Interesting lineup for the Orioles tonight.
Bill Hall is starting in left field and Steve Tolleson is starting at third base. Mark Reynolds is out of the lineup again despite the Rays sending left-hander Matt Moore to the mound.
Could Reynolds be headed to the disabled list?
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters DH
Wilson Betemit 1B
Bill Hall LF
Steve Tolleson 3B
Luis Exposito C
Brian Matusz LHP
I wrote yesterday that Miguel Tejada collected his first hit since reporting to extended spring training. He started at third base after serving as the designated hitter in his first game and starting at shortstop in another game.
I received the following text scouting report on Tejada yesterday:
"He's rusty with the bat/timing. Needs to get in baseball shape (at-bats, balls off bat at short/third). Only had one play at short yesterday. One at third today. Time will tell."
So there you...
The Josh Bell trade has been completed.
The Orioles announced today that they acquired minor league left-hander Mike Belfiore from the Arizona Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the Bell trade. Belfiore has been assigned to Double-A Bowie.
Belfiore, 23, was a sandwich pick, the 45th overall, in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. He allowed five earned runs in 19 innings (2.37 ERA) for Single-A Visalia this season, with one save, five walks and 28 strikeouts.
Update: Now that I'm...
The Orioles today announced that they have acquired minor league left-hander Mike Belfiore from the Arizona Diamondbacks and assigned him to Double-A Bowie to complete the trade that saw infielder Josh Bell go to Arizona.
Belfiore, 23, was a first round sandwich selection (45th overall) in the 2009 First Year Player Draft. He pitched to a 2.37 ERA (19.0IP, 5ER), recording one save, striking out 28 and walking five for Class-A Visalia this season.
With last night's comeback win, the Orioles moved into sole possession of first place in the American League East at 21-12. They are now 13-5 over the last 18 games and that includes the series where they lost three of four to Texas.
The Orioles have 17 hits the last three games and eight of them are homers.
They are bashing homers at quite a pace. They began Friday's games leading the majors with 50 homers, leading by one over the New York Yankees and by two over Texas. They remain atop...
It pays to stay up late.
Infielder Bill Hall just sent the following tweet:
"Got the word a lil while ago. Just got called up to #Orioles. See u guys at #CamdenYards 2morrow night."
At this hour, I can't possibly confirm the corresponding roster move, but the Orioles apparently will add a fourth player to their bench.
One possibility is the Orioles designate left-hander Dana Eveland for assignment, since he's out of minor league options. They must believe that Jason Hammel will avoid...
Manager Buck Showalter enjoyed talking about Nick Johnson for a change without having to dissect a hitless streak or explain why he kept putting the veteran in his lineup.
It was all good tonight, with Johnson singling, walking, stealing a base and hitting a decisive two-run homer in the Orioles' 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
"Nick had a lot of good at-bats tonight, the type he's capable of putting together that we saw in the spring," Showalter said. "I think you can tell what everybody in...
Considering how hard Tampa Bay's Sean Rodriguez hit Matt Wieters while trying to score in the fourth inning tonight, it's amazing that the Orioles' catcher escaped with nothing more serious than cuts in his mouth and on his ear.
Rodriguez was trying to score on a single to right field after Matt Joyce already had crossed the plate. Nick Markakis threw to Robert Andino, who fired the ball home for the out.
"You take a look, and you saw that they're both tagging," Wieters said. "With...
Any Barry Manilow fans out there?
OK, anyway...
Left-hander Dana Eveland said he didn't think much of his performance tonight.
"I was very fortunate to have awesome defense behind me today," he said. "It was one of the worst games I have had all year. I've been throwing the ball pretty well down there. I haven't been walking people. Just did not have command today. Could not find my off-speed pitches. Fastball wasn't really there. I had to grind through it. Fortunately for me, those...
If you're looking for unlikely heroes tonight, cast your gaze in Nick Johnson's direction.
Johnson began the night batting .122 with no home runs and five RBIs. He's been booed by the Camden Yards crowd. Readers of this blog question why he's still on the team, the memory of his 0-for-28 start burned into their brains.
For one night, at least, he's the most popular guy in the building.
