VandenHurk loses lead again, more on winning streak

VandenHurk loses lead again, more on winning streak
The Orioles did some two-out damage in the top of the first inning, stringing together three straight singles by Nick Markakis, Vladimir Guerrero and Chris Davis to take a 1-0 lead. It didn't last long. Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give Toronto a 2-1 lead. Rick VandenHurk got ahead of Bautista 1-2 but couldn't put him away. And the former Oriole put the ball in the second deck for his 41st homer. He's also got 96 RBIs. VandenHurk is getting ahead of...

Nice recovery by Chris Davis, VandenHurk is done

Nice recovery by Chris Davis, VandenHurk is done
It was only a few days ago that Chris Davis went 0-for-6 with five strikeouts in New York, stranding seven runners in the process. He came within one strikeout of tying Sam Horn's single-game franchise record. Davis didn't let it get him down. He's 2-for-2 today, including a double in the top of the third inning that scored Vladimir Guerrero from first base and tied the game at 3-3. Davis is 5-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs since Wednesday's embarrassment in the Bronx. He was...

Season winding down, Machado reflects on his first full year in pro ball

Season winding down, Machado reflects on his first full year in pro ball
As his first full season as a pro ballplayer winds down, Manny Machado feels pretty good about how it has gone. He began the year as an 18-year-old in the South Atlantic League. Now, five months later, he'll end it as a 19-year-old in the Carolina League. In between, the Orioles' 2010 first-round pick got off to a blazing hot start at the plate, dealt with a knee injury, played in an All-Star game and learned how to handle struggling at the bat for the first time in his life. In the...

It's refreshing to see some speed on the Orioles right now

It's refreshing to see some speed on the Orioles right now
In baseball, they say speed doesn't go into a slump, and it's good to see the Orioles using some speed today and in recent games with callups like Matt Angle and Kyle Hudson. Hudson dropped a beautiful bunt toward third base and made second on a throwing error in the second inning this afternoon. Pedro Florimon was called out when he followed with another bunt. The Orioles have 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts in September, their third-best month this season for steals. They stole 15 bases in...

Ex-Oriole Jesse Jefferson dead at 62

Ex-Oriole Jesse Jefferson dead at 62
Former Orioles pitcher Jesse Jefferson has died of prostate cancer. He was 62, and lived in his hometown of Midlothian, Va. The O's made Jefferson a fourth-round pick in the 1968 amateur draft and the right-hander reached the majors in 1973. He spend three of his nine big league seasons in Baltimore, going 7-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 42 games, 17 as a starter. When he started, he usually finished, recording 12 complete games in orange and black from 1973-75. Jefferson was traded to the Chicago...

Guthrie good but unrewarded (O's win 2-0)

Guthrie good but unrewarded (O's win 2-0)
This is why I can't give a firm answer on whether Jeremy Guthrie will lose 20 games this season. Guthrie has shut out the Blue Jays through four innings tonight. That screams quality start and victory. Except Toronto left-hander Brett Cecil has shut out the Orioles through five innings. And so it goes ... Guthrie can bring his 'A' game and still lose. The last time we saw Guthrie, he was body-slamming a water cooler in the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field. He didn't yell or wear a...

Guthrie pitches a gem as O's take series opener at Toronto

Guthrie pitches a gem as O's take series opener at Toronto
Reversing a recent stretch where he had not pitched that well, Jeremy Guthrie shut down the Toronto Blue Jays tonight in the Orioles 2-0 win at Rogers Centre in game one of the three-game weekend series. Guthrie had given up seven runs in his last start against Tampa Bay and worked to an ERA of 5.50 in his last six starts. But tonight, he pitched seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball with three walks and five strikeouts. He threw 104 pitches and is now 7-17 with an ERA of 4.29. When he...

Stats and notes as O's and Jays begin a weekend series

Stats and notes as O's and Jays begin a weekend series
Here are a couple of notes as the Orioles and Blue Jays begin a weekend series tonight. * The Orioles went 3-15 against Toronto last year and this season are 5-10. The Orioles have lost 30 of the last 42 games between the teams. * It's been a mixed bag in recent games for Orioles' pitching. The bullpen has put together three straight games without allowing a run. That is 13 1/3 scoreless giving up just four hits with three walks and 17 strikeouts. The Orioles rotation has not recorded a...

Guthrie's musical "intervention"

Guthrie's musical "intervention"
Check out this pretty funny video with Jeremy Guthrie and the guys at that MLB Fan Cave in New York. Guthrie is known to be a fan of Justin Bieber and boy bands and the guys in New York wanted to discuss that with him. Click here for that.

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups
Ryan Adams gets the start at second base tonight for the series-opener in Toronto. Robert Andino is starting at third base, and Chris Davis gets the night off. Well, at least the beginning of it. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 3B J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 1B Nolan Reimold LF Ryan Adams 2B Jeremy Guthrie RHP For the Blue Jays: Escobar SS Thames LF Bautista RF Encarnacion DH Lind 1B Lawrie 3B Johnson 2B Arencibia C...

