orioles

Leading off with Roberts item

May 14, 2011, 11:22am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If second baseman Brian Roberts is going to bust out of his slump, he'll do it from atop the order. No big surprise here. Roberts is the club's leadoff hitter and there aren't many options if manager Buck Showalter wants to lower him. J.J. Hardy would be the likely replacement. Felix Pie has speed, but he doesn't play every day and he doesn't steal bases. It's a moot point. Showalter has dropped Mark Reynolds to ninth and he's willing to make other changes, but...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles brian roberts kevin gregg

Big day for the battery

May 14, 2011, 5:59am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles and Rays have a 4:10 p.m. start today, which means staying in bed a little longer and getting out of the ballpark a little earlier. It's a win-win situation. I'm a huge fan of the late-afternoon games. Wish there were more of them on the schedule. I won't suggest that jobs will be kept or lost based on today's outcome, but Brad Bergesen needs to steer away from the rocks and Jake Fox needs to guide him. Another crash won't do them any favors. Matt...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles3 brad bergesen jake fox

Guthrie: No run support, no excuses

May 13, 2011, 6:26pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have scored in one of their last 23 innings. Naturally, it didn't happen tonight with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound. You should have it all memorized by now. The Orioles haven't scored in five of Guthrie's last seven starts while he's been in the game. They've totaled six runs in his last seven starts while he's been on the mound. It's nothing personal. It's nothing they can control. It just keeps happening. Jeremy Guthrie talks about his complete...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles jeremy guthrie

Jones talks about Hellickson and Guthrie

May 13, 2011, 6:14pm

Orioles

Jones talks about Hellickson and Guthrie

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones described Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as "a little different." It was the result that looked familiar. Another pitcher flattened the Orioles' bats. Hellickson went the distance tonight, shutting out the Orioles on four hits, walking one and striking out three. Adam Jones talks about the difficulties the O's had hitting Jeremy Hellickson "He threw everything - first-pitch strikes, curveball, changeup," Jones said. "He just...

Comments

Tags:

orioles jeremy guthrie

Showalter: "We've got to figure it out"

May 13, 2011, 6:05pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles won last night despite being shut out for the first 11 innings and falling behind by a run in the 12th. They didn't score through nine innings tonight and weren't nearly as fortunate. "We've got to figure it out. Just because we're facing good pitching...that's why they call it the major leagues. You've got to figure it out," said manager Buck Showalter. Gary Thorne asks Buck Showalter about the O's tough 3-0 loss to the Rays Jeremy Guthrie turned...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles1 jeremy guthrie

The game within the game (updated)

May 13, 2011, 5:00pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter ordered an intentional walk to Rays left fielder Matt Joyce with first base open and two outs in the sixth inning. Another left-handed hitter, Casey Kotchman, stood on deck, but Showalter didn't want the Guthrie-Joyce matchup in that situation. Here's why it made sense: Joyce homered and singled tonight, making him 8-for-20 lifetime against Jeremy Guthrie. Joyce also led the American League in batting before tonight with a .358...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles jeremy guthrie

Pregame Showalter

May 13, 2011, 2:19pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter said his bullpen is in "pretty good shape, all things considered." Unfortunately, he still had to use it last night despite getting nine scoreless innings from rookie Zach Britton. "I've got a couple guys I'll stay away from tonight if I can," Showalter said. One of them is closer Kevin Gregg, who's been used in the last three games. "Kevin's reminded us that he's pitched nine out of 10 days (in the past)," Showalter said. "Somebody...

Comments

Tags:

frontstory_orioles1 kevin gregg orioles derrek lee felix pie

Matusz ready for rehab start

May 13, 2011, 12:53pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brian Matusz said he felt "real good" during today's bullpen session, and he's looking forward to Monday's injury rehab start at Single-A Frederick. Matusz threw three innings Wednesday in an extended spring training game before joining the Orioles today at Tropicana Field and throwing on the side for bullpen coach Rick Adair. He'll fly to Baltimore on Sunday and pitch the following night for the Keys. "I felt really good. I felt loose and I was hitting my...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontstory_orioles1 brian roberts

Matusz completes bullpen session

May 13, 2011, 11:04am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz threw his bullpen session earlier this afternoon at Tropicana Field after driving over from the minor league complex in Sarasota. Matusz threw 38 pitches, with bullpen coach Rick Adair keeping a close watch. Adair is serving as pitching coach again tonight while Mark Connor attends his son's graduation from the University of Tennessee law school. Manager Buck Showalter came onto the field to watch the last half of Matusz's...

Comments

Tags:

orioles brian matusz

Trop of the morning to you

May 12, 2011, 5:54pm

Orioles

I must say, 4:45 a.m. arrived pretty early this morning. That makes sense, right? Why am I up at 4:45 a.m.? Because I have a 7:45 a.m. Southwest flight to Tampa that's not going to wait for me, unless the pilot is a big fan of the blog. (I know there's an "upright and locked position" joke in there, but we'll leave it alone.) I'm covering the three-game series at Tropicana Field. Jeremy Guthrie vs. Jeremy Hellickson tonight (all Jeremy's get in for half-price), Brad Bergesen vs....

