due to shoulder...

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Chris Tillman makes early exit as Astros rout Orioles again

August 20, 2016, 6:29pm

Orioles

Chris Tillman's velocity was down early in his outing and his command was off later. It was not a good combination and Tillman lasted just two innings plus four batters tonight as the Astros beat the Orioles 12-2. After the Orioles beat the Astros 13-5 on Thursday night, they have been outscored 27-10 the past two nights. In losing for the 15th time in the last 24 games, the Orioles fall to 67-55 for the season. They are 3-7 in their past 10 home games. Orioles utility man Ryan Flaherty...

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O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces Houston in Game 3 of series

August 20, 2016, 3:02pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces Houston in Game 3 of series

With his start pushed back three days due to right shoulder discomfort, the Orioles will be watching right-hander Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.46 ERA) closely when he faces the Houston Astros and right-hander Mike Fiers (8-6, 4.66 ERA) tonight. The O's seem confident that Tillman is fine and have said he could have started on his turn, but they decided to take the time to give him a few extra days. Tonight his challenge is to slow a Houston team that has scored 20 runs on 25 hits and hit six homers...

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Catcher Francisco Pena on rejoining the Orioles

August 20, 2016, 1:17pm

Orioles

Catcher Francisco Pena found out after Triple-A Norfolk's game last night at Durham that he was headed back to the majors, although it could be for just a day or two this time. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters went on paternity leave today and could miss as few as one or as many as three games, although two seems most likely. So the 26-year-old Pena, son of Yankees first base coach Tony Pena, is back with Baltimore. "I'm excited to be here," Pena said this afternoon. "This is a group of guys...

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Orioles must regroup after discouraging loss to Houston

August 19, 2016, 10:03pm

Orioles

A night after the Orioles produced an impressive win, scoring 13 runs and hitting six homers, they gave up a season-high 15 runs and lost big to Houston. At least the Orioles can say they have outscored the Astros 21-20 in this series. They've hit 11 home runs in two games with one win to show for it. Last night they became the first team since 1900 to homer four times before making one out, according to STATS, LLC. They became the first team this year to have produced four homers in two...

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Wade Miley after O's loss: "I flat-out stunk"

August 19, 2016, 7:18pm

Orioles

Wade Miley after O's loss: "I flat-out stunk"

After hearing Wade Miley's postgame interview tonight, it might be harder to judge whether he took a worse pounding on the field tonight or through the one he gave himself. Miley certainly had a terrible outing tonight. But no one can say he was not accountable for that bad outing. He was certainly not looking for any positives or silver linings in the clubhouse after he gave up six hits and six runs over 1 2/3 innings. Staked to a 5-1 lead when the Orioles hit four homers before making an out...

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O's hit four homers before making an out, but yield 15 runs in loss

August 19, 2016, 6:10pm

Orioles

O's hit four homers before making an out, but yield 15 runs in loss

In the first inning tonight, the Orioles hit four homers before making an out. That was historic. But the lead generated by that barrage didn't last long and the Orioles lost amidst a barrage of Astros runs. The Astros battered O's pitchers for 18 hits and Jose Altuve drove in five as Houston beat the Orioles 15-8 at Camden Yards. The Orioles fall to 67-54 but remain 1 1/2 games behind first-place Blue Jays. Toronto gave up two in the last of the ninth tonight to fall 3-2 at Cleveland. The...

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O's game blog: Wade Miley looks for first O's win as Orioles host Houston

August 19, 2016, 2:17pm

Orioles

When they got swept in a three-game series at Houston in late May, the Orioles scored seven runs in three games with three homers among 24 hits and with a major league record 52 strikeouts for a three-game series. Last night was very different. They beat Houston 13-5, going 18-for-40 with five strikeouts and six home runs. The club had a season-high nine extra-base hits and tied the season high for runs. The six homers marked the sixth time this season that Baltimore has hit at least five home...

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Manny Machado on the close race in the AL East

August 19, 2016, 1:07pm

Orioles

Manny Machado on the close race in the AL East

For the Orioles, they have now played 74 percent of the 2016 regular season with 26 percent remaining. They've played 120 games with 42 to go. For the last three days, they have not been in first place. But for 111 of the season's 138 days, they have been either tied for first or alone atop the American League East standings. In the only close three-team race in baseball, the Orioles and Boston Red Sox are both 67-53 and 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays at 69-52. The...

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A few notes and quotes on series-opening win over Houston

August 18, 2016, 9:11pm

Orioles

A few notes and quotes on series-opening win over Houston

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy did not want to say the Orioles needed it, but they pretty much did. They came off back-to-back losses to Boston where they scored four runs in two games and had dropped into third place. Since the All-Star break, the O's offense ranked near the bottom or at the bottom of the league in several categories. A night of big offense was needed and they got it against Houston. It came against the same team that when they played at Houston in May, the Orioles set a major...

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Orioles talk about their breakout night on offense

August 18, 2016, 7:05pm

Orioles

For an Orioles team averaging 3.5 runs per game since the All-Star break, with two or fewer runs in six of the last 11 games, tonight was a big breakout. They hit six homers and beat Houston 13-5. The 13 runs ties a season high and the 18 hits is one off their season best. How badly needed was it? "I don't want to say need," shortstop J.J. Hardy said after a two-homer game. "It was definitely nice. We had not been swinging all that great. To bust out like that tonight, hopefully it keeps...

