As long as I have been an Orioles fan, I have always had one name in my mind: Frank Robinson.
For me growing up, Frank Robinson was an iconic symbol unlike any other. I always tell everyone Cal Ripken Jr. was my favorite all-time Oriole growing up, but Frank was my all-time favorite ballplayer.
Honestly, due to my age, I really didn't see him play at all - well, except on videotape. Really, the only link to his legend for me as a fan was hearing stories about him from other fans that had...
WASHINGTON - The Orioles can't seem to get that one big hit that opens the flood gates.
They loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning on Derrek Lee's leadoff single - his eighth hit of the series - third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error and Mark Reynolds' infield hit.
Craig Tatum, batting seventh, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lee scored, but he was the only one. Robert Andino grounded out to end the inning.
Opportunity wasted.
In case you're wondering, Tatum is...
WASHINGTON - The Orioles will try to avoid a sweep today while anointing Chris Jakubauskas the stopper in this rotation - at least for a day.
Brian Matusz says his left hamstring is a little sore today, as expected, but he feels much better, his mobility is good and he expects to make his next start. He'll play catch today.
"It feels good," he said. "It's a little sore today, but my mobility's really good. My flexiblity's there. It's just a little sore from the cramping. We're going...
WASHINGTON - The Orioles have lost four of five games on this road trip and are a season-high six games under .500, but at least they're not healthy.
Let's review today's physical issues:
Luke Scott left the game with back spasms and is day-to-day. Brian Matusz left the game with cramping in his left hamstring and is questionable to make his next start, though manager Buck Showalter seemed encouraged after today's 4-2 loss to the Nationals.
Buck Showalter gives updates for several...
WASHINGTON - A fairly promising start for Brian Matusz, at least statistically, has ended prematurely when he walked off the field with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells in the bottom of the sixth.
The game was tied 1-1 heading into the inning. Ryan Zimmerman doubled with one out and Michael Morse hit an opposite-field two-run homer to give Washington a 3-1 lead.
Danny Espinosa singled and stole second base as left-hander Clay Rapada began to warm up. With a 3-1 count on Jerry Hairston...
WASHINGTON - Derrek Lee is 2-for-2 today, making him 7-for-7 in this series.
Felix Pie pinch-hit for Luke Scott in the fourth inning and singled to right field to move Lee to third base after a one-out double. No word yet on why Scott came out of the game.
Update: Scott left the game with mid-back spasms. He's day-to-day.
Maybe Jeremy Guthrie is contagious.
Brian Matusz has allowed one run in three innings, on Ryan Zimmerman's shot into the last row of seats in left field, and it's a...
The Nationals and Orioles under way in their fifth meeting of the season. Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz is facing Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmerman.
With a victory, the Nationals can guarantee at least a season split with the Birds. Washington has won both series hold on,openers by a combined score of 25-9.
The Orioles got to Zimmermann early with a solo homer by Adam Jones in the top of the first. The blast to left field came with two men out.
The Nationals countered with the...
WASHINGTON - Blake Davis didn't receive an invitation to spring training this year. He remained in a utility role at Triple-A Norfolk, mostly playing right field but also getting starts in the infield. He wasn't a leading candidate to make his major league debut this summer.
Anything can happen in this game.
Davis, 27, had his contract purchased and will be on the bench for today's game against the Nationals. He batted .284 (52-for-183) with five home runs and 24 RBIs in 49 games with the...
WASHINGTON - Blake Davis will wear No. 28.
Following in the footsteps of Radhames Dykoff.
For the Orioles:
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Derrek Lee 1B
Luke Scott LF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Robert Andino 2B
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Nationals:
Werth RF
Desmond SS
Zimmerman 3B
Morse 1B
Espinosa 2B
Hairston LF
Rodriguez C
Zimmermann RHP
Bernadina CF
The Orioles announced today that they have recalled right-hander Brad Bergesen and selected the contract of infielder Blake Davis from Triple-A Norfolk.
To make room for Bergesen and Davis, the Orioles optioned infielder Ryan Adams to Norfolk and designated right-hander Jeremy Accardo for assignment.
Bergesen, 25, has appeared in 10 games (nine starts) for the Orioles this year, going 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA (50.1IP, 30ER). In three starts for the Tides, Bergesen was 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA (22.0IP,...
I left my house yesterday at 1:32 p.m. I arrived home at 1:32 a.m.
I didn't plan it that way.