Robert Andino on his walk-off hit and the win over New York

Robert Andino on his walk-off hit and the win over New York
For the second day in a row, the Orioles enjoyed an extra-inning win against the Yankees, winning today 5-4 in the 10th on Robert Andino's RBI single. "It is always good to have a walk-off game, especially against the Yankees," Andino said. "We battled the whole game and pitching kept us in it. To walk them off like that, everybody wants to beat the Yankees." Tom Davis and Dave Johnson catch up with Robert Andino to discuss his game-winning hit in the O's 5-4 win Andino came to bat...

James Baker: As fall slowly starts to arrive ...

James Baker: As fall slowly starts to arrive ...
As the rain continues to fall here in Charm City, it is hard to believe that the season is coming to an end. Some would say a merciful one. With the Ravens about to kick off the NFL season against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, the Orioles are about to be, once again, relegated to second-team status here in our fair community. And they deserve to be. Getting two come-from-behind, extra-inning wins from the Yankees is great, watching Nick Markakis lay out Francisco Cervelli is awesome, but...

Rick Zagone takes the mound tonight for Frederick in Game 2

Rick Zagone takes the mound tonight for Frederick in Game 2
In Game 2 of the Carolina League playoffs tonight in Frederick, lefty Rick Zagone will take the mound trying to pitch the Keys to a 2-0 edge in the best-of-five series with Potomac. Zagone, the Orioles' sixth-round pick in 2008, spent a lot of this season with Double-A Bowie, going 4-6 with a 4.84 ERA over 19 games and 16 starts. He went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in seven starts for Single-A Frederick. The Nationals' starter tonight is lefty Sammy Solis, Washington's second-round pick in 2010....

Blake Davis clears waivers (O's walk-off win)

Blake Davis clears waivers (O's walk-off win)
Infielder Blake Davis cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Once again, an Orioles player is ignored by the rest of baseball. What gives? Davis came off the 40-man roster on Tuesday when the Orioles purchased the contracts of relievers Clay Rapada and Jeremy Accardo. Meanwhile, we've got free baseball today at Camden Yards, where the announced attendance is 33,841. That's tickets sold. The Orioles' bullpen hasn't allowed a run, hit or walk in five innings. The...

Andino's RBI single gives the Orioles a walk-off win in the 10th

Andino's RBI single gives the Orioles a walk-off win in the 10th
On a day when their starter struggled and they fell behind early, the Orioles still got to celebrate a walk-off win over the Yankees. Robert Andino, whose RBI single tied the game 4-4 in the eighth, won it with an RBI single down the third-base line with one out in the 10th for the 5-4 victory. His hit scored Nolan Reimold, who reached on an infield single and moved to second on a walk to Chris Davis. The Orioles trailed 4-1 after three innings but battled back to tie with single runs in the...

Markakis lowers shoulder and raises collision bar (game tied)

Markakis lowers shoulder and raises collision bar (game tied)
There won't be a single Ravens player who delivers a hit on Sunday like the one Nick Markakis laid on Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli at home plate. Ray Lewis would be proud. Markakis tried to score from first base with one out in the seventh inning on Vladimir Guerrero's double into right-center field. He never broke stride. He almost broke Cervelli's nose. Markakis lowered his shoulder into Cervelli's face in a violent collision. Cervelli held onto the ball and all of his body parts,...

Guerrero continues to own Nova (O's down 4-3)

Guerrero continues to own Nova (O's down 4-3)
Vladimir Guerrero's presence in the cleanup spot is a major irritant to fans here, but the matchup clearly favored him today. Guerrero has two more hits off Yankees starter Ivan Nova, including his 12th home run and a leadoff double in the fourth inning that led to another run. Yankees 4, Orioles 2. Guerrero is 6-for-8 with two homers lifetime against Nova. He just missed clearing the fence in right-center field in the fourth and settled for a double after slowing up as he rounded first...

Evaluating Chris Davis at bat

Evaluating Chris Davis at bat
The Orioles were hoping to have a better picture of what Chris Davis could do by this point, but his right shoulder injury and recent trip to the disabled list slowed their evaluation process. "No, I haven't seen enough of him yet," hitting coach Jim Presley said this morning of his evaluation of Davis as a hitter. "Injuries happen. Nothing we can do about it. Being around him, he's a great kid and he wants to get after it. These next two or three weeks will be a big indication....

Simon and Andino with inning to forget

Simon and Andino with inning to forget
Alfredo Simon retired the side in order in the top of the first inning on a pop up, fly ball and strikeout, but the first four Yankees reached base against him in the second. He also issued a two-out walk and gave up a two-run single to Derek Jeter. Vladimir Guerrero led off the bottom of the second with his 12th home run. He's 5-for-7 with 2 homers against Ivan Nova. Yankees 3, Orioles 1. Simon has faced 11 Yankees and we're only in the bottom of the second. He's thrown 47 pitches, 24...

VandenHurk will start Saturday (Yankees lineup)

VandenHurk will start Saturday (Yankees lineup)
Orioles manager Buck Showalter has chosen Rick VandenHurk to start Saturday's game in Toronto. Showalter also considered left-handers Jo-Jo Reyes and Brian Matusz, but he's going with VandenHurk, who has allowed one run and two hits, with three walks and two strikeouts, in two relief appearances covering 3 2/3 innings. VandenHurk went 9-13 with a 4.43 ERA in 26 starts at Triple-A Norfolk, with 40 walks and 108 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings. He allowed one earned run or fewer in each of his...