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Birdland Power Company: O's bash six homers in rout of Houston

August 18, 2016, 5:48pm

Orioles

Birdland Power Company: O's bash six homers in rout of Houston

After scoring just four runs in two losses against Boston, the Orioles topped that tonight in two innings against Houston. For an offense that had scored the fewest runs in the league since the All-Star break, it was a needed breakout game. Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy each hit a pair of home runs, as the Orioles crushed Houston 13-5. The Orioles are 67-53 and tie Boston for second place with both teams 1 1/2 games back of first-place...

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O's game blog: Kevin Gausman starts series opener with Houston

August 18, 2016, 2:57pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman starts series opener with Houston

The Orioles' outstanding home record has taken a hit recently. Heading into tonight's game with Houston, they have lost three in a row and five of their last seven at Camden Yards. But overall, the club's 39-19 home record still produces a .672 winning percentage. And the Orioles still have won eight of their last 13 and 22 of the last 31 at Oriole Park. Tonight, the Orioles (66-53) begin a four-game series against Houston (61-59). The Astros have lost four in a row, scoring 11 runs, and are...

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Looking at the O's challenge of facing a rookie pitcher with a strong resume

August 18, 2016, 1:17pm

Orioles

Looking at the O's challenge of facing a rookie pitcher with a strong resume

An Orioles team that is last in the American League in runs scored since the All-Star break faces a different challenge tonight. The last two nights, they saw Boston starting pitchers they are very familiar with in Eduardo Rodriguez and David Price. But tonight, they will see 23-year-old Houston right-hander Joe Musgrove for the first time. He will be a nobody to many fans, but not to those in the sport. Called up from Triple-A on Aug. 1, Musgrove is 1-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three major league...

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As O's offense continues to struggle, the team is 19-22 since July 1

August 17, 2016, 9:59pm

Orioles

As O's offense continues to struggle, the team is 19-22 since July 1

The Orioles had a two-game lead atop the American League East at the All-Star break. But after losing two straight at home to Boston, they find themselves two games behind first and in third place for the first time all season. The Orioles have lost three of four and six of nine games. They are 8-13 the last 21 games and they are 15-17 in the second half. It's a long season and the team is going to go through ups and downs. But some fans are worried that the team is fading and they have a...

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Bundy on his ankle and outing, Davis on his homer and the series

August 17, 2016, 7:35pm

Orioles

Bundy on his ankle and outing, Davis on his homer and the series

In sizing up his previous starts compared to Wednesday night's outing against Boston, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy said what happened tonight was easy to explain. "They hit everything," he said. "I guess. I don't know. I threw some good pitches and they still hit 'em. Just one of those nights, I guess. Just have to learn from it and get better from here. Those guys came out hacking and they hit the ball well." Bundy gave up career highs with nine hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings...

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Boston wins rain-shortened game, sweeps two-game series

August 17, 2016, 6:39pm

Orioles

Boston wins rain-shortened game, sweeps two-game series

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy was eventually going to have a rough night. It happened tonight against the highest-scoring team in the majors. Bundy allowed career highs with nine hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings as Boston beat the Orioles 8-1 at Camden Yards. The game was shortened to six innings, called after a rain delay of 1 hour, 17 minutes. The Red Sox sweep the two-game series as the Orioles fall into third place, two games back of Toronto and one back of Boston in the American...

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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces David Price at Camden Yards

August 17, 2016, 3:00pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces David Price at Camden Yards

After making starts this season opposite Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi, Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, Colorado's Jon Gray, Texas' Yu Darvish, Chicago's James Shields and San Francisco's Matt Cain, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93 ERA) tonight faces 2012 AL Cy Young Winner David Price (10-8, 4.29 ERA) of the Boston Red Sox. Bundy is 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA in his six starts and the Orioles are 4-2 in those games, winning the last three. Over 32 2/3 innings in those games, Bundy has allowed...

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Hyun Soo Kim talks about making a rare start against a left-hander

August 17, 2016, 1:22pm

Orioles

Hyun Soo Kim talks about making a rare start against a left-hander

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said starting Hyun Soo Kim in left field against Boston lefty David Price was his best option for this evening's lineup. Kim has had few chances against left-handers this year, but is 0-for-14 with three walks and two strikeouts. Tonight, he'll make his second start of the year with a lefty facing the Orioles. He started against Mariners lefty Wade LeBlanc on July 1 at Safeco Field, going 0-for-3. "This is just another game," Kim said through interpreter Danny...

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Mookie Betts has not hit the rest of the AL East like he has O's pitchers

August 16, 2016, 9:50pm

Orioles

Mookie Betts has not hit the rest of the AL East like he has O's pitchers

When it comes to Boston outfielder Mookie Betts and his play this year against the American League East, he has been mediocre against three teams but sensational against one. Bet you can guess which one. Or is that Betts you can guess? Betts is crushing Oriole pitching, but batting a collective .223 combined against Toronto, Tampa Bay and New York. In 11 games on the season against the Orioles, Betts is batting .426 (20-for-47) with three doubles, eight homers and 17 RBIs. He has a .471 OBP, a...