orioles

Cliff notes

June 10, 2012, 8:18am

Orioles

Cliff Lee can relax. Josh Bell is not in the Orioles' lineup today. The last time Lee pitched against the Orioles, here with Texas on August 21, 2010, he got ripped for eight runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3. Bell hit two homers to right-center, driving in five runs off him. Ty Wigginton, his current teammate, and Luke Scott also homered off him that day. Today Lee can get his revenge when he faces Jason Hammel here in the series finale at Camden Yards. In his career against the Orioles, Lee is...

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Orioles and Phillies lineups

June 10, 2012, 7:56am

Orioles

Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter today, with Ronny Paulino settling behind the plate. Paulino is batting fifth for the 18th time in his major league career. He's 2-for-5 lifetime against Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters DH Ronny Paulino C Mark Reynolds 1B Steve Pearce LF Steve Tolleson 3B Endy Chavez RF Jason Hammel RHP For the Phillies: Jimmy Rollins SS Juan Pierre LF Hunter Pence RF Jim...

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Wieters on Roberts' possible return to the Orioles

June 10, 2012, 7:24am

Orioles

Today is the last game of the series between the Orioles and Phillies, but it is also possibly the last game the Orioles will have to play without Brian Roberts. His injury rehab assignment ends Monday, and it's possible Roberts could be in the Orioles' lineup here Tuesday for the first time since last May 16. If Roberts is back Tuesday, catcher Matt Wieters said it could provide a big lift to this team in several ways. "It's big," Wieters said. "One, to have a veteran guy in the...

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Hardly a win without Hardy

June 10, 2012, 5:54am

Orioles

If you check the box score from yesterday, you'll find that shortstop J.J. Hardy walked in six plate appearances and scored a run in the Orioles' 6-4, 12-inning victory over the Phillies. Here's what you won't find: A defensive play that made it possible for the Orioles to even this series. I mentioned it yesterday, but I want to revisit it this morning while waiting for both teams to post their lineups and for manager Buck Showalter to meet with reporters in the home dugout, which should...

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Showalter speaks after walk-off win

June 09, 2012, 4:08pm

Orioles

Adam Jones stepped to the plate with Chris Davis on first base and nobody out in the bottom of the 12th. The score was tied. For many people, the situation screamed for a bunt, unless a manager chooses to cover his ears. Jones got the green light and hit his second career walk-off home run to give the Orioles a 6-4 victory at sold-out Camden Yards. "Obviously, you think about bunting, but I like Adam in that situation," Showalter said after his club improved to 8-2 in extra innings....

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Adam Jones' late-game stats and Hunter on Saturday's start

June 09, 2012, 7:24pm

Orioles

Adam Jones' late-game stats and Hunter on Saturday's start

Adam Jones entered Saturday's game with just three hits in his last 24 at-bats and with just one RBI over his last eight games. He was also in a season-long, 14-at-bat hitless stretch that reached 18 at-bats when he finally got a base hit with a single in the last of the ninth. Three innings later, Jones did better than that. He hit the second walk-off homer of his career, a two-run shot, to give the Orioles a 6-4, 12-inning win over the Phillies. Jones also hit a walk-off shot on May 24,...

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After putting together a few hits in Boston, Flaherty is back in the lineup tonight

June 08, 2012, 1:03pm

Orioles

After putting together a few hits in Boston, Flaherty is back in the lineup tonight

From Rule 5 pick to the starting lineup. For the third game in a row, Ryan Flaherty is in the Orioles' starting lineup. He'll bat eighth and start in right field tonight after patrolling left in front of the Green Monster the past two nights. While Flaherty is batting just .183 in 29 games and 60 at-bats on the season, he came up with three hits in six at-bats over the last three games in Fenway Park and put together some nice at-bats in that series. Before the Orioles selected him in last...

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From Pirates to Yankees to Orioles, Steve Pearce starts over in Baltimore

June 08, 2012, 1:40pm

Orioles

Steve Pearce was drafted in round eighth by Pittsburgh in 2005 and that was the only organization he knew between the 2005 and 2011 seasons. But he moved this year to the Yankees organization and was batting .321 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBIS and a .996 OPS in 52 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when some things changed last weekend. He could have opted out of his contract a week ago today and did, fully prepared to find a job with another team. But then the Orioles acquired...

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Playing catch-up tonight, can O's get to Blanton? (Bundy tonight)

June 08, 2012, 4:03pm

Orioles

Playing catch-up tonight, can O's get to Blanton? (Bundy tonight)

If ever there were a game where the Orioles could get behind by seven runs and still have hope, this might be it tonight. That is, if Jake Arrieta can start putting up some zeroes after giving up seven runs in the first two innings. It would be hard to imagine many pitchers coming into a start against the Orioles struggling as much as Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton. On the year, he is 4-6 with a 5.27 ERA, but over his past four starts he is 0-3 with an ERA of 10.98. Before that, he was 4-2...

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Arrieta's struggles continue as Phillies top Orioles

June 08, 2012, 5:40pm

Orioles

For struggling Orioles starter Jake Arrieta, it went from bad to worse tonight, as he got an early exit against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 9-6 loss to start the weekend series at Camden Yards. It is almost hard to remember that Arrieta looked so great on opening day in Baltimore, pitching seven shutout innings against Minnesota, or that he had an ERA of 2.66 over his first three starts. Tonight, he got the first two hitters out before three straight Philly singles made it a 1-0 game. Then...

