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Texas manager Ron Washington on his team's first loss and Zach Britton

April 09, 2011, 3:32pm

Orioles

Texas manager Ron Washington on his team's first loss and Zach Britton

After his team suffered its first loss of the 2011 season after a 6-0 start, Texas manager Ron Washington said the O's just outplayed his squad in their 5-0 win in game one of a doubleheader. "We just got beat today," Washington said. "I wouldn't say we lost, I'd say they beat us. You lose it if you are out there throwing balls all around, but they beat us. "They got a big three-run bomb. Markakis got them on the board in the beginning and that young kid (Zach Britton), he made the...

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Britton now 2-0 as O's blank Texas to go to 6-1

April 09, 2011, 2:59pm

Orioles

Britton now 2-0 as O's blank Texas to go to 6-1

Zach Britton's second major league start was even better than his first. After allowing one run against Tampa in a victorious debut, today Britton did not allow a run as the Orioles beat Texas 5-0 in game one of the twin bill at the Yard. Britton did not allow a hit through 4 1/3 and pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings vs. the Rangers. He gave up four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He is now 2-0 with an ERA of 0.66. He has given up just one run through 13 2/3 frames. Britton threw 103...

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Britton doing this against a very good hitting linuep

April 09, 2011, 2:24pm

Orioles

Britton doing this against a very good hitting linuep

It's one thing to pitch well against any major league team, but Zach Britton is having a great outing vs. a very good hitting and unbeaten Texas team. The Rangers entered today with 42 runs scored in six games, a major-league leading slugging percentage of .603, a team batting average of .284 and team OPS of .957. Not chopped liver. He is doing this aginst a Texas team that entered today having not even trailed in a game since the second inning last Saturday vs. Boston. He has now pitched...

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Reynolds rapped one

April 09, 2011, 1:15pm

Orioles

Third baseman Mark Reynolds continues to get big hits in the early going for the Orioles. His key two-run double Thursday night provided the O's with a three-run lead. Today, he blasted a second inning, three-run homer to provide Zach Britton with an early 4-0 cushion vs. unbeaten Texas. Reynolds' first O's homer traveled 422 feet to left. He is known for hitting some tape-measure shots. His last homer came August 31st for the Diamondbacks versus San Diego. Reynolds now ties Brian Roberts...

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When the ninth inning comes, Gregg wants the ball

April 09, 2011, 12:00pm

Orioles

When the ninth inning comes, Gregg wants the ball

At this point, it may be a somewhat safe assumption that Kevin Gregg is the O's closer. He has the club's only save this year. Manager Buck Showalter doesn't seem to want to publicly anoint anyone for that role and he has a few options for the ninth inning. Gregg said that is fine with him. "We pitch when we are told to pitch. Buck and Mark (Connor) make the decision as to when we come into the games. Pretty simple," Gregg said. The right-hander saved 37 of 43 games for Toronto last...

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Jakubauskas gets activated, awaits his first O's appearance

April 09, 2011, 10:55am

Orioles

Jakubauskas gets activated, awaits his first O's appearance

Chris Jakubauskas is back in the major leagues. This time he wants to stick around longer than 12 pitches. Jakubauskas was officially recalled today by the Birds as Brad Bergesen was sent back to Triple-A. He will possibly be the starting pitcher tomorrow, but that plan could get foiled if the O's need to use him in either of the two games here today. "All I've been told is (I'm the) emergency arm for tonight and tomorrow will be handled later tonight, probably after the game I'll find...

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Koji's amazing streak

April 08, 2011, 9:24pm

Orioles

Fred Lewis is the answer to a trivia question. That question: Who is the last batter to draw a walk vs. Orioles' reliever Koji Uehara? It was in a 4-2 Toronto win over the Birds last July 16th at Camden Yards. Ricky Romero got the win and Kevin Gregg, now with the O's, picked up his 21st save. In the top of the 9th of that game, Lewis walked versus Koji. The O's pitcher has now fanned 46 batters since that last walk over 35 appearances. That is the most consecutive strikeouts without a...

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Another day, another issue for the Orioles

April 08, 2011, 5:13pm

Orioles

It's almost as if the baseball gods don't want O's fans to be able to enjoy the good start to this season. Win some games and then watch Jeremy Guthrie deal with a form of pneumonia. See a great comeback win over Detroit. Send Brian Roberts to the hospital with stomach pain. J.J Hardy, he came up with tightness in his side, an issue he's never had before. Watch two pitchers get hit by line drives. This is getting crazy at this point. Hopefully the issues with Roberts and Hardy will be...

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Texas provides good early test for improved O's

April 08, 2011, 1:07pm

Orioles

Texas provides good early test for improved O's

As we continue to learn more about the Orioles with each game this season, maybe we all will get a real education on the club this weekend. Some fans have said the Rays' poor start took some of the luster off the O's three-game sweep there. But in beating Tampa, they did knock off the defending American League East champs. In taking two of three, they won a series against a well-regarded Detroit club. But beating a 6-0 Texas team, the defending AL champs, would be rather impressive.The...

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Will Britton need Plan B tonight?

April 08, 2011, 12:43pm

Orioles

It may not be a good sign when Zach Britton gets more outs through the air than the ground. That happened during his major league debut against Tampa, but he still pitched well and won the game. On Sunday versus the Rays, Britton got five outs on the ground and six in the air. Britton said Sunday was a day he didn't have either good command or good movement on the sinker - the one pitch he is known for and the one pitch that helped get him to the majors. So he had to go another route in...