Manager Buck Showalter suggests that we "sleep fast." Well, it went quickly for me. I'm ready to get back in my car and make the hour-long drive to Nationals Park, where the clubhouse will have a different look.
Brad Bergesen is back. That shuttle must be getting old for him. And Blake Davis has reached the majors for the first time after being a fourth-round pick in 2006 out of Cal-State...
WASHINGTON - Jeremy Accardo replaced Zach Britton and retired one of the four batters he faced. He issued a leadoff walk to Wilson Ramos, gave up a double to former Oriole Jerry Hairston Jr. and walked reliever Sean Burnett before Roger Bernadina flied to left.
Accardo is charged with three runs after Jayson Werth's RBI single and Ian Desmond's sacrifice fly off reliever Jason Berken. Nationals 7, Orioles 4.
Accardo has been scored upon in four straight appearances and five of six, and his...
WASHINGTON - Welcome to National League baseball, where the starting pitcher is removed after five innings and 81 pitches, and another pitcher is used as a pinch-runner.
Vladimir Guerrero batted for Zach Britton in the top of the sixth and lined an RBI single into center field off reliever Todd Coffey. Chris Jakubauskas, scheduled to face the Nationals on Sunday, pinch-ran for him.
J.J. Hardy's sacrifice fly scored Robert Andino, who doubled with one out, to tie the game, 4-4.
The Orioles...
The all-time series between the Orioles and Nationals is tied 24-24. The Orioles are 17-10 in Baltimore and 7-14 in Washington.
Vladimir Guerrero's sixth-inning double yesterday was the 2,500th hit of his major league career, making him the 94th player to reach that mark and the seventh active player, joining Derek Jeter, Pudge Rodriguez, Omar Vizquel, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Chipper Jones.
Guerrero's 2,501 hits are third-most for a Dominican-born player behind Julio Franco...
As of 1 p.m. today, there is a new system for commenting on my blog and Roch Kubatko's blog. The Nats' reporters have been using the system for a while.
We will switch the blog over to Disqus, the popular online commenting system used by CNN, Wired magazine, Fox News, MLB.com, MLB Trade Rumors and others. Chances are, you've probably interacted with it somewhere on the Web, but if not, here's a quick tutorial.
You'll comment much in the same way you did before, typing your thoughts in...
Yesterday we talked about the current season. Today, let's talk about the future.
The Orioles need to lock up J.J. Hardy. And they need to do it now.
Remember how desolate the prospects at shortstop looked for the Orioles this past offseason? Internally, we were looking at Robert Andino and that's about it. In the free agent market, there were retreads like Jerry Hairston Jr., Juan Uribe and Miguel Tejada. We were going to have to choose between either a good glove or a good bat. But there...
Two of the Orioles' top pitching prospects that have yet to pitch in an affiliated game this season, Matt Hobgood and Ryan Berry, will make their season debuts Monday when the Gulf Coast League season begins.
Hobgood, who has been rehabbing a strained rotator cuff, and Berry, who has been out with shoulder tendinitis, are both expected to pitch an inning or two Monday. Both have been at extended spring training.
Pitcher Matt Bywater, the Orioles' seventh-round pick last year, is also...
The Orioles' offense is struggling. It wasn't supposed to be that way. The O's made offseason additions to address the punchless offense of 2010 thorough both trade and free agency. However, those moves have had mixed results. J.J. Hardy has been a great addition to the lineup. Mark Reynolds, in his own unorthodox way, has actually been a productive hitter, even with a .206 batting average. Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero have been disappointing, to say the least.
But it could be worse. Or...
Manager Buck Showalter removed Jeremy Guthrie from today's game after five innings. The Blue Jays had only one hit and one walk, and Guthrie's pitch count stood at 64.
This is clearly a health issue.
Guthrie seemed to be dealing with some tightness in his back. Head athletic trainer Richie Bancells sat next to him in the dugout, and Guthrie was making a motion as if explaining that he felt discomfort when following through on his delivery.
Maybe tightness, maybe spasms. Definitely appeared...
Derrek Lee was hitting .132 with runners in scoring position before stepping to the plate with no outs in the ninth inning and the potential go-ahead run 90 feet away.
Lee hit a slow chopper to third, and Nolan Reimold beat the throw home. Credit Lee with an RBI on a fielder's choice that gives the Orioles a 3-2 lead.
OK, so it wasn't the most dramatic at-bat in history. It wasn't the shot heard 'round the world. But the Orioles needed Lee to do something besides strike out or ground into...