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Arrieta: "I'm just kind of lost right now"

June 08, 2012, 7:06pm

Orioles

Arrieta: "I'm just kind of lost right now"

Orioles pitcher Jake Arrieta has exuded confidence from the first day that he stepped inside a major league clubhouse in spring training. Not anymore. Arrieta was despondent after tonight's 9-6 loss to the Phillies, reaching a low we haven't seen from him. "It's pretty difficult," he said. "Just frustration seems to continue to build and just having a hard time getting out of it. It's wearing on me a little bit. Searching for answers and not being able to find them is tough." The...

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Jake Arrieta talks about moving to the bullpen

June 09, 2012, 11:05am

Orioles

Jake Arrieta talks about moving to the bullpen

After he met with manager Buck Showalter and was told he was staying in the big leagues for now but being moved to the bullpen, Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta told reporters he was embracing the move. Was he surprised to get that news? "Not really," Arrieta said a few minutes ago in the Orioles clubhouse. "Being in a situation like going to the 'pen right now will do a lot of things for me. One, it's going to allow me to get some of the thoughts and emotions out of my head. When I...

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Jones talks about his walk-off homer that beat Philly

June 09, 2012, 4:27pm

Orioles

Jones talks about his walk-off homer that beat Philly

Adam Jones hit a game-winning homer in the last of the 12th today as the Orioles beat the Phillies and won another extra-inning game. The Orioles are now 8-2 on the year in extras with eight wins in a row, which ties the team record for most consecutive extra-inning wins. The 1997 and 2010 teams also won eight in a row. "I think we just enjoy playing longer than nine innings," Jones said. "We enjoy the overtime. I don't know man, think we have played the most innings by any team. If we...

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Arrieta to pitch out of the bullpen (quotes added)

June 09, 2012, 10:21am

Orioles

Arrieta to pitch out of the bullpen (quotes added)

The Orioles had a few reasons for optioning Miguel Gonzalez to Triple-A Norfolk today and keeping Jake Arrieta on the 25-man roster. They wanted Gonzalez to return to Norfolk's rotation and build up innings so he can be considered for starting assignments with the Orioles. It sounds like they have every intention of bringing him back at some point this summer, perhaps not that far down the road. Also, they don't have an immediate need for an extra starter because of Monday's off-day. Other...

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Homers hurting Hunter again (Jones with the walk-off!)

June 09, 2012, 1:22pm

Orioles

Homers hurting Hunter again (Jones with the walk-off!)

Tommy Hunter has served up three more home runs today, raising his total to 16 in 63 innings this season. Hunter keeps getting the ball up, and bad things keep happening. Hector Luna crushed one in the fifth to tie the game, 3-3, after Jimmy Rollins crushed one in the third and Jim Thome slugged his first of the season leading off the fourth. Showing that the glass can be half full, I'll point out that all three homers are solo shots and we're tied, 3-3. So, you know, it could be a lot...

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Jones with a two-run walk-off homer as O's top Philly in 12

June 09, 2012, 3:30pm

Orioles

Jones with a two-run walk-off homer as O's top Philly in 12

Adam Jones entered his at-bat in the bottom of the ninth today in an 0-for-18 drought. He broke that with a two-out single. Jones topped that in the last of the 12th today when he hit a two-run homer to end the game as the Orioles beat the Phillies, 6-4, in 12 frames. The Orioles are now 8-2 in extra-inning games with eight consecutive wins in extras. Jones hit an 0-1 pitch from righty B.J. Rosenberg out of the Yard after Chris Davis drew a leadoff walk. It is his second career walk-off...

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A couple mid-game notes

June 09, 2012, 1:19pm

Orioles

By getting an out in the fifth inning today, Tommy Hunter has lasted longer than O's starters have the past two games when Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta combined to give up 13 earned runs over six total innings. Hunter is, at least, throwing many fewer pitches than that pair. Matusz needed 67 in two-plus innings on Thursday, and Arrieta threw 83 in four innings last night. Hunter today needed just 19 pitches to get through the first two innings and 26 more for the next two frames, for 45...

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Hunter bending but not breaking (O's trail 2-1)

June 09, 2012, 12:33pm

Orioles

Hunter bending but not breaking (O's trail 2-1)

Three of the first five Phillies singled off Tommy Hunter today, but he's turned in two scoreless innings in his first start with the Orioles since May 28. Jim Thome grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the first after Juan Pierre and Hunter Pence singled with out one. Shane Victorino singled leading off the second, but former Oriole Ty Wigginton grounded into a force, former Orioles' first-round draft pick Mike Fontenot flied out and Hector Luna struck out. Wigginton almost hit into a...

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A look at Arrieta, the rotation recently & Wieters

June 09, 2012, 5:29am

Orioles

A look at Arrieta, the rotation recently & Wieters

Checking in some Orioles topics after the Birds lost Game 1 of a weekend series with the Phillies, 9-6, last night. Arrieta's struggles: It is hard to believe the pitcher I saw pitch seven shutout innings on opening day in Baltimore in April was the same guy on the same mound last night. But he was, and Jake Arrieta has struggled badly since beginning the year with a 2.66 ERA in his first three starts. Then, he looked like a young pitcher starting to blossom and finally realizing his...

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Orioles and Phillies lineup (Gonzalez optioned)

June 09, 2012, 8:31am

Orioles

Nick Johnson is starting at first base today, as the Orioles try to even the series with the Phillies following last night's loss. We still haven't been told which player is being optioned to make room for Tommy Hunter. Jake Arrieta is here and seems to be in a much better mood than last night. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez LF J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Nick Johnson 1B Wilson Betemit 3B Ryan Flaherty RF Robert Andino 2B Tommy Hunter RHP For the...