O's game blog: Wei-Yin Chen looks for his 10th win against Tampa Bay

O's game blog: Wei-Yin Chen looks for his 10th win against Tampa Bay
After coming from three runs behind late in the game Thursday night to win, the Orioles let an early three-run lead get away last night and lost. Tonight, they play the third game of their four-game series at Tampa Bay. On the mound, it's left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (9-7, 3.44 ERA) making his 29th start of the season and facing right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (10-5, 3.75 ERA). Both have faced their opponent tonight several times in 2015. In five starts versus the Rays, Chen is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA. In...
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One win for the championship: Bowie hosts Reading in Game 5

One win for the championship: Bowie hosts Reading in Game 5
In the 2015 Eastern League playoffs, it seems you can get the Double-A Bowie Baysox down, but not out. In the first game of Bowie's EL semifinal series with Altoona, the Baysox blew a 7-0 lead and lost 8-7. They then won the next three games by a combined score of 21-3 to reach the EL Championship Series. They then again lost the series opener 3-1 before winning Game 2, 10-3. But Reading won Game 3 big by a 9-3 score and Bowie faced a must-win situation last night. The Baysox won a 9-1 blowout...
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David Hess pitches Bowie past Reading in must-win game, sets up Game 5 on Saturday

David Hess pitches Bowie past Reading in must-win game, sets up Game 5 on Saturday
BOWIE, Md - In a must-win game tonight, Orioles 22-year-old pitching prospect David Hess came up very big for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He kept their season alive and put them on the brink of a championship. Continuing his very strong second half, Hess allowed just three hits and one run over seven innings as Bowie beat Reading 9-1 to force a fifth and deciding game Saturday night at 6:05 p.m in the Eastern League Championship Series. Bowie and Reading have split the first four games and will...
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O's game blog: Orioles look for their eighth win in 10 games against Tampa Bay

O's game blog: Orioles look for their eighth win in 10 games against Tampa Bay
The Orioles tonight play the second game of a four-game series against Tampa Bay and it is the second contest of a 10-game road trip to Tampa Bay, Washington and Boston. The Orioles (72-74) have won four of five and seven of their last nine games after Thursday's comeback 4-3 win at Tropicana Field. They are 30-45 on the road, 33-30 versus the AL East, 9-7 against the Rays and 61-19 when they score four runs or more as they did last night. Tampa Bay (70-76) has lost five of its last six games...
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David Hess takes the mound in must-win game for Bowie (Baysox lead 4-1)

David Hess takes the mound in must-win game for Bowie (Baysox lead 4-1)
BOWIE, Md. - As the Double-A Bowie Baysox face a must-win situation tonight against the Reading Fightin Phils, they turn to a 22-year-old right-hander that had an ERA of 5.83 at Single-A Frederick in June. After last night's loss, Bowie trails Reading 2-1 in the best-of-five Eastern League Championship Series. The Baysox need to win tonight and tomorrow to claim their first league championship. Before you think tonight's starter could be overmatched against a prospect-laden Reading team, keep...
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A look at Trey Mancini winning Eastern League batting title (plus O's notes)

A look at Trey Mancini winning Eastern League batting title (plus O's notes)
When the Double-A Eastern League regular season ended, it appeared that Altoona's Adam Frazier, who hit .324, would win the league's batting title. Bowie's Trey Mancini hit .359, but he did not have enough plate appearances to qualify for league leaders, which is 2.7 plate appearances per league games scheduled. But through Rule 9.22(a), formerly Rule 10.22(a), Mancini won the batting title. The rule states in part that: * Any player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances...
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Reading romps to Game 3 win over Bowie in Eastern League Championship Series

Reading romps to Game 3 win over Bowie in Eastern League Championship Series
BOWIE, Md. - The Double-A Bowie Baysox won big Wednesday night but lost big tonight. Now they'll have to win any way they can the next two nights to claim the Eastern League championship. Reading's Fightin Phils hammered Bowie 9-3 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Eastern League Championship Series. Bowie had evened the series with a 10-3 win last night at Reading. Ranked as baseball's No. 43 best prospect at the end of last season by Baseball America, Reading right-hander Jake...
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O's game blog: Chris Tillman on mound in Tampa Bay series opener

O's game blog: Chris Tillman on mound in Tampa Bay series opener
The Orioles begin their last road trip of the season tonight, playing the first of four games against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. It is the opener of a three-city, 10-game trip that also will see the Orioles play at Washington and Boston. The Orioles are 8-7 against Tampa Bay in 2015 and 6-3 at The Trop. They have a team batting average of .211 in the season series, scoring 50 runs in the 15 games with a team ERA of 3.53. The Orioles lost 10-1 to Boston at home last night to snap a three-game...
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Bowie Baysox two wins from Eastern League championship (Reading leads 9-1)

Bowie Baysox two wins from Eastern League championship (Reading leads 9-1)
BOWIE, Md. - So far, the Eastern League Championship Series has mirrored the EL semifinal series for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. And the Baysox would be fine if that trend continued. In their series with Altoona, Bowie lost the opener 8-7 before running off three straight wins to advance. In the ELCS with Reading, Bowie lost the opener on Tuesday night 3-1 and then bounced back with a blowout 10-3 win last night at Reading. Tonight, the series shifts to Prince George's Stadium for the pivotal...
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It's too soon to pass any judgment on Mike Wright

It's too soon to pass any judgment on Mike Wright
There is a saying in baseball that goes like this: You are never as good as you look when you are winning or as bad as you look when you are losing. Maybe that applies right now to Orioles right-hander Mike Wright. He burst on the scene in May with back-to-back scoreless starting outings, but now he looks very, very hittable. It was clear that Wright took his latest loss hard last night. In the clubhouse postgame Wright said: "I felt good all my starts. That is what is really tough. I feel...
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Mike Wright talks about his outing against Boston