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Some O's minor league video

April 08, 2011, 9:01am

Orioles

It was opening day in minor league baseball on Thursday and three of the O's four full-season affiliates were on the field while Single-A Frederick plays its opener tonight. Charlotte beat Norfolk 4-3 in a game where Nolan Reimold homered and Tyler Henson went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in his Triple-A debut. Double-A Bowie lost 5-0 at Harrisburg and struck out 15 times in being shutout. Single-A Delmarva used a big hit by last year's first-round pick, Manny Machado, to win its...

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Britton talks about a minor league coach that helped him get to Baltimore

April 07, 2011, 10:24pm

Orioles

Britton talks about a minor league coach that helped him get to Baltimore

As Zach Britton made his way up through the Orioles' minor league system and started to make real progress as a pitcher, there always seemed to be one guy there to help him. Britton worked with several pitching coaches on the O's farm that helped him along the way, but the person that was there for most of it was current Bowie Baysox pitching coach Kennie Steenstra. As Britton moved from Delmarva in 2008 to Frederick in 2009 and began last year at Double-A Bowie, Steenstra moved as well....

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The O's excitement builds (plus Machado note)

April 07, 2011, 8:08pm

Orioles

The O's excitement builds (plus Machado note)

Nothing like a comeback win over a good team to add to the excitement around Baltimore with this Orioles start. This was probably the best win of the year, as the Birds came back three different times to beat the Tigers, 9-5. At 5-1, they lead the American League East by a game over Toronto and New York as the team with the best record in the AL, Texas at 6-0, now heads to town. Let's not bubble over with too much enthusiasm, but Friday's game features the teams with the two best records in...

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Is the middle of the order heating up?

April 07, 2011, 3:58pm

Orioles

After they combined for three hits and three RBI last night, both Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero hit the ball pretty hard off Brad Penny in their first at-bats tonight. Lee, who hit a two-run homer last night, lined out to short to end the first and Vlad led off the last of the second with a bomb to center. It's his first homer as an Oriole, traveling 395 feet on the first pitch. It's Guerrero's 437th career homer, that is fourth best among active big leaguers. He hit 29 last...

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B-Rob on the 4-1 start: "There is a different feel in the city right now."

April 07, 2011, 1:12pm

Orioles

B-Rob on the 4-1 start: "There is a different feel in the city right now."

He's been in the major leagues since 2001, but Brian Roberts is still waiting for his first winning season and first crack to play in really important games late in the year. Just like the fans, he wonders if this good Orioles start will turn into an ever better one and if this is the year the O's move up in the standings. "I think we believe we can (keep winning), but only time will tell for sure. It's one of those things where you honestly really only want to take this one game at a...

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Guthrie remains hopeful of starting Sunday

April 07, 2011, 12:32pm

Orioles

Guthrie remains hopeful of starting Sunday

O's pitcher Jeremy Guthrie is still hoping to pitch Sunday against Texas and he was back at the ballpark today. "I feel good," Guthrie said. "Just a little bit tired, but I don't feel any of the symptoms I felt when I went into the hospital - the achiness, headache and stomach ache. "I prepared mentally to pitch on Sunday since the day I went into the hospital. Had conversations with a few people about Texas. Even when I was sick, getting IVed up, I was thinking about Texas." He will...

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After no-hit outing, Tillman gets another turn (updated)

April 07, 2011, 4:49am

Orioles

After no-hit outing, Tillman gets another turn (updated)

When watching Chris Tillman pitch on Saturday against Tampa in his first 2011 start, it seemed to me that Tillman was not throwing with the velocity he once had shown. Tillman's first-inning fastball at times was in the high 80s and there didn't seem to be too many mid-90s heaters during that game. The right-hander said if anyone wondered if he were pitching with less velocity now than he did at times at Triple-A, that might just be true. "It might be, but I am more working on commanding...

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Checking in on some stats after the first loss of the season

April 06, 2011, 9:51pm

Orioles

Checking in on some stats after the first loss of the season

The Orioles missed out on their chance for the second 5-0 start in team history with last night's 7-3 loss to Detroit. The Birds fall to 4-1 and are tied for first in the American League East with Toronto. Here are more stats from the game and season so far: Batting notes: The O's have scored just 20 runs in five games with a team batting average of .217. They have had six hits or less three times. Player hitting notes: Vlad Guerrero had his first two-hit game as an Oriole and his two...

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Well, the middle of the order knocked in some runs

April 06, 2011, 5:14pm

Orioles

Well, the middle of the order knocked in some runs

I guess it's still about the pitching. After a 4-0 start, some were wondering when Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero would drive in some runs. Tonight, they have combined for three RBI, but the Orioles trail Detroit 6-3 in the seventh. Lee hit his first O's homer, an impressive two-run shot over the right field scoreboard on the first pitch from Justin Verlander in the fourth. Through three, the Tigers' right hander was looking like he had no-hit stuff. He retired the first nine batters on just...

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Updating Jesse Beal, Ryan Berry and Parker Bridwell

April 06, 2011, 1:45pm

Orioles

Updating Jesse Beal, Ryan Berry and Parker Bridwell

Orioles minor league pitcher Jesse Beal, who was slated to begin the year in the Frederick Keys rotation, will miss the start of the minor league season. Beal, who went 7-6, 3.86 last summer at Single-A Delmarva, has a right shoulder impingement. There is no definite timetable yet for when he will be back on the mound, but he is expected to miss at least the first few weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Parker Bridwell, the O's ninth-round pick in 2010, remains in extended spring training, but...