masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have won three straight series openers and 12 of their last 14. They’re 29-17 in series openers, including a 16-7 record at home.
Keep that in mind when you’re deciding which games to attend the rest of the month.
The Orioles added September speed by trading for Alejandro De Aza and selecting Quintin Berry’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk.
“It’s just another tool that can offset something,” said manager Buck Showalter.
“I’m proud of the percentage at which we’ve stolen at,…

The Orioles have won three straight series openers and 12 of their last 14. They’re 29-17 in series openers, including a 16-7 record at home.

Keep that in mind when you’re deciding which games to attend the rest of the month.

The Orioles added September speed by trading for Alejandro De Aza and selecting Quintin Berry’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk.

“It’s just another tool that can offset something,” said manager Buck Showalter.

“I’m proud of the percentage at which we’ve stolen at, but it’s something … it’s a tool that can help us, so we have added some foot speed. It’s a tool that we aren’t in an abundance of.

“What do they say? Speed doesn’t go in a slump unless you’re hurt. It’s like effort should never go in a slump. You’re always looking for things like that.”

Showalter reminded reporters that you can’t steal first base. Then he added this nugget:

“Ty Cobb stole first base one time. One guy stole first and they made it illegal the next day. One of his stolen bases is a steal of first base. So you can’t do it anymore, but you used to.”

OK, someone please look it up for me. I need to know exactly how this happened.

The Orioles have one player in their system who grades an eight in speed, the highest on the scale – Dominican outfielder Daniel Franco, 19, signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2013.

Franco batted .208 and stole 15 bases in 19 attempts over 44 games this season in the Gulf Coast League. He was 21-for-35 in stolen base attempts last season in the Dominican Summer League.

Pretty raw.

The Reds’ Billy Hamilton grades an eight, which really tests a pitcher’s time to home plate and ability to hold runners. He set the Reds single-season stolen base record for a rookie last night with his 55th.

“On the draft boards in June, we do a whole column of all the eight runners in the country that are draft-eligible,” Showalter said. “You’d be shocked at how few there are and how quickly they fall off the board. If he can chew gum and ride a bike and he’s an eight runner, he’s got a chance.”

Berry and Jones were teammates at Morse High School in San Diego and remain close friends. Any chance they play the outfield together this month?

“Don’t put any pressure on me to do that? What have we got?” Showalter quipped.

“If he can help us win, we’ll do that. If he can’t, you won’t see that. This has nothing to do with him being … that might be a detriment. I’m just kidding.

“Him being here, he came to help us win a game. One of the reasons, we brought him here in the offseason is we’ve seen it work against us from the other side. It tilts the field now and again, plus he’s a good defender and he’s been around a lot of winning baseball.”

Showalter wishes that Major League Baseball would implement a new rule where teams may expand their rosters in September, but only use 25 players per series. Swap out guys before the next series, but keep the active roster at 25.

“But also, everybody that gets called up gets service time,” Showalter said. “That’s a big part of it.”

Before last night, reliever Darren O’Day hadn’t allowed three earned runs in a game since July 16, 2012 in Minnesota.

The Orioles have won eight of Bud Norris’ 11 home starts this season.

Caleb Joseph’s 25 RBIs are third-most in franchise history by rookie catcher. Matt Wieters is second with 43 in 2009 and Hal Smith is first with 52 in 1955.

Joseph broke a tie with Dave Skaggs, who had 24 in 1977 as Rick Dempsey’s backup.

The Orioles are 16-1 when Joseph has an RBI and 11-1 when Jonathan Schoop homers.

Are you more surprised that Steve Pearce has 16 home runs or Jonathan Schoop has 13 (two on May 26, if you’re wondering about the math)?

The Padres designated former Orioles left-hander Troy Patton for assignment.

Patton appeared in only eight games and allowed two runs over 7 1/3 innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts. The Orioles probably would have settled for those numbers.

The Orioles traded Patton to the Padres on May 24 for catcher Nick Hundley and cash. Over the winter, they acquired reliever Brad Brach from the Padres for minor league pitcher Devin Jones, who went 4-3 with a 7.23 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts) for Double-A San Antonio.

I wonder whether San Diego’s new general manager, A.J. Preller, will take Dan Duquette’s calls.

I’m guessing that the Padres wanted to move Hundley’s salary, so maybe they’re satisfied with the deal.

As soon as Patton’s DFA was announced yesterday, fans tweeted me asking whether the Orioles might bring him back. I’d be shocked.

steve-clevenger_mask.pngCatcher Steve Clevenger earned serious points in the organization for his effort while catching at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. It was a brief assignment while the Orioles adjusted their roster – they recalled him yesterday – and he went into it with the proper attitude.

“I was really impressed with Clevenger (on Monday),” Showalter said. “He went down to Aberdeen, caught well. I was reading a report on him. Brought a lot of energy. What a great example he was. He and Mac (T.J. McFarland) both. I was really proud of that. They went over there and got after it, and helped them win a game.”

Miguel Gonzalez makes his first career start tonight against the Reds. He’s 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four interleague starts.

Jack Hannahan is 1-for-3 with a home run against Gonzalez.

I’m guessing that Kelly Johnson makes his first start for the Orioles tonight. He’s 3-for-8 with two home runs against Cincinnati right-hander Dylan Axelrod.

David Lough is 2-for-2 with a double.

Axelrod has made one career start against the Orioles, allowing one run and three hits in 7 1/3 innings at Camden Yards. He’s making his third start of the season tonight.

Left-handers are 1-for-14 with six strikeouts against Axelrod this season.

Showalter already has issues with interleague play, though he accepts it as long as the fans want it. Now he’s faced with a 2015 schedule that includes games in a National League ballpark during the final month of the regular season. Pitchers batting, no designated hitter.

Apparently, those games will be played later than this series against the Reds at Camden Yards.

“All the polls and everything that goes on, they talk about how the fans like it and it enhances their love of the game and the competition, so we do it and we should do it if that’s the deciding factor,” Showalter said.

“Hard to imagine that somebody gets up in the morning and decides they want to see Kevin Gausman hit. That’s why they’re going over a National League game in September. I don’t think that’s the deciding factor.”

The Orioles haven’t released next year’s schedule, but I’ve heard they’re going to have a New York series similar to their week in Chicago. Three games against the Mets, three against the Yankees and an off day in between.

Show of hands if this appeals to you. Mine’s raised.

I’m pretty sure that the Orioles will play an exhibition game in Jupiter next spring. Haven’t done that for a while.

If only we could reduce the three trips to Dunedin.

Of all the mental snapshots that I’ll carry with me from the 2014 season, none will be more cherished than the single red rose in a vase that Reds PR director Rob Butcher left in the Camden Yards press box last night.

He placed it above Monica Barlow’s plaque.