Mike Wright talks about his outing against Boston
To say the least, Orioles right-hander Mike Wright was pretty upset about his poor start. He feels good out there physically but is just not getting the results right now. Tonight, he gave up six hits and six runs in three-plus innings as the Orioles lost 10-1 to Boston. Dustin Pedroia hit two homers tonight, the first off Wright plating two runs in the third. It was a pitch that was nowhere near its intended target. "The home run I gave up to Pedroia was a belt-high slider. I could have hit...
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Dustin Pedroia homers twice as Boston avoids sweep, beats Orioles

Dustin Pedroia homers twice as Boston avoids sweep, beats Orioles
For the Orioles, this game did not start well when Boston took a 1-0 lead in the second. And then it got worse. Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer in the third and added a three-run homer in the fourth as the Red Sox crushed the Orioles 10-1 to avoid the three-game sweep. Orioles starter Mike Wright struggled again and gave up six hits and six runs in three innings plus two batters. He allowed two homers to fall to 2-5 with an ERA of 6.33. In three starts since he returned to the active roster...
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O's game blog: Christian Walker on rejoining the O's and a look at tonight's game

O's game blog: Christian Walker on rejoining the O's and a look at tonight's game
The 2014 Orioles minor league Player of the Year is back with the team. First baseman Christian Walker was called up from Triple-A Norfolk after the end of the Tides' season Monday. After a slow start this season with Norfolk - one where he hit .205 in April - Walker had a big second half and felt his season overall was solid. In 138 games, he hit .257 with 33 doubles, 18 homers, 74 RBIs and a .748 OPS. In the second half, Walker hit 13 homers with 44 RBIs, a .515 slugging percentage and an...
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At Camden Yards, Gov. Hogan talks about partnership with O's to fight pediatric cancer

At Camden Yards, Gov. Hogan talks about partnership with O's to fight pediatric cancer
In conjunction with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Orioles announced a new partnership with the office of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Ronald McDonald House Charities in the fight against pediatric cancer. Through this partnership, the Orioles and Hogan together hope to make a meaningful difference in the fight against childhood cancer. Hogan is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment to fight non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he was...
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Jason Garcia on recent success and his future with the O's (plus other notes)

Jason Garcia on recent success and his future with the O's (plus other notes)
Right-hander Jason Garcia has just about made it through his Rule 5 season. Barring a trade, he and the Orioles know that he will be in the organization next year. There will no Rule 5 restrictions on Garcia next season and he could be optioned to the minors then. "I really like it here," Garcia said. "It's a great organization with a great coaching staff. Even down in the minor leagues, we've got a lot of good players and a lot of good coaches. I'm looking forward to the next couple of...
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Chris Davis on game-winning hit, plus Steve Pearce and Ubaldo Jimenez quotes

Chris Davis on game-winning hit, plus Steve Pearce and Ubaldo Jimenez quotes
The Orioles came up with their ninth walk-off win of the year and fourth against an American League East opponent. Chris Davis' single in the 13th provided the 6-5 win for his third walk-off hit. It ended a four-hour, 20-minute game. Davis' winning hit followed a leadoff walk to Gerardo Parra and a single by Manny Machado. Parra got a great read on Machado's hit to center to make third base and set the stage for Davis. "I was just looking for a pitch out over the plate to get through the...
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Walk-off win: Chris Davis' single in the 13th provides victory over Boston

Walk-off win: Chris Davis' single in the 13th provides victory over Boston
Finally, they won it. Chris Davis' RBI single in the last of the 13th gave the Orioles a 6-5 walk-off win over Boston. It was their ninth walk-off win of the 2015 season as Davis drove in his 107th run. Gerardo Parra led off the 13th and drew a five-pitch walk from Jonathan Aro, the eighth Boston pitcher. Manny Machado followed with a single to center, which put runners at the corners with no outs. At that point, Robbie Ross Jr. replaced Aro. Davis lined a 2-1 pitch to right to end the...
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O's game blog: It's Ubaldo Jimenez against Joe Kelly at Camden Yards

O's game blog: It's Ubaldo Jimenez against Joe Kelly at Camden Yards
Winners of five of their last six games after losing 15 of 18, the Orioles host Boston tonight in the second game of a three-game series and fifth game of a six-game homestand. With last night's 2-0 win over the Red Sox, the Orioles improved to 10-4 this year versus Boston and clinched the season series. It is the fourth straight year the Orioles will win a season series against the Red Sox for the first time since they did so from 1964-67. Orioles against Boston: * Went 13-5 in 2012 * Went...
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Pitcher Tyler Wilson talks about rejoining the Orioles

Pitcher Tyler Wilson talks about rejoining the Orioles
Last night, they were playing Game 5 in an International League playoff series at Columbus, but tonight pitchers Tyler Wilson and Oliver Drake, first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Junior Lake are all with the Orioles. They were called up to the team after Triple-A Norfolk's loss to Columbus on Monday night, which ended the Tides' season. "It feels great to be back," Wilson said. "This is obviously where every minor leaguer wants to finish out their season is up here helping out...
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Mike Yastrzemski on 2015 season and Bowie's pursuit of Eastern League championship

Mike Yastrzemski on 2015 season and Bowie's pursuit of Eastern League championship
When the Double-A Bowie Baysox play at Reading tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship Series, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski will look for a repeat of the playoff series with Altoona. It was one that was quite good for him and his team. The grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemki, the younger Yaz went 7-for-14 with two doubles, a triple, two homers and five RBIs as Bowie beat Altoona three wins to one. It was the first ever playoff series victory for the Baysox. For Yastrzemski,...
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