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles2 jake fox

Showalter speaks after 2-1, 12-inning win

May 12, 2011, 6:47pm

Orioles

Showalter speaks after 2-1, 12-inning win

Just another night at the office. The game officially ended with one out in the 12th inning when pinch-runner Jake Fox followed Derrek Lee across the plate on J.J. Hardy's single into center field. Showalter toyed with the idea of using pitcher Jeremy Guthrie as a pinch-runner for Vladimir Guerrero at second base, which might not have brought the desired result after Mariners shortstop Luis Rodriguez made a diving stop with the bases loaded to rob Matt Wieters. "We had a running bet...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3 j.j. hardy zach britton

Quick trivia question (with answer & final update)

May 12, 2011, 5:15pm

Orioles

Quick trivia question (with answer & final update)

Name the last Orioles pitcher to throw nine scoreless innings and get a no-decision. I'll trust you not to look up the answer. And no, you can't say Zach Britton. I mean before him. Kevin Gregg walked the leadoff hitter in the top of the 10th. That's never good. The Mariners didn't get a runner to second base until the 10th, but Mike Wilson bounced into a double play to bail out Gregg. Answer: Mike Morgan on April 16, 1988. Here's another one for you: Name the last major league...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles

Britton through, yes, nine innings (updated twice)

May 12, 2011, 4:51pm

Orioles

Britton through, yes, nine innings (updated twice)

Zach Britton has completed eight innings, and the Mariners are stuck on three hits and no walks. No runs, either. Britton has struck out four, and he's the first Orioles starter to finish eight innings since Jeremy Guthrie on opening day. Unfortunately, the Orioles haven't scored for him tonight. Britton has thrown 98 pitches, including 69 for strikes. He needed only eight pitches to complete the eighth, getting a fly ball, line drive and grounder up the middle that Brian Roberts...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles zach britton

Roberts' early hitting already pays off

May 12, 2011, 3:20pm

Orioles

Brian Roberts singled into center field leading off the bottom of the first inning. And you wanted him benched tonight! Roberts snapped an 0-for-26 slump. He hadn't collected a hit since May 4 in Kansas City. Roberts is 3-for-37 this month, so he still has some catching up to do. And speaking of catching... A male fan caught two fouls balls from Chone Figgins during the same at-bat in the first inning. It pays to bring your glove. The fan was standing behind the last row of seats in...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles brian roberts

Just the facts

May 12, 2011, 12:34pm

Orioles

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz will likely make two injury rehab starts before the Orioles consider activating him from the disabled list. Matusz is scheduled to throw a bullpen session tomorrow afternoon at Tropicana Field, fly back to Baltimore and start Monday night at Single-A Frederick. He will probably join Triple-A Norfolk and start the May 21 game against Louisville at Harbor Park. Manager Buck Showalter said the only way Matusz could be activated after one minor league game is if...

Comments

Tags:

orioles brian matusz

Jones and Tillman: That's what they said

May 11, 2011, 6:53pm

Orioles

Jones and Tillman: That's what they said

Adam Jones downplayed the idea that he's trying to prove something to the Mariners, the team that brought him into the majors and traded him to the Orioles. "I don't care about playing the Mariners anymore," he said. "The only thing that's cool is to still see Ichiro and some of the boys, my friends that get called up like Mike Wilson, some of the guys I played with. Besides that, they're another team now." It meant more to Jones that he had three hits off Felix Hernandez. "It's...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3 adam jones chris tillman

Showalter speaks after 4-2 win

May 11, 2011, 6:37pm

Orioles

Tonight's attendance: 11,561 Manager Buck Showalter needed Chris Tillman to go deep into tonight's game, and the right-hander completed six innings for the third time in seven starts. Tillman was removed after 112 pitches and improved to 2-3 with a 6.15 ERA. "What did he have, three walks and a hit by pitch? It's just things a young pitcher has to figure out to get deeper in games," Showalter said. "To be honest with all of us, you probably would have signed up in blood for that number...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles chris tillman

Mr. Jones and me

May 11, 2011, 5:06pm

Orioles

Adam Jones is a man on a mission. Prove to the Mariners that they never should have traded him. Jones is 6-for-9 with five RBIs in the first two games of this series. He's singled twice and delivered a two-run triple tonight, helping the Orioles to a 4-1 lead. Luke Scott broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with a single off Felix Hernandez that scored Derrek Lee, who singled with two outs to start the rally. Hernandez hit Guerrero to bring Scott to the plate, and the left fielder responded...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontstory_orioles1 adam jones

Andino on the hot corner (updated)

May 11, 2011, 3:25pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter gave Robert Andino the start at third base over Jake Fox, his two backup options with starter Mark Reynolds taking a seat on the bench. Andino figures to provide better defense, though his only six career starts at third before tonight came during the 2010 season. Overall, Andino had appeared in nine games at third before tonight and didn't commit an error in 11 chances over 58 innings. It figures that the ball found Andino twice in the first inning tonight,...