Two days after receiving a cortisone injection in his ailing shoulder, Luke Scott returned to left field and rediscovered his power stroke.
Scott homered onto Eutaw St. for the sixth time in his career, the most in Camden Yards history, to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. The ball traveled an estimated 418 feet.
Scott hadn't hit a home run since May 3 in Kansas City. He sat out the past two games after receiving the injection, and with the opposition starting...
J.J. Hardy didn't have an official at-bat as a leadoff hitter in the majors until tonight. On the second pitch thrown to him, Hardy homered to left field to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
It wasn't supposed to work out that way, but manager Buck Showalter will take it.
Baseball-reference lists Hardy as appearing in the leadoff spot in one game, but not having an at-bat. Hardy can't remember the circumstances. Maybe he was part of a double-switch.
Hardy jumped on an 0-1 pitch tonight from...
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts won't be cleared to begin baseball-related activities for at least two more weeks after being reexamined today by Dr. Michael Collins, a concussion specialist based in Pittsburgh.
Roberts reported that he's feeling a little better, and he could begin light activities, such as cardiovascular exercises, during this two-week period.
"I wouldn't call it bad news," manager Buck Showalter said. "We knew the process and precautions that we have."
Roberts...
In the 17th round of the First-Year Player Draft, the Orioles selected right-hander Nick Carmichael of Palomar (Calif.) College.
In the 18th round, they took third baseman Bradley Roney of Wetumpka (Ala.) High. And in the 19th round, they selected Central Arkansas left-hander Dustin Ward.
Yes, eighth-round pick Johnny Ruettiger, a center fielder from Arizona State, is the nephew of Daniel Ruettiger, the walk-on Notre Dame football player whose story inspired the movie "Rudy."
I've been...
Justin Duchscherer left today's extended spring training game in the third inning with a sore hip, yet another setback that reduces that chances that he'll pitch for the Orioles this season.
Duchscherer went four innings in his last outing and was supposed to go five today, but he didn't make it. The Orioles would have considered sending him on an injury rehab assignment if he had completed his start.
Duchscherer is being paid $700,000 this year, and he would earned an extra $400,000 for...
Later today, my focus will return to the First-Year Player Draft, as the Orioles make another batch of selections and announce names you've never heard. Before that happens, I wanted to share some postgame quotes from last night.
It's apparent that left-hander Brian Matusz isn't back to his old form, the one that enabled him to go 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last eights starts of 2010, but his winning streak reached a career-high seven games last night.
He must be doing something...
The Orioles arranged a late conference call with first-round pick Dylan Bundy, who talked about watching the First-Year Player Draft with another Oklahoma high school pitcher, Archie Bradley, chosen by the Diamondbacks with the seventh selection.
"Me and Archie were both sitting there in that huge ballroom with a bunch of our friends and family and saw the fourth pick flash over, and we had a pretty good idea it might be one of us, but we weren't sure," Bundy said. "And then my name got...
On the same night that the Orioles selected Dylan Bundy with the fourth-overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft, brother Bobby took the mound for Single-A Frederick and held the Potomac Nationals to one run over seven innings.
Bundy allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out six. He also lowered his ERA to 2.73.
The Orioles used to collect Brittons. Now it's Bundys.
Everybody needs a hobby.
First baseman Tyler Townsend hit his 10th home run for the Keys.
Outstanding job by the...
The Orioles lead the Athletics 4-2 as we head to the bottom of the fifth.
It hasn't been an easy night for left-hander Brian Matusz. Though he shut out Oakland in the first three innings, he allowed two singles in the first, a leadoff walk in the second and two singles in the third. Adam Jones cut down Conor Jackson trying to stretch a single into a double in the first.
Kurt Suzuki led off the fourth with a walk, and Adam Rosales hit his first home run with one out. But Matusz retired the...
It's a rarity in baseball, but the games tonight become almost secondary.
The first round of the First-Year Player Draft begins at 7 p.m., which clashes with first-pitch in tonight's series opener between the Orioles and Athletics at Camden Yards.
It's another night of "firsts."
The first four picks are a moving target, as manager Buck Showalter likes to say.
The Pirates are expected to take UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole at No. 1. The Mariners will take Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon...
The Orioles fell to 7-13 in series finales, including 4-7 at home.