Johnson drilled a two-run homer off Tampa Bay reliever Joel Peralta in the bottom of the seventh...
Nick Johnson picked a great time for his first homer as an Oriole.
Johnson, who began tonight batting .122, hit a two-run shot in the last of the seventh to give the O's the 4-3 lead and a 4-3 win tonight over Tampa Bay. Johnson took a pitch from Joel Peralta out to right field to bring the Camden Yards crowd of 26,669 to its feet.
The Orioles began tonight leading the major leagues in home runs with 50, and they added three important ones tonight to edge Tampa Bay in Game 1 of a series...
Dana Eveland is littering the bases and running up his pitch count, so he's not likely to stick around for the late innings of tonight's game.
Eveland has allowed three runs and four hits, walked five (one intentional), struck out two and hit two batters in four innings. He's thrown 71 pitches, only 37 for strikes.
Eveland retired the side in order in the first, but it's been a massive struggle otherwise.
The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the second and settled for one run on...
Dana Eveland is making his Orioles debut tonight in the series opener between the O's and Tampa Bay.
The Orioles are Eveland's seventh major league team since he was drafted in the 16th round of the 2002 draft by Milwaukee. Last September, Eveland went 3-2 with an ERA of 3.03 with the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending most of the 2011 season at Triple-A.
Tonight, he will making his 60th career major league start but his first ever on three days' rest. He last started on Monday for...
While we wait for the Orioles to announce their 25-man and 40-man roster moves, here's a statement from pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada regarding today's ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, which was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles:
"The procedure went as planned and Dr. Yocum felt good about how it went. He predicts a full recovery. I'm glad to have this over with and look forward to beginning my rehabilitation so I can get back to pitching for the Orioles as soon as...
After four seasons playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Luke Scott returns tonight to play against the Orioles at Camden Yards. He will bat fourth as the Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter.
He was a fan favorite when he played here and often heard the "Luke" chant when he came to bat. Maybe he will hear some of that here tonight.
"I have just tremendous memories from here that I cherish. I am very thankful for them. Just appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to play here.
"I had a...
The Orioles created room on the 25-man roster for tonight's starter, left-hander Dana Eveland, by placing reliever Matt Lindstrom on the 15-day disabled list with a right middle finger injury.
Lindstrom, 32, has posted a 1.29 ERA in 13 games, allowing two earned runs in 14 innings. Both runs scored last night. Three unearned runs also have scored while he's pitched.
Lindstrom, acquired from the Rockies along with Jason Hammel in the Jeremy Guthrie trade, has walked four and struck out 14....
If the Orioles are thinking about putting pitcher Jason Hammel on the disabled list as a way to open a roster spot for tonight's starter Dana Eveland, it sounds like Hammel doesn't think that move would be necessary.
Hammel did not make his scheduled start last night because of a sore right knee, but said today he is optimistic that he can start either Monday or Tuesday against New York.
"Definitely. I am. Unfortunately it's not always up to me, but I feel pretty good about it. I got some...
The Orioles will wait to announce how they created room for starter Dana Eveland on the 25-man roster until team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens arrives at the ballpark around 5 p.m.
The feeling here is Tommy Hunter could be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk if Jason Hammel is cleared to start on Monday. Otherwise, manager Buck Showalter will have to tweak his rotation again.
On the other hand, the Orioles could option Hunter if Hammel unexpectedly can't make the start, knowing Hunter can be...
Think about the core group of players that helped the Orioles to four World Series between 1966-71, and you'll likely focus on the powerful bats and slick fielders that made the offense/defense combination of winning baseball in Baltimore - names like Andy Etchebarren, Boog Powell, Davey Johnson, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Paul Blair.
However, there were Orioles pitchers who appeared in the 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971 Fall Classics, too. Left-hander Dave McNally and right-hander Jim...
For years, they competed in the American League East. They competed for fourth place with the loser gaining the right to finish in the AL East cellar.
But in an attempt to turn the AL East standings upside down, the Orioles host Tampa Bay this weekend at Camden Yards with first place on the line. The clubs are tied for the division lead with identical 20-12 records heading into an important three-game series.
In a so far reversal of many years of fortunes, New York is in fourth place and...



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