Jeremy Guthrie failed to pitch into the sixth inning for the third time this season.
"Jeremy wasn't carrying normal stuff and it was kind of a struggle for him most every inning," manager Buck Showalter said. "He was kind of wild in the strike zone and paid the price, but there's still a game there to be won. We had some opportunities. We're ball four away from getting the tying run to the plate there. Obviously, it was...
I couldn't help but notice that Luke Scott didn't pinch-hit in the ninth inning against right-hander Jon Rauch. Felix Pie and Matt Wieters came off the bench, but Robert Andino was allowed to face Rauch with two outs and Wieters on second.
Andino struck out looking to end the game on a pitch that missed the strike zone, and he screamed at plate Kerwin Danley on his way back to the dugout, stopping three times to vent.
Turns out, Scott wasn't available today after receiving a cortisone...
Jeremy Guthrie is done after five disappointing innings. He hadn't allowed an earned run in two of his last three starts, but the Jays totaled six runs and nine hits.
Guthrie walked three, struck out three and served up two home runs. He threw 87 pitches, 56 for strikes.
Alfredo Simon has replaced Guthrie, which most likely means that Chris Jakubauskas will start Tuesday night against the Oakland Athletics at Camden Yards.
Manager Buck Showalter said he'd wait until after the game to...
Comedian Jay Mohr tweeted that Jeremy Guthrie needed to use Van Halen's "Unchained" as his entrance music and the right-hander would win his next three starts.
Guthrie warmed up to the song today and got two quick outs in the first inning. Unfortunately, the next three batters reached, with Aaron Hill's single giving Toronto a 1-0 lead.
Guthrie threw 22 pitches in the inning, the vast majority coming after he retired Yunel Escobar and Corey Patterson on fly balls to center field.
Jones...
Tonight's attendance: 20,086
It never fails. The Orioles are victorious after a tough loss or a stretch of bad outings, and manager Buck Showalter is asked whether it was an important game.
The Orioles followed last night's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays by rallying for a 5-3 win tonight.
"I got the same question last game in Seattle, and they're very pertinent questions," Showalter said. "Season over if you lose? Is the season going to be a success if you win? You can't dwell too much,...
Robert Andino is making another start at second base, which keeps Ryan Adams glued to the bench
Adams has made three starts since the Orioles purchased his contract, and he's 2-for-12 after batting .303 with Triple-A Norfolk. Andino is the leadoff hitter when Felix Pie isn't in the lineup, and Showalter is going with the better defensive player at second.
Showalter is hoping that Adams is learning a thing or two from the dugout.
"As much as you tell him, it's kind of up to him just a...
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will be reevaluated on Tuesday by Dr. Michael Collins, a Pittsburgh-based specialist in sports-related concussions.
Roberts hasn't played since diving into first base during a May 16 game in Boston. Collins examined him for the first time on May 24 and recommended that Roberts be shut down for two weeks.
Roberts had complained of dizziness and other symptoms that he related to motion sickness.
Justin Duchscherer, who still hasn't pitched for the Orioles...
First baseman Derrek Lee will be activated from the disabled list today, start at first base and bat fifth against Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero.
Left-handed reliever Pedro Viola will be optioned to make room for Lee, who went 2-for-3 with a walk last night at Double-A Bowie. Viola pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his only appearance after being recalled from Bowie.
Also, Adam Jones will bat third tonight.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF...
I'll be posting the lineup within the next 30 minutes, unless manager Buck Showalter is waiting for a health update on a specific player.
It would seem to be an opportune time to sit Luke Scott, who's 2-for-21 and hasn't homered since May 3 in Kansas City. The Blue Jays are starting a left-hander, Ricky Romero, and Scott is 1-for-12 with three strikeouts lifetime against him. That one hit, however, is a home run.
Jake Fox isn't here to serve as a right-handed hitting first baseman. Mark...
Derrek Lee went 2-for-3 with a walk last night at Double-A Bowie, proving that you don't have to be a prototypical leadoff hitter to bat first.
Manager Buck Showalter and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail have discussed whether Lee is ready to come off the disabled list. We'll get confirmation later today.
You can believe that Showalter wants him in tonight's lineup.
Does Lee slip back into the third spot in the order once he's activated? That's the assumption. And does...



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